John Barnes says Portugal showed a lot of heart against Hungary and is pleased that a tie between Portugal and England did not materialise. 

The former Liverpool player was in the studio for SuperSport as the draw took Hungary top of Group F, taking them to the knockout phase of a competition for the first time since the 1966 World Cup.

Barnes was quick to praise not only Hungary’s character, but Portugal’s as well.

‘They [Hungary] didn’t have to win the game, but they came out, they attacked, they scored. And Portugal have to be proud of what they did as well, because as much as conceding three goals, they showed a lot, a lot of heart, a lot of character.

‘Ronaldo eventually turned up, scored two great goals. It was a fascinating game’, he added.

Barnes, who is a Jamaican-born Englishman, was also relieved his England side will be avoiding Portugal in the next round following the draw.

‘If they [Portugal] finished second they would play England [in the next round]. They would not want to play England, and England would not want to play Portugal.

‘As much as I was cheering the goal for Iceland, it was more to do with the fact that now England avoid Portugal.’

Portugal will now face Croatia in the Round of 16, while England come up against Iceland. Portugal have been known to knock England out of big tournaments in the past, with the Portuguese beating the English on penalties both in Euro 2004 and at the 2006 World Cop.