Euro 2020: Hungary vs Portugal Match Recap

Portugal left it late but came on strong to run out 3-0 winners over Hungary in their opening Euro 2020 match.

Group F teams were the last to start their Euro 2020 campaigns. Hungary hosted Portugal in Budapest with local fans dreaming of an upset. Their hopes were nearly dashed early when Wolverhampton Wanderers' Diogo Jota lashed an effort from distance that stung the palms of Peter Gulacsi in the Hungary goal.

Portugal continued to create more in what was a scrappy game throughout and Jota once again brought a good save out of Gulacsi at the end of the half with his shot on the turn.

While star man Cristiano Ronaldo was largely quiet in the first half, he popped up in a good position to get on the end of a Bruno Fernandes cross but was unable to keep his effort down. Both sides headed in level at the break of the Euro 2020 encounter.

Ronaldo opens Euro 2020 account with double strike in second half

Two goals and a record-breaking performance from @Cristiano ✨@Heineken | #EUROSOTM | #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/pK9KEoJkn0

— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) June 15, 2021

Within two minutes of the game's resumption, Portugal threatened once again. Pepe produced a strong header from a Fernandes corner but once again Gulacsi was equal to it and produced another good stop.

With the minutes winding down the game began to really open up and with 10 mintues left Hungary looked as if they had managed to steal an unlikely winner when substitute Szabolcs Schon put the ball in the back of the net.

Unfortunately for him and the celebrating home fans, he was judged to have been offside prior to his excellent finish at the near post and the goal did not stand.

In the 84th minute, Portugal finally found their breakthrough when Borussia Dortmund's Raphael Guerreiro saw his deflected effort roll into the bottom left corner with Gulacsi off-balance and unable to make the save.

The deficit doubled moments later after a marauding run from Renato Sanches led to Fernandes being brought down in the Hungary box and earning Portugal a penalty. Ronaldo made no mistake with the spot-kick, sending the keeper the wrong way and pushing his nation's lead to 2-0 in the Euro 2020 encounter.

Things still got worse for Hungary in stoppage time. Some delightful link-up play between Ronaldo and Rafa Silva led to the former dancing round the keeper and slotting the ball home to put an exclamation mark on a game that saw him become the all-time top goalscorer in European Championship history and open his Euro 2020 account.

Portugal will next face Germany at Euro 2020 whilst Hungary have the unenviable task of taking on world champions France.