First, Mota went by bicycle.
Afterwards, it was just Mota.
Next, it was crashing and managing. Back off and waste. Hold on and play longer than necessary to finally smile.
In the middle of it all, suffering, with three thorns stuck in Diogo Costa’s nets – the first in this European – between a Gonçalo who, by a little, seemed to have put all Ramos in a more relaxed qualification.
But it was at different speeds, with overtime and final credit coming off the bench: Jota and Francisco Conceição showed the genius of their feet and stamped Portugal in the semi-finals of the European Under-21 for the fourth time in history, after 1994, 2004 and 2015.
Spain follows, in an attempt for the third final in Portuguese history and the first title in the category.
Portugal entered at high speed and it was from Italy that the man who soon ran over the transalpine people arrived. Seven minutes were enough and Dany Mota, Monza forward, cycled in the area, after a corner, to 1-0.
Then another corner, another goal. 31st minute: perfect test starting on Fábio Vieira’s left foot, traveling to Daniel Bragança’s head in the area and ending in Dany Mota’s goal. Italy suffering with the attempt to score individually, 2-0 on the scoreboard.
But already around that time, Portugal was losing its offensive glow. Italy was growing and making the opposite offensive to Rui Jorge’s team, before the results were counted – and because there are often no two without three – made again from the corner. After benefiting from the set-piece, Portugal suffered in the last move of the first half: Pobega relaunched Italy after Rovella’s corner (2-1).
The first goal conceded by Portugal at the European Championship launched a second half that reinforced the Portuguese armada’s lack of control over the game. The one she’d always had in the group stage. Vitinha’s regularity was really worth it. What a display in the middle: to the last whistle. This was in the midst of the Portuguese retreat in the face of Italian growth. Perhaps expendable anxiety, although some wear and tear is natural after such an intense and condensed time.
Portugal-Italy: the goals and the whole movie of the game
An example of the lack of control was that the 3-1 didn’t last even two minutes. Gonçalo Ramos won in the 58th minute, but a quick move that broke the Portuguese midline resulted in Scamacca’s 3-2 in the 60th minute.
Rui Jorge then wanted to balance in the middle with Florentino’s entry: he abdicated Gonçalo Ramos and then launched Jota instead of a faded Gedson. The containment was evident and ended up in a slap by Cutrone. One of the biggest names of these Italian under-21s needed eight minutes on the field to make it 3-3 (89m) and take the game to extra time.
It was only then that Portugal decided everything after a painful entry from Italy. Dany Mota had already scored twice and threw Lovato out of the picture in the 91st minute: the Verona player threw his arm in the forward’s face, saw a second yellow card and was sent off.
Finally, it was necessary to wait for the last 11 minutes to see Portugal take dividends. Jota hit fourth (109m) after a combination with Romário Baró, Francisco Conceição got fifth (119m) after a great individual play over Frattesi and Portugal ended up as it started: high speed to take advantage of the credits in the middle of some mishaps. from the bench to take another step in a walk that started by bicycle.
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