Portuguese finish in style

Three goals in the final ten minutes gave Portugal victory against Belgium but it was to prove academic in the end.

Great fightback
André scored his fifth goal of the competition in the 30th minute, before Ivan hit two goals in the closing stages to complete a fabulous turnaround for the Portuguese. They had trailed by two goals after a strike in each half from Nouredine El Yahiaoui.

Positive view
However, Spain's victory against Ukraine in Aversa meant those sides took the two qualification places available from Group B for the semi-finals. Still, both coaches had reasons to be cheerful in Caserta tonight.

Proud of players
"We gave everything we had in this match," said Orlando Duarte, coach of the Portuguese team that many had expected to reach the last four at least. "With a few players missing, we managed to produce a fantastic second-half comeback."

Fabulous strike
Portugal had suffered with injuries and suspension in the first two matchdays, emphasised by the impact of Ivan this evening. Sent off in their opening day 3-3 draw with Spain, he popped up to score their equaliser and then hit the winning goal. His first came from the penalty spot in the 37th minute but the final strike of the night was a goal worthy of winning any match, a fabulous left-foot strike.

Deflected shot
The night had started well for the Belgians. El Yahiaoui opened the scoring in the sixth minute following a good combination with Mustapha Aabbassi, before finishing the move in style. Portugal had their moments including a deflected shot from Gonçalo that hit the post

Athletic celebration
But it was Belgium who extend their lead and, with it, raised their hopes of making the last four, if only Spain could lose against Ukraine. El Yahiaoui scored his second of the night after a neat pass from Kurt Gessner. A thrilled El Yahiaoui celebrated in particularly energetic style, and the Portuguese seemed down and out.

Disappointing night
However, Duarte called his men together for a time-out and his team seemed rejuvenated after the stoppage. First André found the net from a tight angle and then Ivan took over. After a draw and a defeat, Portugal had their first victory but it was to ultimately be a disappointing night.

Second defeat
For Belgium, this was their second defeat in three games but they can hold their heads high. Even though they are eliminated, they showed their potential for the future with a 1-1 draw against mighty Spain.

Difficult group
"We created many good chances," said coach Damien Knabben. "But in many cases the final ball was not good enough. The players were very tired after these three matches at the highest level, not forgetting that they are amateurs ... but Portugal were the better team technically. We were in a difficult group with professional teams so we remain proud of our performance."