Czech Republic vs Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo Will Lead Portugal to Dominant Win

The Czechs survived the group stage of Euro 2012, but their surprising run will come to an end against Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal.

When Ronaldo is at his best, the Real Madrid forward is an unstoppable force of football fury. His footwork is mind-boggling, his passes are pin-point, his feet are are rocket launchers and his mastery in the air is far superior to most world-class talents.

He was dominant in La Liga this season (46 goals and 12 assists in 37 appearances) and his success finally carried over to the international level on Sunday.

After blowing several easy opportunities in Portugal's 3-2 win over Denmark, Ronaldo came out with a vengeance against the Dutch. He ripped off a European Championship record 12 shots, with two finding the net and five more hitting the target.

It was a brilliant performance, and with Europe's best player finally in top form, the Czech Republic are in for a nightmare on Thursday.

The Czechs played some inspiring football in the group stage, rebounding from an early failure to advance from Group A. Unfortunately, they're not playing the likes of Greece and Poland anymore.

The Portuguese are an entirely different animal, and judging by the Czechs' performance against Russia, it's going to be a long night for Michal Bilek and his team.

Russia was the only team in Group A with an attack that could even be compared to Portugal, and they put on an absolute clinic against the Czech Republic. Andrei Arshavin and Alan Dzagoev mercilessly shredded the Czech defense, slithering through the back line with ease and terrorizing Petr Cech from the box. The Russians scored four goals in all, and they probably should have had one or two more as well.

Against a Portugal side that features supremely talented wingers in Ronaldo and Nani, the Czechs should brace themselves for a similar disaster in the quarterfinals.

I'm expecting the two world-class midfielders to be aggressive throughout, creating countless chances for themselves and their teammates. Cech will be solid in the net, but the keeper won't be able to stop the barrage of shots headed his way.

The Czechs will give a valiant effort, but in the end, the talent and creativity of Portugal will be two much. I'm predicting a 3-1 win for Portugal, and a somber plane ride home for the Czech Republic.