Portugal 1-0 Italy
So the end of the first tranche of UEFA Nations League football games.
The reigning European champions, minus the best player in the world, against the four-time world champions.
No wonder some SBOBET followers were licking their lips in anticipation at what may have seemed an ordinary Monday night/Tuesday morning (wherever you are).
Ultimately it was as close as many predicted but only in the scoreline.
The hosts were much the better side and fully deserved their triumph.
Highlights of the game
UEFA Nations League odds may have changed slightly when the Italian team was announced – new manager Roberto Mancini throwing a few surprises with Simone Zaza and Ciro Immobile named in the starting line-up, along with Federico Chiesa and debutant Manuel Lazzari from SPAL.
It was one of nine changes for the visitors in the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, three days after a 1-1 draw with Poland.
Indeed, only goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and midfielder Jorginho remained from that match.
The main absentee for the hosts was, of course, star man and indeed the Italian league’s very own poster boy Cristiano Ronaldo who asked not to be included so he can focus on training with his new club, Juventus.
Raphael Guerreiro and Rony Lops were ruled out of the Portugal squad, the latter at the 11th hour, through injury.
Just before the match, UEFA revealed it was opening disciplinary proceedings against Poland for racist chanting during last week’s encounter.
There was no such problem thankfully in this one.
In fact, it was fairly quiet at times inside the Estadio da Luz. This was because some home supporters stayed away as part of an ongoing protest between the Portuguese FA and the club side Benfica.
Perhaps, in the end, it shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise the match-winner was someone who used to play their trade in Italy but where his career never really took off.
Former Milan forward Andre Silva – who moved to Sevilla this summer after failing to live up to this £35 million price tag from Porto – netted the solitary goal three minutes after the break.
Bruma dispossessed Domenico Criscito to spark a breakaway and, from his pass, Silva managed to control the ball and curl the ball beyond Donnarumma, last season his club team-mate.
It was a goal the possession-dominating home side deserved and they had already gone closest through William Carvalho, a Mario Rui strike – deflected onto the crossbar by former Benfica man Bryan Cristantewith Donnarumma helpless – and Bernardo Silva whose shot was cleared off the line by Alessio Romagnoli.
Italy created little and, but for Donnarumma, substitute Renato Sanches– who spent last season on loan with Swansea – would have added a second.
Portugal defender Pepe, earning his 101st cap and skipper in Ronaldo’s absence, was perhaps fortunate to escape with just a caution for an injury-time challenge on Chiesa, and when Zaza headed the resulting free-kick wide, Italy’s chance of a leveller was gone.
Food for thought for Mancini who admitted post-match that his side’s main problem is not scoring enough goals.
There is much work to be done for the Azzurri or does Mancini think this new competition is an ideal time for experiments?
Key statistics
This was the first time in two decades that the Italy XI contained no players from Juventus in a competitive international. The last occasion was in June 1998, a 3-0 victory over Cameroon at the World Cup in France.
The only Juventus player on the pitch was Portugal full-back Joao Cancelo.
Italy have now won only once in their last nine matches (that came against Saudi Arabia in a 2-1 friendly success in May).
This was the first time the nations had met in a competitive match since a qualifying encounter for the 1994 World Cup, which the Azzurri won. They went onto the reach the tournament final, losing to Brazil in a dramatic penalty shoot-out.
They met in a friendly in Geneva in June 2015, Eder giving Portugal a 1-0 victory which ended a run of one 0-0 draw and 10 defeats against Italy. They’ve now defeated them twice in succession after a friendly win for Portugal over Italy in 2015.
What’s next?
No doubt more UEFA Nations League highlights await.
Portugal travel to Poland on October 11 before facing Scotland at Hampden Park on October 14 – two games in around 72 hours.
Italy also face Poland in the tournament on October 14, three days after hosting Ukraine in a friendly.
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