Portugal progress without defeat

2003 Portugal and mini-tournament hosts Italy comfortably progressed to the Elite round of the 2004/05 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, remaining unbeaten to take the first two place in Group 11.

Narrow success
Portugal won the section on goal difference after both sides finished with seven points from three games, with Kazakhstan four points adrift in third place and Bosnia-Herzegovina finishing bottom having lost all three matches.

Confident win
Both Portugal and Italy began with 2-0 victories, Andrea Bolvo and Francesco Volpe striking to give the hosts three points against the Bosnians at the Stadio Comunale in Pontedera. However, Paolo Berrettini's side ended with ten men as Volpe was sent off having collected a second yellow card in the aftermath of his goal.

Portuguese victory
António Violante's side defeated Kazakhstan by the same scoreline at Cascina's Stadio Comunale, Manuel Curto opening the scoring four minutes into the second half. The Portuguese were made to work hard for their win, however, only wrapping up the points eleven minutes from time when Kazakhstani defender Arman Bolatbek was dismissed and Miguel Veloso doubled the lead from the resulting penalty.

Repeat scoreline
Italy also ran out 2-0 winners on Matchday 2, Andrea Masiello opening the scoring against Kazakhstan in the 22nd minute in Cascina. Once more a side ended with ten men as Igor Romanov's side had Maxim Azduskiy sent off for two yellow cards, both in the 72nd minute, and Andrea De Falco sealed the points ten minutes from time.

Portuguese style
Portugal, meanwhile, turned on the style at Stadio Osvaldo Martini in Castelfranco Di Sotto to defeat the Bosnians 4-1. Adelino De Freitas, João Moutinho, Curto and Márcio De Sousa gave the Iberian outfit a four-goal cushion by the hour mark, with Dario Puric scoring a consolation with nine minutes left.

Scoreless stalemate
With both sides already through, Portugal and Italy met in in Castelfranco Di Sotto in a repeat of the 2003 final. Portugal gained partial revenge for their 2-0 defeat on that occasion as the scoreless draw left them above the Italians on goal difference.

Slender success
Kazakhstan, meanwhile, defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina to take third place, with Abzal Zhumubayev getting the only goal in the 19th minute at Pontedera's Stadio Comunale.