Portugal desperately pressed Italy to find a goal to stay alive at the Women’s European Championship and finally got it in the 89th minute from Diana Gomes to secure a 1-1 draw.
The result on Monday sent Spain into the quarterfinals from Group B after its earlier 6-2 rout of Belgium which was eliminated from contention.
Italy was minutes from joining Spain in the quarterfinals with a lead taken in the 70th on captain Cristiana Girelli’s high-class curling shot from 20 meters.
Only when Portugal was heading to an early exit did its attacks start to fire. Diana Silva’s 80th-minute goal was ruled out for an offside spotted after a two-minute video review.
Then Portugal was denied by the crossbar in the 89th when Carole Costa’s firm header rebounded. But the ball was recycled down the left flank and Gomes met a low cross with a looping shot that eluded Laura Giuliani’s dive.
Italy is still favored to advance, moving up to four points in the group standings. That is three clear of Portugal but also six better in goal difference which is now the tiebreaker between the two.
The frenetic ending was dramatically different to a lackluster first half and poor quality in Portugal’s play to that point.
Portugal may face Belgium without defender Ana Borges, who was sent off five minutes into stoppage time.
Portugal gave a start to star playmaker, Kika Nazareth, less than four months after surgery on her left ankle. She had more influence as the game wore on despite her lack of game time.
It was a first half of honest endeavor and too little creativity that sparked a wave around the stadium by both sets of cheerful but restless fans. It rounded the stadium four times and restarted in the 65th.
In a pre-game tribute to Portugal and Liverpool forward, Diogo Jota, the Portuguese players wore warmup jerseys with his name on the back.
Portugal also wore black armbands during the game to honor the man whose death in a car crash was announced last Thursday, on the morning of the team’s 5-0 loss to Spain. —AP
