Ronaldo and Portugal grab quarters place

Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal snatched a place in the quarter-finals of Euro 2016 on Saturday as the Real Madrid superstar's parried shot was headed into a gaping net by Ricardo Quaresma to defeat Croatia late in extra-time, AFP reports.

 

The 1-0 win in a game which only burst into life in the final minutes in Lens earned Ronaldo's side a quarter-final meeting with Poland in Marseille on Thursday.

 

After scraping through their group without a single victory, Portugal's star power finally shone through just as the match seemed to be heading for penalties.

 

"The best team doesn't always win and that happened tonight," Croatia coach Ante Cacic said.

 

Poland progressed to the quarter-finals of a Euros for the first time by beating Switzerland in a penalty shootout in Saint-Etienne, delighting celebrity fan Russell Crowe.

 

Arsenal-bound Granit Xhaka's wild and wide spot kick cost the Swiss dear as the Poles were a perfect five from five from the spot.

 

"POL!!! Final 8!!!" tweeted "Gladiator" star Crowe, who has taken this rugged Polish team and swashbuckling winger Jakob Blaszczykowski to his heart.