handle the ball but no penalty was awarded, and immediately Diego Fuser dispossessed Jan Suchopárek, ran with the ball before crossing to Enrico Chiesa who equalised. In the 28th minute, Italy were reduced to ten players when Luigi Apolloni was sent off after being shown a second yellow card for a foul on Pavel Kuka. Seven minutes later, Kuka's cross was missed by Maldini and volleyed into the Italy goal by Radek Bejbl, to give the Czech Republic the lead. There were several chances for the Czech Republic in the second half to extend their lead but the final opportunity to score fell to Italy's Pierluigi Casiraghi who struck the ball off-target from a Gianfranco Zola pass in stoppage time, and the match ended 2–1 to the Czech Republic. The final group match for the Czech Republic saw them play Russia at Anfield on 19 June 1996. The Czech Republic were 2–0 ahead within the first 20 minutes of the game. Suchopárek's sixth-minute header gave them the lead before Kuka headed Jiří Němec's long ball into the Russia goal. Further chances to score fell to the Czech Republic who dominated the remainder of the half, hitting the frame of the Russia goal three times, but the score remained 2–0 at the interval. Russia made two tactical substitutions at half-time, with Vladimir Beschastnykh and Aleksandr Mostovoi coming on for Igor Kolyvanov and Igor Simutenkov, and within three minutes, Mostovoi had reduced Russia's deficit, heading in from a Dmitri Khokhlov cross. Four minutes later, Němec fouled Vladislav Radimov but the ball broke to Omari Tetradze who shot from close range, the ball taking a deflection off the Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Kouba before ending in the goal. Poborský then hit the post before the substitute, Beschastnykh, scored from distance to make it 3–2 to Russia in the 85th minute. With two minutes remaining, Luboš Kubík's lofted pass found Vladimír Šmicer whose shot passed Stanislav Cherchesov in the Russia goal, to ensure a 3–3 final score. The Czech Republic ended the group stage as runners-up and progressed to the next round. In the quarter-final, the Czech Republic's opponents were Portugal and the match was held at Villa Park in Birmingham on 23 June 1996. In a first half of few opportunities, Portugal's Ricardo Sá Pinto struck his side's only chance straight at Kouba, and the first half ended goalless. Eight minutes into the