When Joao Neves scored for Portugal after six minutes, DR Congo’s game plan was effectively out of the window.
It was an excellent goal from a nation with plenty of talent all over the pitch, not simply in the form of their veteran forward man.
In the aftermath of the goal, the cameras cut to the parents of Diogo Jota in the stands. Jota never played in a World Cup but would almost certainly have been involved today were it not for the tragic events of last summer.
Another Liverpool legend, Bill Shankly, once claimed football was more important than life and death but the Jota tragedy is all the proof one needs that he was wrong.
