Draw suits neither side

The UEFA European Under-21 Championship clash between four-times champions Italy and Portugal did not live up to its considerable promise. Even though the match began brightly, with a double chance missed by the Italian forward duo of Emiliano Bonazzoli and Massimo Maccarone after only 30 seconds, clearcut chances remained short for most of the match.

Quick start
The quick start of the Italians, who claimed that, following Bonazzoli's shot in the first minute, the ball was blocked on the line with an arm by Vasco Faísca, was followed by a quick reply by the Portuguese when Paulo Ferreira missed a promising chance after just two minutes. But the fireworks seemed over after some ten minutes.

Portugal in control
The Portuguese youngsters recovered quickly from the Italian onslaught and gradually started to take control. They displayed a more accurate passing game and looked the more united team. The Italian efforts were characterised mostly by individual efforts of some of their talented players.

Midfield battle
The match turned more and more into a midfield battle, with both teams fighting for every ball. The referee had to work hard to keep control over the match and calm the tempers of some of the players. This resulted in a large number of tactical fouls in midfield, which stifled the rhythm of the game.

Last chance for Italy
It took Portugal 37 minutes before they landed their first shot on target - a long-distance shot from Cãndido Costa following a corner. Gaining more and more confidence, the Portuguese went even closer to opening the scoring shortly before half-time, when Miguel saw his great shot from 18 metres deflected on to the bar by goalkeeper Pelizzoli. Italy finished the first half with a good effort by Maccarone whose volley, following some nice control with the chest, was kept out by goalkeeper Sérgio Leite.

Helder Postiga breaks deadlock
Only four minutes into the second half Helder Postiga finally managed to break the deadlock with a well-placed shot from 16 metres into the left-hand corner. This goal forced the Italians to increase their efforts and speed up their manoeuvres, but the heat and high humidity of this early summer night in Basel added to their difficulties.

Decisive dismissal
The turning point in the match came after 54 minutes when Jorge Ribeiro was sent off for a second bookable offence. "I have to blame my player for this uncontrolled action," said the Portugal coach Agostinho de Oliveira after the match. "After having been given a first yellow card in the first half, he should have acted with more cleverness in this situation."

Italian equaliser
Oliveira did not even have time to take the necessary measures following this dismissal before Bonazzoli outjumped his opponent following a corner from Pirlo and headed the ball into the Portuguese net. "I was hesitating a bit about making a substitution, as one of our central defenders was slightly injured," said Oliveira. "My hesitation proved to be fatal."

Pirlo the only Italian sunshine
Even after the goal, the Italians were unable to put their opponents under too much pressure. Most of the Italian attacks were launched by playmaker Andrea Pirlo, who was forced to pick up the ball deep in defence, wasting a lot of energy. Italy now looked in command, but surprisingly it was the Portuguese forwards who generated the best openings.

Next match to win
In the last ten minutes though Portugal stepped back - content to play for a point rather than three. The Italians were more willing than capable of seriously threatening Sérgio Leite's goal. Ultimately the draw did not really suit either of the two teams. "In the second match we need a victory against England," said Italy coach Claudio Gentile. "By our calculations prior to the tournament, we had already foreseen such a situation. Now we must show our real qualities." Oliveira concurred: "Now, a victory against Switzerland is a must," he said. "And maybe we will even need a second win against England."