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MARSEILLE: ’s defender Pepe, Portugal’s defender Fonte and Portugal’s forward celebrate after winning the Euro 2016 quarter-final foot- ball match between and Portugal at the Stade Velodrome. — AFP Shootout win sees Portugal into semis Teenage sensation Sanches scores crucial equalizer

MARSEILLE: Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal bat- before 18-year-old Sanches, his new teammate After barely 100 seconds, hurried suggesting the Real Madrid star was bundled over tled their way to a place in the European at Bayern Munich, equalized with a powerfully past Southampton right-back Cedric Soares to by centre-back Michal Pazdan as he went to meet Championship last four on Thursday winning a driven shot. The game then went through deliver a great cross that Lewandowski drove a cross. Sanches made amends for Portugal less penalty shootout 5-3 against Poland in a tense extra-time deadlocked at 1-1. past a flailing Rui Patricio at his near post. The than two minutes later with a stunning leveller on quarter-final. Teenage sensation Renato Goalkeeper Rui Patricio and Ricardo Polish striker’s first goal of the competition, after his first start at Euro 2016. Sanches, who scored Portugal’s goal and Quaresma were Portugal’s heroes in the hitting a record 13 in qualifying, stunned The collected Nani’s cutback from smashed home one of the penalties, said it was shootout. Ronaldo was among the players fist- Portugal. The early goal gave Poland momen- the right side of the area and hit a fierce shot a “wonderful moment for the team and for me pumping when Patricio dived to his left to save tum, and a defiant but borderline interception that deflected off and beat for scoring”. Jakub Blaszczykowski’s tame fourth shot for the by Grzegorz Krychowiak on Sanches set Fabianski at his near post. Poland’s slick passing Portugal have reached the last four without Poles, who had reached the quarter-finals for up for a 25-yard drive that sailed game, however, was impressive throughout. winning a single game within 90 minutes. the first time. Quaresma was next up for wide on the quarter hour. ’s long ball found Grosicki in space to “People criticize us but we don’t care, because Portugal and made no mistake firing high into fire in a great cross at the back post that forced we are in the semis,” Sanches said, after the net to beat Poland goalkeeper Lukasz Invader caught Patricio into action as Lewandowski hovered. Portugal reached the semi-finals for the fourth Fabianski. “It hurts and it will hurt for a long Ronaldo hit the defensive wall with one free And it took a timely intervention from Jose time in the last five European Championships. time,” Lewandowski said as Ronaldo celebrated kick and goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski had no trou- Fonte just after the restart to stop Lukasz Poland had started strongly, with Robert taking the latest step toward winning a first ble with Ronaldo’s 18-yard drive from a Nani cross. Piszcek’s cutback reaching Lewandowski, who Lewandowski scoring his first goal of Euro 2016 major international trophy with Portugal. German referee Felix Brych waved away Ronaldo’s got his head to a cross moments later that inside two minutes in the Marseille clash Poland made a blistering start to the game. claims for a penalty on 31 minutes despite replays Patricio gratfeully collected. — AFP