Portugal Vs. Bosnia, Euro 2012 Qualifying Playoffs: Full Time: Portugal Qualify In Style

Portugal have thrashed Bosnia 6-2 to secure their spot at Euro 2012 in Poland\Ukraine. It was not as straightforward as the scoreline suggests, however, with Bosnia putting up a ferocious resistance and taking advantage of their few opportunities to peg Portugal back and prevent them from building a commanding lead.

After a Ronaldo free-kick and a Nani thunderbolt had given Portugal a comfortable lead, Dzeko struck back with an ice-cool penalty after Coentrao did a silly handball. Then, as Ronaldo made it 3 after rounding Asmir Begovic, Bosnia went down to 10 men after Lalic was dismissed for his behaviour towards the referee.

It had all looked over, but then Spahic surprisingly struck following a Bosnian set-piece to give the away side an unlikely lifeline. Soon after, however, Postiga hit a savage finish to put Portugal 4-2 up, at which point the Bosnians collapsed, Veloso and Postiga adding to the scoreline before full-time.

Overall, not a simple outclassing by Portugal, but a superb display against an opponent who were committed, determined, and refused to give up. Their midfield were excellent, but Ronaldo was the star of the show, in imperious form as he led the Portuguese attack. Portugal looked like the team we always knew they could be today – they’ve scarcely got a mention for anyone’s Euro 2012 predictions, but if they can play like they did today, it’ll be hard for anyone to stop them.