The Czechs had soaked up Portugal's first-half pressure under torrential rain in Leipzig before stunning one of the pre-tournament favourites early in the second period.
zech Republic coach Ivan Hasek was left frustrated after his side conceded in the 92nd minute to lose their Euro 2024 opener 2-1 to Portugal on Tuesday.
The Czechs had soaked up Portugal's first-half pressure under torrential rain in Leipzig before stunning one of the pre-tournament favourites early in the second period.
Lukas Provod's spectacular strike from outside the box left Diogo Costa helpless.
However, the lead lasted just seven minutes before Robin Hranac's own goal levelled and Francisco Conceicao smashed home his first Portugal goal in stoppage time to give Roberto Martinez's men all three points.
"I was angry. We played against one the best teams in the world and it was a draw (until stoppage time). It was a real pity to concede in the last minute but you saw their qualities," said Hasek.
"We didn't make it easy for Portugal, when we were defending we didn't give them that much space to create.
"Our defence worked really well even if we were really deep. We didn't want to be but Portugal have great quality in attack and forced us back."
Next up the Czechs take on Georgia on Saturday.
Hasek, in his second stint in charge of the national side, said Portugal’s attacking class threw a spanner into the Czech game-plan to push up the field.
"We wanted to be much higher on the pitch but they dominated and pushed us very deep in our half," Hasek said.
"When we got the ball we wanted to go forward and attack but some bad passes made it possible for them to dominate again. Losing the balls was our biggest mistake."
With the Czechs all defending ferociously, Hasek said he withdrew forward Patrik Schick on the hour to save him for their next match against Georgia in a group that also includes Turkey.
“Patrik Schick had to work in the defence as well so he was really losing his strength quite quickly,” Hasek said. “We were ready for that. We have a game in the next four days and we need him to be ready.”
Hasek also praised substitute midfielders Antonin Barak and Petr Sevcik, hinting that he may make some changes to the starting lineup against Georgia on Saturday.
One player the Czechs will need at his best is captain Tomas Soucek who arrived in Germany needing treatment ahead of the opening match but Hasek was confident he would be ready.
“Tomas really wants to play and as of now we have no notes from the doctors about any players,” Hasek said.
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