Portugal continued their not-too-impressive fairytale run at the UEFA Euro 2016 by beating Poland 5-3 on penalties on Thursday evening.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s team who are yet to win a game in normal time thus far in the tournament, managed to hold the Polish side to another 1-1 draw in normal time.
They drew their three group games before beating Croatia with almost the final extra-time kick of their last 16 tie.
Thursday night began terribly for Portugal as Robert Lewandowski scored for Poland in only the second minute of the game – his first of the tournament.
But 18-year-old sensation Renato Sanches equalised on his first international start after half an hour.
The game fell in to a drab and predictable pattern after that.
Ronaldo could have won it three times for his country only to swing at fresh air when presented with chances, twice in the second half and once in the second minute of extra time.
But he stepped up to convert his team’s first penalty and Portugal eventually triumphed when Jakub Blaszcykowksi saw Poland’s fourth penalty saved and Ricardo Quaresma stepped up to seal his country’s progress.
Fernando Santos’s men will face either Belgium or Wales next week in Lyon.
