Thank you for joining me. Sophie Downey’s report should be with you relatively soon.
The game will be remembered for the opening goal from Girelli. A stunning strike that will be up there for the awards come the end of the tournament.
Full time: Portugal 1-1 Italy
Probably a fair result after Portugal improved in the final stages.
RED CARD! Borges
90+5 mins: Bonansea is pushed into the hoardings by Borges. I would say that is a very naughty and needless challenge. She is sent off for a second yellow.
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90+4 mins: Portugal have wisely stopped the playing out from the back policy. The ball is going forward immediately. A quick pass from a free-kick is chased by Encarnacao but the goalkeeper is out quickly to clear.
The Gomes whips in a a dangerous pass for Pinto to attack but she can’t get a toe on it. Despite that Giuliani needs to be alert to turn it behind. The corner reaches Fatima Pinto at the back post but she fires wide.
90+2 mins: Portugal do need a winner here. A point keeps them in the competition but only just. Morais gets it launched ..
90 mins: Italy almost get the lead back but Morais produces a big save to stop Bergamacschi from scoring at the back post.
Seven minutes added on.
GOAL! Portugal 1-1 Italy (Gomes, 89)
Portugal get a corner on the left. Jacinto is over to take it again, and it is another great delivery to the near post but Costa’s header hits the bar. Soon after Dolores Silva pulls the ball back from the byline and Gomes steers home.
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88 mins: Boattin and Girelli off, Bergamacschi and Bonansea on for Italy. Fresh legs required to see this out.
86 mins: Portugal move it forward quickly and a low cross is sent towards T Pinto who feels some contact and wants a penalty but the referee is not interested. The ball goes aimlessly out of play in the end.
84 mins: Encarnacao and Dolores Silva on, Nazarerth and Diana Silva as Portugal roll the dice.
83 mins: Portugal have deserved nothing on the night but it is cruel to have it ruled out.
80 mins: NO GOAL! A perfect free-kick is whipped into the box and Diana Silva gets her head on it but sees the ball bounce back off the post. She is the first to react and jabs home before running off to celebrate. She pays homage to Diogo Jota but then VAR intervenes and points out she is offside. The check takes an absolute age even thought it looks straightforward. What a silly bit of officiating.
Updated
79 mins: Jacinto sends in the corner and the ball hits an Italy defender. Portugal are convinced there is a handball involved. The referee disagrees. The replay shows the ball bounces down and up onto a hand. No chance it is a penalty.
78 mins: Italy seem happy to sit deep and challenge Portugal do something half decent to best them. Lenzini is forced to turn a cross behind as Portugal press.
76 mins: Italy will also try to desperately slow things down as they look to confirm qualification.
Changes for both sides. Di Guglielmo off, Oliviero on for Italy. Norton off, Jacinto on for Portugal.
74 mins: There’s a greater chance that Portugal’s heads will drop and Italy could take advantage.
72 mins: Portugal are heading out and Italy will progress with a game to spare. There was always a slight chance Portugal could score one, they certainly will not get two.
GOAL! From one end to the other! The veteran is the one to make a difference. The ball reaches her out on the left, she cuts in and takes aim from 20 yards, sending her shot into the top corner. She is very emotional and cries throughout her celebration.
GOAL! Portugal 0-1 Italy (Girelli, 70)
Girelli with a stunner!
Updated
70 mins: Portugal really need to get a win here and they have finally realised it. They seem a bit more eager to move the ball forward quickly.
A slick move ends with Borges in a good position to cross but she sends it straight to the keeper.
68 mins: Jessica Silva immediately gets a chance to show what she can do, she is one-on-one with Lenzini and looks set to get past her but then runs the ball straight out of play.
Severini is struggling with an ankle issue but gets up to see if she can run it off.
Another Mexican wave begins to sum up this match.
66 mins: Marcao seems to have done herself some damage after clearing a ball. Amado replaces here, while Jessica Silva is on for Capeta.
64 mins: Jessica Silva and Amado are coming on for Portugal. They really need something else in attacking positions.
“Hope you’re well!” emails Adam. “I can’t help but feel perhaps we used up our excitement, quality attacking play, and goals earlier today...I think this falls firmly under the category of what commentators would call “an intriguing tactical battle”. Italy look the likelier, but Morais looks sufficiently fired up in the Portuguese goal to keep out all comers, so who knows?”
62 mins: Italy have a couple of corners in quick succession but they are both relatively mundane in their execution. Portugal try to break out from the back but, naturally, it comes to nothing.
60 mins: Caruso has an effort from 20 yards but it flies just over the bar. At least it is some action that is much needed in this game.
59 mins: Cambiaghi and Greggi on, Cantore and Giugliano off. I suspect the booking for Giugliano is the reason she is withdrawn.
A half chance for Italy as Severini attacks a cross at the near post but rather dangerously goes with her boot rather than head.
57 mins: Cambiaghi is being readied by Italy, as they look to make a change up top.
55 mins: Giugliano has hold of a Portuguese shirt and is rightly penalised but still complains. She is on a booking and I would probably be quiet.
53 mins: It feels like there is a bit more aggression to the Portuguese play in this half but that does not equate to greater quality.
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51 mins: Italy are certainly not at their best today but they have a lot more about them than Portugal. It always feels like they could create something, whereas Portugal do not.
49 mins: Diana Silva sends a cross into the box the goalkeeper claims with minimum fuss. Portugal really need to be more dynamic if they are to have any hope here.
47 mins: Italy start promisingly but a dangerous through ball finds no one.
Second half
Here we go again!
Peter Oh emails: “With a Caruso and a Cantore, the Italy starting lineup reads almost like the cast of an opera. Is this the football version of bel canto on display?
“In any case, it ain’t over until the ... fit lady sings blows the whistle.”
Half-time reading.
Half time: Portugal 0-0 Italy
Italy have been the more effective team here and have had the ball in the back of the net. Portugal have enjoyed more possession but have never looked like doing anything with it.
45 mins: Cantore does well down th eleft and puts in a fine cross for Girelli to attack. The Italy captain jabs at the ball at goal and Morais produces a decent save.
Two minutes added on.
44 mins: Italy have a free-kick on the left, which Boattin whips in and the goalkeeper barely deals with it again. Play is stopped as three players, two from Portugal, one from Italy, after a coming together.
42 mins: Another vaguely promising move breaks down before reaching the area. I am not sure they are going to score here tonight.
40 mins: Giugliano has a little nibble at Nazareth and then pulls her back, earning her a yellow card.
38 mins: Diana Silva is back on the pitch and looking relatively mobile.
36 mins: NO GOAL! Play restarts and Italy move up the pitch at speed, taking advantage of the one player advantage. The ball goes into the box and Girelli gets a head on target, which the goalkeeper pushes straight out to Severini, who does the rest. She runs off to celebrate, only to see the flag correctly raised.
Updated
34 mins: Marcao sends a cutting pass round the side of the Italy defence for Diana Silva to chase but the goalkeeper is alert and whacks clear from outside the box.
Silva is now on the deck after a heavy fall near the touchline.
32 mins: There is a Mexican wave inside the ground. Abandon the match now.
30 mins: Borges comes from behind and takes down Severini. The referee seems to think it is a perfect tackle and lets it go. I can confirm, she does not get the ball.
Marcao is rolling around on the deck after running into the back of an opponent. She seems to think it is an elbow but it is nothing of the sort.
28 mins: The execution and composure from Portugal when they get to around 30 yards from goal is quite inept. They are taking too long to decide what to do and then everything breaks down.
26 mins: Both teams are really intent on breaking up play, less so on actually playing much.
Borges is penalised for a foul throw, which is a low moment for anyone.
24 mins: I say that … and then Norton swings a cross to the back post for Diana Silva to attack, forcing the goalkeeper to come off her line and palm behind for a corner.
22 mins: Portugal are have offered very little in the final third thus far.
20 mins: Portugal play some nice stuff, moving up the pitch quickly but it all breaks down as they enter the final third.
Down the other end, Boattin is taken down by Capeta off the ball, earning a free-kick. Boattin is over it … and lands it on Salvai’s head but the effort comes off the top of the bar.
18 mins: Italy win a corner on the right. Giugliano goes over to take it and does a short one but Portugal snuff it out.
16 mins: The free-kick is lumped into the box and Morais fails to deal with it, hindered by a teammate getting in the way, and then stumbles backward and falls over her own defender lying on the ground. Not her best couple of moments.
14 mins: Di Guglielmo goes down after clashing with Diana Pinto when challenging for a header. Italy seem to think it is a foul but there is nothing to it. Even so, the referee gives a free-kick.
12 mins: It should be said that there is plenty of noise inside the ground. They just something to shout about now …
10 mins: Giugliano sends in a cross for Girelli to attack but a Portuguese defenders blocks her route to goal, sending the ball behind in the process. Italy want a corner but the referee incorrectly awards a goal kick. Italy are starting to look the stronger team here.
8 mins: Girelli is afford space around 20 yards from goal, so she gets the ball out of her feet and takes aim, forcing Morais to produce a fine fingertip save.
6 mins: Portugal press high and win the ball back. A pass is sent out to Borges in the mask on the right but her cross is blocked in the middle.
4 mins: Neither side has managed to string a few passes together yet. All a bit scrappy.
Portugal do manage a break through Diana Silva, who sends it out to Marchao on the left but her cross drifts out for a goalkeeper.
2 mins: Caruso is left on the deck after a robust challenge from T Pinto. Looks like the Italian her the turf hard. She eventually gets up a little gingerly.
Kick off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
The teams are in the tunnel with the mascots in depressingly corporate kits.
Portugal are warming up in shirts with ‘DIOGO J’ on the back following the death of Diogo Jota last week.
Aston Villa are set to sign the England goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck from Barcelona, the Guardian understands, after the Spanish women’s league champions announced they have reached an agreement with the player to terminate her contract.
The former Manchester City shot-stopper Roebuck spent one season with Barcelona, playing twice in the league, but is understood to have been seeking a move in order to secure more regular first-team football and Aston Villa may even confirm her arrival within the next 48 hours.
Roebuck is not part of England’s squad at this summer’s European Championship but she does have 11 senior international caps for the Lionesses, having made her England debut in 2018. She is 25 years old and the WSL club Villa believe she still has the best years of her career ahead of her.
Tom Garry was at the early kick-off in this group.
Getting to know you …
Starting lineups
Portugal (3-5-2): Morais; Gomes, C Costa, F Pinto; Borges, Norton, T Pinto, Nazareth, Marchao; Capeta, Di Silva
Subs: Pereira, Cota-Yarde, Amado, Alves, Seica, Jacinto, J Silva, Do Silva, Faria, Correira, Fonesca, Encarnacao
Italy (3-4-3): Giuliani; Lenzini, Salvai, Linari; Di Guiglielmo, Giugliano, Severini, Boattin; Caruso, Girelli, Cantore
Subs: Baldi, Durante, Oliviero, Schatzer, Piemonte, Bonansea, Piga, Bergamacschi, Serturini, Goldoni, Greggi, Cambiaghi
Preamble
After Spain’s victory over Belgium, Portugal need a victory here – and a point at the very least - to give themselves a chance of progression. They lost to Spain in the opener, although the emotional nature of the game after Diogo Jota’s death provides a caveat.
Italy, on the other hand, could confirm a spot in the knockout stages. An Arianna Caruso goal against Belgium was enough to get them off the mark with three points and they will be confident of adding to it here.
Kick-off: 8pm BST, 9pm CET
