Offside Drama: Jota’s Late Goal Denied in Portugal’s Euro Clash

Diogo Jota thought he had clinched a late victory for Portugal against the Czech Republic on Tuesday night, only for his headed goal to be disallowed due to a quick offside call.

Jota didn’t start in Portugal’s Euro 2024 opener, but was brought on immediately after the Czech Republic took a surprising lead with Lukas Provod scoring just after the hour mark. The Liverpool forward replaced Rafael Leao, while Goncalo Inacio came on for Diogo Dalot from Manchester United.

Portugal soon equalized thanks to an own goal by Robin Hranac. Jota made a notable impact in the final third, pressing Czech defenders and creating a chance for Bernardo Silva.

With three minutes left in regulation time, Jota seemed to have scored the decisive goal, heading in a rebound after Cristiano Ronaldo’s shot hit the post. Jota celebrated by grabbing the ball from Czech goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek, hinting that his partner, Rute Cardoso, might be expecting their third child.

However, the joy was short-lived as the goal was ruled out by semi-automated offside technology within just 11 seconds, a clear contrast to the prolonged VAR reviews previously seen in the Premier League. Thankfully, this technology will be introduced in the English top flight in the upcoming season, promising to reduce the lengthy VAR delays for tight offside decisions.

Despite Jota’s disallowed goal, Portugal secured a win in stoppage time when tournament debutant Francisco Conceicao scored from close range. This last-minute goal was a harsh blow for Czechia, who had Liverpool’s Vitezslav Jaros on the bench.

The victory placed Portugal second in Group F after the first round of matches, with Turkey leading the group following their 3-1 win over Georgia earlier in the evening. The second round of fixtures kicks off on Wednesday, featuring Croatia vs. Albania at 2pm, Germany vs. Hungary at 5pm, and Scotland vs. Switzerland at 8pm.