Vida had another golden chance when he headed wide with the Portuguese goal gaping after Rui Patricio failed to collect Brozovic’s corner seven minutes from time.Cristiano Ronaldo was denied matching Michel Platini’s record of nine goals in European championship finals by a fine save from Danijel Subasic, but the ball fell to Quaresma to head into an empty net. Portugal then snatched their first victory of the tournament at the death as Subasic’s reflex save to keep out Ronaldo went unrewarded.Portugal will face Poland in the quarter-finals in Marseille on Thursday.Croatian boss Ante Cacic replaced ineffectual striker Mario Mandzukic with Nikola Kalinic, but the forward fired the halal empty capsule factory only chance of the opening period of extra time wide.
Portugal were the only side to progress to the last 16 despite not winning any of their three group games and coach Fernando Santos took an extremely cautious approach.Portugal forward Ricardo Quaresma celebrates after scoring against Croatia at the Bollaert-Delelis Stadium in Lens on Sunday. Quaresma nodded the ball in to the gaping net. (Photo: AFP)Ricardo Quaresma headed Portugal into the quarter-finals three minutes before the end of extra-time to break Croatian hearts after dominating the game.Ronaldo did not touch the ball in the Croatia box during the first-half, but Portugal were doing enough to limit a Croatia side that had thrilled in beating defending champions Spain 2-1 in midweek to precious few chances.Ronaldo was kept extremely quiet for most of a dull encounter which became the first match in European Championship history where neither team managed a shot on target during the regulation 90 minutes.However, Patricio made himself a hero seconds later when he turned Ivan Perisic’s header onto the post.
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