Italy vs. Portugal: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 Friendly

Portugal snatched a 1-0 victory over Italy in an international friendly at the Stade de Geneve in Geneva on Tuesday.

Following a poor opening period, Braga striker Eder put Portugal, who were without star forward Cristiano Ronaldo, ahead with his first-ever goal for the Selecao. It proved to be the only goal of the game, and this loss for the Azzurri means they will be unseeded for the qualifying draw for the 2018 World Cup, with Croatia taking their place.

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The first half was an arduous affair. For the players involved, this was the final match of a draining season, and with a substantial period of recuperation ahead of them, it’s easy to understand why both the Azzurri and the Selecao struggled for rhythm.

The flair players failed to get into the game early on. In the absence of Ronaldo, Ricardo Quaresma was the man tasked with providing attacking impetus for Portugal, but the pattern of play became badly bogged down in the middle of the park, starving him of service.

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Gripping moments were at a premium, although Real Madrid’s Fabio Coentrao did hobble off in the 24th minute with what looked like a hamstring problem.

With both sides looking comfortable at the back, the Azzurri were very nearly the architects of their downfall in the 31st minute, as goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu squandered possession in a dangerous area to let in Eder.

He set up Silvestre Varela, who seemed poised to score, but Andrea Ranocchia was on hand to produce a superb goal-line clearance, as we can see here courtesy of beIN Sports USA:

It was an Italian faux pas that sparked a response of sorts from the Portuguese, who played with a renewed energy in the final minutes leading up to half-time. But a 40-yard effort from Quaresma, which sailed hopelessly wide, summed up their attacking efforts as the referee blew for the interval.

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As noted by Dale Johnson of ESPN.com at the break, despite the game’s leisurely pace, there was something for the Azzurri to play for here:

Perhaps the Italian players were reminded of that fact in the dressing room, as they conjured the best chance of the match not long after returning for the second half. It was Andrea Pirlo, Italy's best player on the night, at the heart of things, swinging a cross onto Leonardo Bonucci’s head. But he could only crash an effort onto the upright.   

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It should have been 1-0 to Italy, but four minutes later, Portugal were in front. Perhaps ruing his earlier miss, Bonucci switched off as Quaresma swung in a pinpoint cross with the outside of his foot, and Eder got in behind the Juventus man to prod past Sirigu.

Here’s a look at the opener, per 101 Great Goals:

In a relatively even game, Portugal capitalised on the one moment of genuine quality. It was a goal which seemed to galvanised Fernando Santos’ men, and they very nearly doubled their advantage through Adrien, who missed the target after neat buildup.

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As noted by Portuguese football expert Jan Hagen, with the game beginning to open up, the second half was much easier on the eye:

Italy introduced Franco Vazquez in an attempt to add some ingenuity into their play, and they very nearly equalised after Pirlo superbly played in Matteo Darmian. But the wing-back could only fire wide after shifting the ball expertly onto his left foot.

The Azzurri continued to apply pressure as the clock ticked down, but a flurry of substitutions disrupted the flow which arose early in the second period. That meant it was easier for Portugal to preserve their one-goal lead as the match meandered to a close.

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With nothing at stake in this one, it was an opportunity for both managers to accrue some information about players on the periphery of their usual first team. But the slow tempo and omission of key men for each nation made it difficult for any players to make an impression in what was a tepid encounter overall.

Portugal boss Fernando Santos and Italy chief Antonio Conte will be grateful of the time spent with their players, but the wisdom of playing a friendly game at the end of the season after each side was involved in a draining qualifier just days ago seems skewed.

Post-Match Reaction

Conte was pleased with the effort of his players despite this loss, per Rai Sport (h/t football-italia.net):

"

These games are important, as in my view they help you to grow and understand many things.

I have no regrets at all. At this moment I cannot look at whether it was a step forward or backwards. These matches help players to gain experience on international level. We know that we must grow and at times a defeat can be healthy.

"

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In the aforementioned piece, the Azzurri boss also commented on the fact Italy will not be seeded for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers:

"

In all honesty, I don’t know why Italy are behind some nations. The previous era led us to this point.

In a year we worked, saw there is a lot of work to be done and a generational change. There’s no doubt that there is a lot of work that needs doing and we have to let these lads grow.

"