Both countries harbour hopes of glory this summer and may well have to meet each other in the last eight in order to realise that dream. If they do, neither will be under any illusions about the difficulty of their task.

Sven-Goran Eriksson knows all too well that Scolari’s side will pose a major threat in their own country but the warm applause he received in the Algarve Stadium was further evidence of the respect that this country has for the talents of England’s former Benfica manager.

The atmosphere was lively and, after both national anthems were immaculately observed, the hosts raced off to a quick start.

Earning his 100th international cap, Luis Figo picked up on Ashley Cole’s headed clearance on five minutes and the Real Madrid star’s snap shot would have opened the scoring had David James not sprung to his right to keep the ball out.

With Rui Costa nearly tip-toeing through at one end and Wayne Rooney’s tantalising run almost creating a goal for Beckham at the other, both sides were playing effective, attacking football.

It may have been open but it was not friendly. Crunching tackles on Owen and Rooney confirmed that the hosts were desperate for victory. Ashley Cole was forced to limp off on the quarter-hour.

England rose to the task and Sven’s men began to impose their own presence and desire on the game.

Frank Lampard’s outstanding performances for Chelsea this season made it almost impossible for Sven to leave him out and, even though the left-hand side of the midfield may not be his ideal position, his energy and strength still shone through. With his natural tendency to slip into more central positions, England compensated by adopting a fluid approach with which the Portuguese struggled to contend.

Paul Scholes flourished in this system and, although he only played one half, it was one of those days that he looked like the world’s neatest footballer. Every first touch killed the ball dead and every long-range pass found its destination with unfailing accuracy. On a day when we were expecting to praise Portugal’s technicians, we came away proud of one of our own.

Chances continued to present themselves. Rooney couldn’t bring the ball under his spell when a tap-in was on offer, while Costinha was inches away from claiming a super flying header at the other end.

Sven has once again been explaining the importance of looking at players in friendly games this week and, with this being his penultimate game before naming his squad for EURO 2004, he took a closer look at Kieron Dyer, Danny Mills and Joe Cole in the second period.

Portugal brought on their own Premier League star in the form of Ronaldo and the United man, with the freedom to roam for wing to wing, was a danger.

It was England, though, who broke the deadlock on 48 minutes. David Beckham swung in a free-kick from the right-wing which arched beyond the entire Portuguese backline only for Ledley King to appear at the far post to give England the lead.

It was a lovely moment for the young Spurs man who will have etched his name in Sven’s memory with his contribution on the night. At the heart of the defence he looked quick, mobile and, most importantly, comfortable at this level.

Having gone ahead, England lost the initiative somewhat, unable to retain consistent possession. It was in the middle of this period that Portugal drew level with a fabulous strike.

Butt brought down Boa Morte on the edge of the area and Pauleta stepped up to curl a perfect free-kick over the wall and into the top left-hand corner of David James’ net.

The man nicknamed ‘Birdman’ flew over to the touchline to celebrate with Figo. Neither the Portuguese skipper nor Beckham could have bettered the strike, which was Pauleta’s 28th in 54 internationals. He’ll be one to watch during the Championship.

England responded and, with the Three Lions fans in excellent voice, might have found a winner when Dyer’s jinking run gave Joe Cole a close-range shooting opportunity.

The Chelsea man, who scored in England’s last outing against Denmark, this time saw his effort smothered by Ricardo. On the balance of play, a draw was probably the right result.

Sven’s success has been founded on the ability of his teams to peak for the big games. Let’s hope he’s saving his victories in Portugal for the summer.

Team Details

Portugal: Ricardo, Paulo Ferreira (Miguel, 46), Rui Jorge, Andrade (Ricardo Carvalho, 75), Couto (Beto, 83), Costinha (Deco, 46), Figo (Boa Morte, 66), Petit (Viana, 83), Pauleta (Hugo Almeida, 78), Rui Costa (Tiago, 61), Simao (Ronaldo, 46), Nuno Valente
Subs not used: Quim

England: James, Phil Neville (Mills, 46), Ashley Cole (Bridge, 17; Hargreaves, 86), King, Southgate, Butt (Carragher, 86), Beckham (Jenas, 86), Lampard (Joe Cole, 46), Scholes (Dyer, 46), Owen (Heskey, 71), Rooney (Smith, 71)
Subs not used: Robinson, Kirkland

Booked: Petit.

Referee: Viktor Kassai (Hungary)