Portugal desperately pressed Italy to discover a objective to remain alive on the Ladies’s European Championship and at last obtained it within the 89th minute from Diana Gomes to safe a 1-1 draw.
The outcome on Monday despatched Spain into the quarterfinals from Group B after its earlier 6-2 rout of Belgium which was eradicated from rivalry.
Italy was minutes from becoming a member of Spain within the quarterfinals with a lead taken within the seventieth on captain Cristiana Girelli’s high-class curling shot from 20 meters.
Solely when Portugal was heading to an early exit did its assaults begin to fireplace. Diana Silva’s Eightieth-minute objective was dominated out for an offside noticed after a two-minute video evaluate.
Then Portugal was denied by the crossbar within the 89th when Carole Costa’s agency header rebounded. However the ball was recycled down the left flank and Gomes met a low cross with a looping shot that eluded Laura Giuliani’s dive.
Italy remains to be favored to advance, shifting as much as 4 factors within the group standings. That’s three away from Portugal but additionally six higher in objective distinction which is now the tiebreaker between the 2.
The frenetic ending was dramatically totally different to a lackluster first half and poor high quality in Portugal’s play to that time.
Portugal could face Belgium without defender Ana Borges, who was despatched off 5 minutes into stoppage time.
Portugal gave a begin to star playmaker, Kika Nazareth, lower than 4 months after surgical procedure on her left ankle. She had extra affect as the sport wore on regardless of her lack of sport time.
It was a primary half of sincere endeavor and too little creativity that sparked a wave across the stadium by each units of cheerful however stressed followers. It rounded the stadium 4 instances and restarted within the sixty fifth.
In a pre-game tribute to Portugal and Liverpool ahead, Diogo Jota, the Portuguese gamers wore warmup jerseys together with his title on the again.
Portugal additionally wore black armbands throughout the sport to honor the person whose dying in a automotive crash was introduced final Thursday, on the morning of the workforce’s 5-0 loss to Spain. —AP
