Euro2008 qualifying matches, Portugal 4-0 Belgium

Classy Portugal cruise past Belgium

Portugal maintained their 100 per cent home record in UEFA EURO 2008™ qualifying with a hugely convincing 4-0 victory over Belgium at Lisbon's José Alvalade stadium.

Second-half blitz
After a first half where they failed to translate their vast superiority into goals, Luiz Felipe Scolari's side made amends as second-half strikes from Nuno Gomes, Cristiano Ronaldo (2) and Ricardo Quaresma secured a third straight home success in Group A. Now up to third in the section, they will hope to climb even higher when they visit Serbia on Wednesday.

Portugal possession
From the fourth minute, when the skilful Quaresma swerved an effort wide, it seemed a matter of when, rather than if, Portugal would make the breakthrough. The same player then shot wastefully over after Tiago played him through on 13 minutes, but with Belgium struggling to keep the ball, further chances followed. Ronaldo alone went close three times in a first half when Portugal enjoyed 69 per cent of possession.

Breakthrough
Nuno Gomes squandered a glorious opportunity to open the second period with a goal, placing a left-foot volley wide after Tiago's lofted ball had found him unmarked. The striker made no mistake on 53 minutes, though, when he tapped in after fine work by Ronaldo and João Moutinho, and three minutes later it was 2-0 as Ronaldo headed in at the far post from Quaresma's superb chip. If Belgium retained any faint hopes, these vanished altogether when debutant Thomas Chatelle missed an open goal with his first touch.

Quaresma cracker
Quaresma registered the goal of the night in the 69th minute with a superb first international strike, bending the ball over Stijn Stijnen and into the far corner with the outside of his right boot. The Belgium keeper then denied Tiago and Nani, yet was beaten a final time on 75 minutes when Ronaldo shimmied inside his marker and directed a low effort into the net from the edge of the box. On this evidence Portugal can travel to Serbia full of confidence; Belgium, on the contrary, have plenty to do before their next qualifier – at home to the Portuguese on 2 June.

Euro2008 qualifying matches, Portugal 4-0 Belgium highlights and goals:

Champions League, Chelsea 2-1 Porto

Ballack finally delivers to send Chelsea into last eight

Michael Ballack's late strike put Chelsea into the last eight of the Champions League after they came from behind to beat Porto.

Chelsea were on their way out after falling behind to Ricardo Quaresma's first half strike, but Ballack capped an impressive fightback as Chelsea scraped through their second round tie 3-2 on aggregate. Arjen Robben cancelled out Quaresma's goal early in the second half and German international Ballack won it with a fine effort 11 minutes from full-time.

Ballack has been well below his best since his pre-season move from Bayern Munich, but he was signed by Mourinho for important European nights like this and finally showed why he is regarded as one of the world's leading midfielders.

Porto took the lead after just 15 minutes when a slick move ended with Quaresma poking the ball under the body of the outstretched Petr Cech after picking up Lucho Gonzalez's pass.

Thereafter, at least for the rest of the half, Porto looked in control and it seemed only a mistake or a moment of brilliance would affect their position.

As it happened, it was a mistake. And what a howler it was at the start of the second half.

Robben, who picked up a yellow card for diving early in the half, received the ball on the right and cut inside before firing in a relatively tame shot that keeper Heldon got a hand to, but not a strong enough one as the ball looped into the net. Chelsea pressed for a winner and sent in a number of teasing crosses testing the Porto shot-stopper, who looked a little jittery after his error.

However, it was not an error that handed Chelsea their much-valued win but a well-worked move that saw Didier Drogba nod Ashley Cole's centre on to the head of Shevchenko who in turn found Ballack.

Ballack steadied himself, swivelled and fired a low volley from six yards past Heldon and into the quarter finals. Chelsea will discover on Friday who they are paired with in the last eight.

Chelsea: Cech, Diarra (Ferreira 65), Essien, Carvalho, Ashley Cole, Makelele (Mikel 46), Robben, Ballack, Lampard, Shevchenko (Kalou 84), Drogba.

Subs Not Used: Hilario, Boulahrouz, Bridge, Wright-Phillips.

Booked: Robben, Diarra.

Goals: Robben 48, Ballack 79.

FC Porto: Helton, Fucile, Pepe, Bruno Alves, Cech (Ibson 55), Gonzalez, Ricardo Costa, Paulo Assuncao, Raul Meireles (Adriano 55), Lopez (Bruno Moraes 82), Quaresma.
Subs Not Used: Vitor Baia, Alan, Postiga, Joao Paulo.

Booked: Quaresma, Fucile, Adriano.

Goals: Quaresma 15.

Champions league Chelsea 2-1 Porto extended highlights and goals:

Quaresma

Ricardo Andrade Quaresma Bernardo, commonly known just by Ricardo Quaresma or Quaresma, born 26 September 1983 in Lisbon, Portugal is a professional, nicknamed "Cignao" (gipsy), "Harry Potter" and also "Mustang" because like the horses with the same name he possesses hardiness, grace, speed, and independence. Cigano because Quaresma is of Gipsy-Descent.

Club

Quaresma is a product of the Sporting Clube de Portugal academy, Quaresma made his first-team breakthrough as an 18-year-old and won the domestic double that same season, 2001/02. His development encouraged FC Barcelona to pay €6m for the youngster in summer 2003, with Fabio Rochemback moving in the opposite direction. Despite signing a four-year contract, Quaresma's stay at Camp Nou was to be brief, encompassing just ten Primera División outings. In May 2004, he broke a bone in his foot and two months later signed a five-year contract at FC Porto. He struck the only goal in Porto's triumph against SL Benfica in the Portuguese Super Cup and contributed to the dramatic win against CD Once Caldas in the 2004 European/South American Cup, scoring in a thrilling penalty shoot-out victory, before starring in the 2005/06 double-winning campaign.

National team
A UEFA European Under-16 Championship winner in 2000, he made his full international debut in a June 2003 friendly against Bolivia. Despite playing in 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying, he did not make the plane to Germany after turning out at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship on home soil.