Portuguese Football in English
Portugal’s U21 team face a tough road to the 2019 U21 European Championships despite a 2-0 win in Wales yesterday. A 2-1 home defeat against Romania on Friday night put Rui Jorge’s side in an uphill battle to qualify for next summer’s tournament in Italy.
PortuGOAL rounds up the two matches and explains the permutations that will see the Seleção make qualification.
Portugal 1-0 Italy
Portugal began their Nations League campaign in positive fashion with a thoroughly deserved victory against Italy in Lisbon tonight. Remarkably it was the Seleção's first competitive victory over the Italians since 1957! In front of over 52,000 fans, the Seleção followed up their encouraging display against Croatia by largely dominating their storied opponents at the Estádio da Luz.
André Silva’s goal shortly after half time earned Portugal all three points, and only an excellent display by Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and some hesitant finishing prevented a wider margin of victory.
Portugal 1-1 Croatia
Pepe's 100th Portugal appearance was marked with a goal as his header cancelled out a vicious Ivan Perišić strike for a new-look and Ronaldo-less Seleção in the Algarve.
Sérgio Oliveira and Gedson Fernandes made their debuts from the bench as Fernando Santos' side looked refreshed and renewed in this friendly before Monday's Nations League match against Italy.
“The Nations League is an official trophy and as such we will enter it with the intention of winning it, taking it as seriously as any other competition.” Those were the words of Portugal coach Fernando Santos when questioned about the new UEFA competition that gets underway this weekend.
The Seleção kick off their efforts to win the inaugural tournament with an attractive-looking home clash against Italy next Monday in Lisbon, and the players are towing the party line. “Any competition that we enter, we do so to win it,” said striker André Silva yesterday.
Portugal coach Fernando Santos has made wholesale changes in his first squad announcement since the disappointing World Cup campaign.
Tondela goalkeeper Cláudio Ramos, Montpellier defender Pedro Mendes, midfielders Gedson Fernandes (Benfica) and Sérgio Oliveira (FC Porto), and Monaco forward Rony Lopes are the new faces as the Seleção starts a new cycle. Captain Cristiano Ronaldo is left out of the squad while there are also noteworthy recalls for Rúben Neves, Renato Sanches, Bruma and Pizzi.
Portugal play a friendly against the beaten World Cup finalists Croatia in the Algarve on 6 September, followed by the Nations League opener against Italy in Lisbon on 10 September.
