Soncin’s team passes to the 70th minute with a great goal by Capitana Girelli, but cannot manage. In the last match against Spain, however, a tie or maintain a better net difference of the Portuguese will suffice
An artistic goal by Cristiana Girelli was not enough, of those who embellished his long career, to deliver to Italy in advance the qualification to the quarterfinals of the European Championship, already predictably conquered by Spain, who in the afternoon had beaten Belgium. At this point, at least one draw with the world champions, on Friday in Bern, not to depend on the result of the race between Portuguese and Belgian (already eliminated), is needed at the Azzurre di Soncin. In short, the photo of Group in PhotoFinish, as in FotoFinish, the Geneva match was decided: at first rather blocked, the crossbar affected by Salvai and the goal canceled by the VAR for offside in Severini stand out. Italy maneuver, but Cantore is regularly blocked by Fatima Pinto, Portugal defends itself aggressively, but struggles to frame the door and Kika, the awaited young star of Barcelona remained on the bench against Spain, does not make much to impress: a shot towards the door and a little more.
Female European Championships, Italy stopped by Portugal
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Soncin too this time a little surprise has deployed identical formation to the one who had beaten Belgium: identical defense structure, identical attacking torque, with swivels as always generous, but made not effective by the opaque evening (and from the Portuguese marking) of Cantore. In the second half the changes arrive: the first to enter is changed, who does a lot of physical work and free the creativity and the class of the captain. But it takes an intuition of the dynamic Greggi, who took the field instead of Giugliano, to get the right ball to Girelli: fake and shot at the edge of the area, explosion of joy of the blue that find the advantage at the worst moment, because Jessica Silva after a few minutes of the game had already put the defense in serious difficulties. It seems done, so it is not: the Portuguese, who unlike the blue without points they would already find themselves outside, show all their technique and despite some a little naive play, they come to a tie for a minute from the end of the regular time with the defender Diana Gomes. For Soncin and the girls is a cold shower: they had already escaped the danger a few minutes earlier, with a goal by Diana Silva canceled for offside, exactly like the one denied to Italy in the first half. In the kilometer recovery, determined by the long wait for the VAR decision, the Portuguese pushed by the public get confusedly forward, the blue tremble but resist and in the end there is also room for the illusion of the goal with a flicker of Bonansea (beautiful hug with the friend and companion Girelli at the time of the relay). Soncin on the eve had said it: Portugal is not the one who took five goals from Spain. The slaps in the face taken in the first match, unfortunately, freed the energies of the Neto team. And now Italy is needed one last, decisive step.