Portugal grabbed their first points of Euro 2012 with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Denmark in a Group B encounter on Wednesday.

Substitute Silvestre Valera scored a late winner to keep alive Portuguese hopes in the European championship. Portugal let slip a 2-0 lead, after Pepe and Helder Postiga had given them a commanding lead, with Nicklas Bendtner scoring a double for Denmark.

The win kept Portugal in the hunt for a quarterfinal place. They face Netherlands in the final group game while Denmark face Germany. All four teams stand a chance of qualifying for the knockout rounds, despite Germany defeating the Netherlands 2-1 and leaving the Dutch without a single point.

Portugal struck through a corner when Nani's inswinging cross was glanced to the back of the net by Pepe in the 24^th minute. Postiga gave Portugal control in the 36^th minute after the striker buried the ball from six yards off another Nani cross.

Arsenal striker Bendtner cut the deficit just before half-time in the 41^st minute. A cross from Jakob Poulsen to the far post was headed back across by Michael Krohn-Dehli and Bendtner had a simple task of heading into an open net, with the goalkeeper out of position.

Cristiano Ronaldo then had two glorious chances to put the game to bed. However, the Real Madrid forward fluffed his lines twice with just the goalkeeper to beat. The first chance saw Ronaldo aim a tame shot straight at Stephan Andersen.

Ronaldo was sent clear again by Nani, but sent his shot wide of the target with the goalkeeper beaten.

The world's most expensive soccer player was made to pay for the misses, when Bendtner equalised with a powerful header at the back post in the 80^th minute.

However, Portugal and Ronaldo breathed a huge sigh of relief when Varela smashed home the winner in the 86^th minute.

Portugal coach Paulo Bento, relieved with the victory, felt his side deserved the three points. "The team were focused throughout and showed real quality. We created chances, especially in the first half, and I think 2-0 would have been a just result at half-time.

"In the second period we didn't sit back on our lead, we looked for a third.

"The equaliser was unjust but we didn't bow our heads down, we showed character and got the winner we deserved."

Denmark coach Morten Olsen was disappointed to give away a late equaliser after his side fought back from 2-0 down. "It's a horrible feeling to concede so close to the end and end up losing the game.

"We struggled to find our rhythm but we really improved in the second half and in the last 10 minutes we came into our own. I was proud of the way we played against the Netherlands, but in a sense I'm prouder here of our second-half performance."