After the insanity, time for revenge and giant slaying

LYON: Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Paul Pogba are through, now the European Championship finals turn to revenge, a fairytale David v Goliath tale and a heavyweight

LYON: Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Paul Pogba are through, now the European Championship finals turn to revenge, a fairytale David v Goliath tale and a heavyweight rematch.

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Ronaldo hit two crucial goals — becoming the first player to score in seven straight major tournaments: three World Cups and four European Championships — as Portugal three times came back from a goal down to draw 3-3 with brave Hungary and reach the last 16. “It was an insane match,” said the three-time World Player of the Year.

Now Portugal have to take on Luka Modric’s Croatia in Lens on Saturday with the pressure even higher with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.

“Croatia are a tough team with very good players. It’s not every team that beats Spain. They have, so we respect them,” said Ronaldo.

“We know our worth and we will look them in the eyes when we face them.”

‘WE ARE ONE OF FAVOURITES NOW’

Croatia striker Nikola Kalinic believes his country are now one of the favourites at Euro 2016 after beating Spain to win Group D.

Bookmakers’ odds for the Balkan nation to win the tournament have been changed from 16-1 to 8-1 after the 2-1 victory in Bordeaux. Kalinic scored the equaliser to cancel out Spain’s early goal before Ivan Perisic grabbed a late winner.

“It was difficult after we fell behind but we showed that we are shoulder to shoulder with the world’s top teams,” Kalinic said. “We are now one of the big favourites of this tournament.”

But Ivan Rakitic, who got the better of his Barcelona team mates featuring for Spain, struck a note of caution.

“Let’s not get carried away,” said the attacking midfielder who added he had “a few things to explain” to his Spanish wife.

“We are overjoyed, we will celebrate this win thoroughly but there is no room for complacency.”

There will be showdowns aplenty in the eight matches over an action-packed three days, starting with Croatia-Portugal, Wales- Norther n Ireland and Switzerland-Poland on Saturday.

After a landmark 1-0 triumph over Italy, for Republic of Ireland there could be vengeance in the air when they play hosts France with Pogba looking to prove his worth in Lyon on Sunday. Irish fans will never forget Thierry Henry’s handball in extra time of a World Cup qualifying playoff in Paris in 2009 that led to William Gallas’s equaliser securing France’s place at the 2010 finals.

Eight of the team that started that night are still in Martin O’Neill’s squad. But goalkeeper Shay Given said “it’s not about looking back ... what happened is gone now.”

Robbie Keane also believes it is time to “move on”. “Yeah I was there. I will not think about that for one second,” the 35-year-old striker declared.