Diogo Jota came off the bench to help Portugal open their Euro 2024 account with a very late 2-1 win over the Czech Republic on Tuesday.
Given the plethora of attackers Roberto Martinez can pick from, Liverpool’s star had to settle for a place on the bench, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Rafael Leao starting up front.
But when Diogo Jota entered the pitch just after the hour mark, his team were 1-0 down after a stunning long-range effort from Lukas Provod.
The Liverpool man then thought he had won his side the game after he reacted quickest to Ronaldo‘s header hitting the post, but the 39-year-old was offside.
The introduction of Jota certainly made a difference because there was more chaos in the penalty box, with Robin Hrana putting the ball into the back of his own net, before Francisco Conceicao came off the bench to score the late winner in stoppage time.
Frank Lampard spoke about the ‘talent’ in the Portugal squad and the number of players they are getting into the box, as he told Match of the Day on BBC One.
The legendary midfielder touched upon Jota and how ‘all of a sudden’ he was causing problems inside the penalty area because he is a ‘sniffer’ of chances.
And that’s where Lampard feels Martinez might look at things going forward and change tact slightly, with some backing Portugal to go all the way and win this competition outright.
Portugal are next in action against Turkey, who won their opening game against Georgia, with the potential winner of this tie all but sealing their name into the knockout stages of Euro 2024.
Diogo Jota helps Portugal beat the Czech Republic at Euro 2024
“I think the talent, we spoke about it before and we saw glimpses of it there, it wins you games and it’s always going to be a big factor,” said Lampard. “I think they are still searching a little bit. I think it’s a good game for Roberto (Martinez) to look at it there. They have got their three points and they will be happy with that.
“I think the system, we spoke a lot about and we will look again. The amount of numbers that are in the box. Making sure that if they are going to make that many crosses in a game. You would certainly want to review that and go ‘okay, are we getting enough people in the box?’
“You see it with the offside goal there. That’s because Jota, all of a sudden, who is a box man and a sniffer, he is there now and he is getting the next one. Putting pressure on defenders, then you get an own goal. So, I think, maybe, a good game for them to review. I think Roberto is a fantastic coach and maybe we will see them slightly different as the tournament goes on.”
Should Diogo Jota start for Portugal?
It has largely been a frustrating season for Jota because injuries held him back throughout the campaign and he proved to be a big loss for his team.
Many would argue that if the 27-year-old had stayed fit in Jurgen Klopp’s final season as manager, then they probably would have gone on to win the Premier League title.
The Reds were sitting top of the table during the final few months, only to collapse and open the door for Manchester City to steam ahead and take over.
But Liverpool fans know what Jota is capable of when he is fit because he could prove to be a real game-changer for his country, whether he is starting or from the bench.
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