The Under-21 National Team won on the afternoon of this Tuesday, March 26th, at the São Luís Stadium in Faro, Croatia, by 5-1, in another encounter related to the Qualification Phase for the European Championship 2025, which is will take place in Slovakia.
It was the second game for Equipa das Quinas in this competitive window. Remember that Portugal had already beaten the Faroe Islands 4-0 last Thursday, thus ending the double qualifying round with a flourish.
It should be noted that this was the second game for Equipa das Quinas in this competitive window, and it should be remembered that Portugal beat the Faroe Islands 4-0 last Thursday.
Rui Jorge’s men entered the game knowing how important it was and started wanting to control the match from the opening whistle. The offensive intensity bore fruit after two minutes, with Mateus Fernandes isolating Pedro Santos with a superb pass. The Equipa das Quinas midfielder fired a powerful shot with the ball hitting the bar and bouncing off the post, then rebounding to Fábio Silva, who only had to touch the line to the bottom of the Croatian goal. The marker was thus opened.
Portugal instilled speed in their game and without the ball they pressed very high. It was from this pressure that the 2-0 came from Pedro Santos who, after taking advantage of an opponent’s slip, isolated himself and in the face of the goalkeeper he didn’t flinch (11′). In a crazy start to the game, two minutes later, Croatia had a penalty, taking the opportunity to reduce it through Ljubicic.
The Portuguese reaction arrived less than ten minutes later and at 23′, Fábio Silva made a very quick lateral throw-in to the entrance of the penalty area, Tiago Tomás let the ball pass and Pedro Santos, with an incredible volley shot, scored twice in the match and shoot for 3-1.
Portugal didn’t take their foot off the accelerator and, at 25′, it was Paulo Bernardo’s turn to add his name to the list of scorers, responding in the best way to a cross coming from the left by Fábio Silva.
The fifth goal could have appeared just before half-time, in what would have been a dream move for the Portuguese team. However, Tiago Tomás was not happy with the opposing goalkeeper.
First half of luxury for Equipa das Quinas, which reached half-time leading 4-1 and could have been winning by an even greater margin. Great performance by the Quinas Team, perhaps one of the best in this Qualification Phase against the opponent, in theory, of greatest value in this group.
In the second half, the atmosphere became more heated, but Portugal did not stop looking for the goal. Fábio Silva, through an individual play, gave the first warning, but Croatia responded with a good shot that Samuel Soares resolved (60′).
However, we didn’t have to wait long for another change in the marker. At 63′, the same Fábio Silva won a penalty and converted it excellently, putting the score at 5-1.
In the final minutes of the match, two good opportunities for Croatia stood out. In one of them, the post saved the Quinas Team, in the other it was Samuel Soares, with a good intervention to deny the goal.
