Monday 11 July 2016 06:25, UK
Eder’s extra-time goal was enough for Portugal to beat hosts France at the Stade de France on Sunday night and be crowned European champions.
But why did the pre-tournament favourites fail to fire against their unfancied opponents when it mattered most?
Here, we pick out five ways in which it went wrong for Didier Deschamps' team…
Adjusting after Ronaldo
It should have been the moment that swung the match dramatically in France's favour. Cristiano Ronaldo's early injury robbed Portugal of their greatest goal threat and if they'd gone behind at any stage after his departure then belief would surely have ebbed away.
Instead, his exit only added to the inertia shown by the home side as they played with an expectation that the game would eventually go their way as long as the clock kept ticking over. It should have been a catalyst, but Deschamps and his players had no reaction.
Playing it too safely
But that was the story of their night. Dimitri Payet had provided the flair in the group stages; Antoine Griezmann, the finishing touches during the knockout rounds. In the final, only Moussa Sissoko offered anything out of the ordinary. It's a damning indictment.
Risk-free football has been a feature of the tournament but on home soil and full of confidence against a Portugal side that hadn't beaten them in 10 attempts, this was an opportunity to play with confidence. France eschewed it and paid the price.
Not unleashing Pogba
Perhaps the biggest disappointment for France was Paul Pogba, a feeling he appeared to share given his demeanour on the night. The 23-year-old midfielder can do just about everything but with Blaise Matuidi pressing forward, his role was a restricted one.
That was surely a mistake against a Portugal side that was never likely to allow easy openings. The onus was on France to force their way through. Playing N'Golo Kante and unleashing Pogba in a more advanced role might have been the way to do that.
Not trusting fresh legs
As it was, Deschamps was unable to resist the temptation to name the same line-up that accounted for Germany on Thursday in Marseille. In relying on the same starters, he gave up the benefits of their squad depth and condemned France instead to a fitness disadvantage.
They looked tired, mentally and physically. Portugal made the extra rest count but it need not have been such a factor had Deschamps stuck to his principles. After making at least two changes for each of the first five games, he failed to freshen things up when it mattered.
Changes from the bench
Kingsley Coman showed some impetus after replacing Payet, but Deschamps could be left to rue his decision to ignore the similarly speedy Kante. In particular, his decision to turn to the 30-year-old Andre-Pierre Gignac before the more dynamic Anthony Martial felt like an error.
The France coach could point to Gignac's close-range effort that hit the post but the real lesson of Coman's cameo was that Portugal's back-line could be disrupted by a quickness of thought and deed. That's what France lacked on the night - on the pitch and in the dugout.
