Euro 2016: Portugal sneak in

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring his side’s third goal during their Group F match against Hungary at the Grand Stade in Decines-Charpieu, near Lyon, on Wednesday. The match ended 3-3. (Photo: AP)

Cristiano Ronaldo scored two trademark brilliant goals on Wednesday to go into European Championship history and rescue Portugal in a 3-3 draw with Hungary that took them into the last 16.

The 31-year-old opened his account in style with a deft backheel flick on 50 minutes, then a bullet header 12 minutes later to twice equalise at the Stade de Lyon.

The result left Hungary on top of Group F. Portugal squeezed through as one of the best third-place finishers but now face a tough match against Croatia.

The Real Madrid ace became the first player to score at four European championship finals and his 17th match in a Euro tournament was also a record.

It was his 128th appearance for Portugal, further extending the record he set last Saturday, as he made a record 17th appearance at Euro finals.

Following their draws with Iceland and Austria, Portugal’s captain had been feeling the pressure.

He threw a TV reporter’s microphone in a lake on the morning of the game in Lyon.

But he delivered when it mattered as Portugal equalised three times in a topsy-turvy match — not one for the faint-hearted.

Hungary captain Balazs Dzsudzsak matched Ronaldo by netting two second-half goals as the Mighty Magyars took first place in Group F winners.

With three draws, Portugal advance as third behind Iceland.

Hungary took the lead in sweltering conditions at the Stade de Lyon when veteran midfielder Zoltan Gera unleashed a thunderbolt.

There was nothing on when Portugal fail to clear a corner.

But the 37-year-old Gera belted a low left-footed drive into the bottom-right corner which gave Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio no chance on 19 minutes.

At the other end, a save from Hungary goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly saved a swirling Ronaldo free-kick on 29 minutes.