The Portuguese are among the favourites to win the tournament and they showed just why on Saturday evening - with Pepe's 61st-minute strike coming at the end of one of many exhilarating attacking moves.

Substitute Raul Meireles finished off another one in stoppage time to add gloss to the result - and Luiz Felipe Scolari's can feel more than happy with their opening performance.

All eyes were on Cristiano Ronaldo once the action got underway but the Manchester United winger's first notable contribution was to wildly fire a left-footed effort over the bar in the sixth minute.

Pepe thought he had put his side ahead on 17 when he headed in Simao Sabrosa's corner but replays showed the linesman was right to flag him for offside.

Nihat Kahveci saw a free-kick deflected wide at the other end, while Deco was off target with a free-kick of his own for Portugal.

Ronaldo produced his first real magic moment on the half hour mark but he eventually dragged his effort wide after skating through four challenges.

The same player went close again on 38, this time producing a trademark free-kick that forced a superb diving save from Volkan Demirel.

Portugal continued to press at the start of the second half and were inches away from taking the lead in the 50th minute when Nuno Gomes poked an effort onto the post - the referee playing advantage following a foul on Simao on the edge of the area.

Ronaldo forced Demirel into another save as he began to take control of the game but it was Pepe who put their side ahead with a goal of real quality in the 61st minute.

The defender picked up the ball 40 yards from goal and drove forward before playing a one-two with Gomes that saw him break into the box and fire over Demirel via a deflection off a despairing last-ditch tackle.

Gomes headed against the crossbar four minutes later as Portugal threatened to run wild but Turkey did look dangerous on the break and Emre headed wide when he really should have scored eight minutes from time.

United's Nani, on as a substitute for Gomes, forced Demirel into yet another good save soon after before Raul Meireles - on for Deco 60 seconds previously - fired home into an unguarded net following a wonderful counter attack involving Ronaldo and Joao Moutinho.