July 7 – Italy and Portugal go head-to-head this evening at the Stade de Genève in a pivotal Group B clash.
Italy come into the game on the back of a narrow but determined 1-0 win over Belgium in Sion, a result that gives them a crucial early edge in the group. A victory tonight, combined with Belgium failing to beat Spain, would see the Azzurre through to the quarter-finals with a game to spare.
Portugal, by contrast, are playing to stay in the tournament. Their opener ended in a humbling 5-0 defeat to a ruthless Spanish side in Bern, with the match effectively decided within the first half hour. Another loss tonight, coupled with any kind of positive result for Spain against Belgium, would eliminate Francisco Neto’s side from contention.
There’s plenty riding on this one, and Italy will know they can’t afford any slip-ups. While their disciplined display against Belgium offered encouragement, head coach Andrea Soncin will be wary of Portugal’s need to respond – and the unpredictability that urgency can bring.
Speaking ahead of Monday’s clash, Portugal coach Francisco Neto said: “We can’t give Italy space – especially when we’re out of possession. In recent games, we struggled with that against stronger teams, and we’re facing a very strong side. So we need to stay compact and balanced when we don’t have the ball.
“It’s impossible to win games without scoring. It’s impossible to compete if we keep conceding so much. We have to improve in two phases of the game – our defensive and attacking organisation. I think our defensive organisation is a concern, because offensively we’re creating chances, even if we’re not scoring.”
Andrea Soncin (pictured), Italy coach, added: “Portugal are a team we know well, they try to play under pressure and vertically, taking advantage of the qualities of their attacking players. Their approach will be different.
“We know the importance of the match, there is great awareness and a great desire to achieve a positive result. We obviously know the difficulties that a match like tomorrow’s can put us in front of, but the focus is at the highest levels. Portugal have important players on an individual level, they are a very vertical team, very fast, so we know where we have to be careful, but above all we know how we can hurt them.”
Italy must also tread carefully in terms of discipline. Three players – Sofia Cantore, Lisa Boattin Di Guglielmo, and Elena Linari – are one booking away from suspension and could miss the final group game against Spain if cautioned.
The stakes are high for both sides: Italy pushing for a spot in the knockouts, Portugal desperate to keep their hopes alive. Expect tension, tight margins, and potentially, a decisive moment of quality to separate them in Geneva.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1751894988labto1751894988ofdlr1751894988owedi1751894988sni@g1751894988niwe.1751894988yrrah1751894988