Portugal headed into this encounter with Denmark knowing that anything but a victory would all but eliminate them from the competition with just two matches on the board.
What followed was a match full of incident, ending with the Portuguese winning by the odd goal in five.
Sports Mole has analysed the previous 90 minutes in Lviv.
Denmark statistics:
Shots: 9
On target: 6
Possession: 58%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 18
Holland statistics:
Shots: 17
On target: 12
Possession: 42%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 9
Was the result fair?
Just about, yes! Portugal played the better football and had Cristiano Ronaldo been his usual prolific self in front of goal then the result would have been more comprehensive. Credit to Denmark, who battled hard with their limited resources.
Denmark's performance
As mentioned above the Danes gave their all. They were slightly disappointing in the first half but after the restart they had a real go at times. Despite being dominated for large parts of the match, they will be angry at losing a match that they were drawing in the closing stages.
Portugal's performance
A mixed bag in truth. At times they looked extremely fluid in attack but in defence there are big question marks - a fact highlighted by Nicklas Bendtner's two headed goals. A late goal from substitute Silvestre Varela ensured that their domination actually counted for something.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Nicklas Bendtner: The Danish striker has been mocked by many for having so much belief in his ability. However, on one of the biggest stages of them all, the Arsenal striker proved himself with two headed goals - the second of which was an unstoppable effort.
Referee performance
Craig Thomson put in a real faultless performance throughout the 90 minutes. The Scottish referee allowed the play to flow and kept his cards in his pocket unless the offence warranted a punishment.
Biggest gaffe of the game
No doubt about this one! Picture the scene - Ronaldo goes through one-on-one with a goalkeeper and there is surely only one outcome, isn't there? Well on this occasion the Portuguese captain shot horribly wide. To make matters worse Denmark went straight up the other end and levelled up proceedings at two goals apiece.
What next?
Denmark: You have to fear for Denmark's chances now. A point here would have gone a long way to helping them progress to the quarter-finals. However, as it stands it looks as though they will need to beat Germany to stand any chance of getting through.
Portugal: They have given themselves a lifeline here. Victory over Holland on Sunday will see them progress beyond the group stages. They will need to defend better though.
Liam Apicella
