0-1: Italy gets revenge on Portugal and wins the title

Italy, the executioner of Spain in the semifinals, won the Under-19 European Championship for the second time in its history by defeating Portugal 0-1, who started as favorites after endorsing the ‘azzurra’ with a small hand (5-1) in the group phase.

But certainly the technician Alberto Bollini That disaster was used to find the key to victory for a team that replaced England on the winners’ list after getting revenge in the grand final at the Ta’Qali National Stadium in Valletta (Malta).

A victory, the second in the category 20 years after the first in 2003, which allows Italy bounced back from last month’s U20 World Cup final loss against Uruguay in Argentina (1-0).

Italy had the better of the first half with a Portugal that they took out of the game to the point of being a shadow of the team that was overmatched throughout the four wins14 goals for and two matches.

From the very start of the whistle, Italy showed that they had learned the lesson of receiving their small hand very well against Portugal (5-1) and faced the game with courage. So, in the first quarter of an hour he unleashed three shots that almost missed the goal.

Hugo Felix does not appear

Portugal, on the other hand, encountered many difficulties to develop their game, He did not have the ball and his references, the captain and figure Hugo Félix (brother of Joao Félix), Samuel Justo and of course Rodrigo Ribeira in front, did not appear.

Italy moved the ball well and one of the best possession plays ended with a cross from the left by Luis Hasa, the famous Juventus midfielder, Michael Kayode heads into the net at the far post (19′).

The goal Gonçalo Ribeiro was not so successful as he held the Fiorentina winger’s shot but not enough to reach the net after hitting the post.

Hasa, prominent, was able to judge

Hasa, a benchmark for Italy with Samuele Vignato, continued to lose balance the game and had several chances to extend Italy’s lead with shots from just outside the box that went wide.

At the break, Joaquin Milheiro introduced two changes because he didn’t like his poor choice in the first half. It is true that Portugal, who clearly dominated the game, but did so because Alberto Bollini changed the strategy, withdrawing his men and looking for long balls in Vignato, very dangerous between the lines, and at the height of ‘9’ Francesco Esposito.

Even in these situations 0-2 is closer than a draw. Gonçalo Ribeiro kept Portugal alive when taking a shot from Vignato after the Monza player starred in a great internship with his good change of pace.

Desperate Portugal

Italy felt comfortable at the back against a Portugal lacks the power to create danger despite its dominance. He succeeded only with a shot by Gustavo Sá, his player with the most clarity in the dark, which was deflected by Alessandro Dellavalle and was about to score an own goal (56′) and with a header from the goalkeeper Martim Fernandes who had recently entered that Davide Mastrantonio saved his only intervention (60′).

Koleosho (Spanish) participates in the end of the victory

Elsewhere, Vignato, after controlling another long ball, forced Gonçalo Ribeiro to shine, while Portugal became a victim of desperation in front of a strong Italy Luca Koelosho, a winger from Espanyol, participated in his victory in the last quarter of an hour.

PORTUGAL

01

ITALY

Portugal: Goncalo Ribeiro; Esteves, Antonio Ribeiro (Luis Gomes, 91′), Brás, Marques (Martim Fernandes, 46′); Justo (Prioste, 46′), Nuno Félix, Gustavo Sá (Nabian, 76′); Hugo Félix (Falé, 83′), Rodrigo Ribeiro, Borges
The
Italy: Mastrantonio; Missori, Alessandro Dellavalle, Lorenzo Dellavalle, Regonesi; Hasa, Faticanti (Pisilli, 79′), N’Dour (Lipani, 64′); Kayode, Esposito, Vignato (Koleosho, 79′)
The
Goal: 0-1, Kayode (19′)
The
Referee: Sven Jablonski (Germany). Yellow cards to Brás (24′), Justo (26′), Missori (33′), N’Dour (45+1′), Gustavo Sá (73′), Kayode (78′), Mastrantonio (89′ )
The
Stadium: National Ta’Qali of La Valletta (Malta)

see the match sheet