Portsmouth are learning as they go on in their first European campaign and were dealt a harsh lesson in northern Portugal last night. Braga were too streetwise for them in their opening Uefa Cup group E match and were helped on their way by a poor display from the South Coast club.

Such are the intricacies of the group stage that Portsmouth can probably cope with the defeat, however galling and self-inflicted it was. Four points from their matches against AC Milan, Wolfsburg and Heerenveen should secure their place in the last-32 knockout phase of the competition.

Milan are the visitors to Fratton Park next month, so Portsmouth may have to do it the hard way, against Wolfsburg and Heerenveen in their last two fixtures. Whatever happens, they will have to reach a higher level than against Braga. Harry Redknapp, the Portsmouth manager, conceded that his side had underperformed. His main criticism, though, was reserved for Darko Ceferin, the Slovenian referee, who allowed the Braga players to tumble over at every challenge, their theatrics rewarded with a series of free kicks in key areas.

“Right from the start, the referee had no idea whatsoever,” Redknapp said. “They were diving all over the place and, every time there was a tackle, they were rolling around. That’s not part of the game in England, we don’t put up with that. I’ve not spoken to the referee. What’s the point? I’m sure it’s a good league in Slovenia.

“No excuses, though. Braga are a decent side and we didn’t pass the ball well enough. We had a couple of chances, we got in good positions, but the final pass wasn’t there. We’ve got to pick ourselves up and we’ve got to try to win our home games.”

Portsmouth were the first to impress but, in the eighth minute, Braga went ahead. Matheus fell as if mortally wounded by a challenge from Papa Bouba Diop — Diop was booked — and the 30-yard free kick from Luis Aguiar fizzed past James, whose positioning, like the organisation of his defensive wall, seemed suspect.

Considering that Braga had not conceded a goal in six matches en route to the group stage, Portsmouth faced an uphill struggle. To add to their problems, Peter Crouch joined Diop in the book for a foul on Vandinho that the Brazilian clearly exaggerated. But they began to steady the ship, with Jermain Defoe starting to make an impression. He should have equalised when he wriggled through alone, only to shoot straight at Eduardo. Then, after cutting in from the right flank, he could not beat Eduardo at the near post.

Trouble flared briefly among the small contingent of visiting fans shortly before half-time. Bizarrely, the disturbance involved a fight between two Portsmouth-supporting brothers. And the mood of the travelling fans soon darkened further when Braga increased their lead 85 seconds into the second half through Wason Renteria’s swift turn and finish.

It was not what the doctor had ordered for Portsmouth and even when they a lifeline seemed to appear, when Crouch’s header bobbled over the line off the back of Moises, Ceferin ruled it out. “I’ve watched it ten times on video and there was no reason to disallow it,” Redknapp said.

Alan scored from close range two minutes from time to compound Redknapp’s misery. His players had better be better against Milan.

Braga (4-1-3-2): Eduardo — N Frechaut, Moisés, A Rodriguez, Evaldo — Vandinho (sub: P César 86min) — Alan, L Aguiar, Matheus (sub: C Peixoto, 64) — A Meyong, W Renteria (sub: Stelvio, 83). Substitutes not used: M Felgueiras, Mossoró, Jorginho, J Periera. Booked: Renteria.

Portsmouth (4-4-2): D James — N Pamarot, S Campbell, S Distin, H Hreidarsson (sub: N Belhadj, 46) — G Little (sub: J Utaka, 21), P Bouba Diop, S Davis, A Traoré (sub: Kanu, 62) — J Defoe, P Crouch. Substitutes not used: J Ashdown, A Mvuemba, R Hughes, M Wilson. Booked: Diop, Crouch, Belhadj.

Referee: D Ceferin (Slovenia).