Last Friday, Portugal defeated Belarus 6-1, in a match they dominated from start to finish, in Group G of the Euro 2025 under-21 qualifying, replicating the defeat they suffered away from home in September (5-0) achieved.
Although the Belarusians responded to Renato Veiga’s opening goal in the 11th minute with a well-aimed header from Maksim Kasarab, the Portuguese team took the lead again in the 25th minute of the first half, with goals from Fábio Silva (34) and Francisco Conceição (41), attackers who each provided an assist.
In the second half, Paulo Bernardo, in the 59th minute, Mateus Fernandes, in the 80th minute, and Rodrigo Gomes, in the 87th minute, increased a lead that allowed the ‘quinas’ team to add and consolidate their third victory in three matches. Leading Group G with nine points, four more than second-place Greece, Portugal’s next opponent, in Guimarães on Tuesday.
At the Cidade de Barcelos Stadium, Portugal played almost the entire first half in the opponent’s midfield, having appeared on the field with four new additions to the ‘eleven’ from the match against the Belarusians in Armenia: full-backs Rodrigo Gomes and Rafael Rodrigues, midfielder Dário Essugo and winger Francisco Conceição.
After Henrique Araújo hit the crossbar in the third minute, the FC Porto winger was responsible for the home team’s opening goal. He ended up in the ‘heart’ of the area, where central defender Renato Veiga headed home.
With a lead, Portugal continued to exchange the ball, before gambling on crosses to try to direct Fedor Lapoukhov’s guard towards goal, but they took their foot off the accelerator and made it the job of the opponent’s defensive quintet easier.
Maksim Kasarab, one of three central defenders in the Belarus backline, ‘went’ into the Portuguese area for a corner kick taken by Andrey Rylach and headed into the top left corner of the goal defended by Samuel Soares, sealing the draw, in the 25th. minute.
The team led by coach Rui Jorge remained installed in the opponent’s midfield, but the delay in the movement of the ball and the insistence on crosses made the Belarusian defensive task easier, until Fábio Silva got the ball in front of the goal in the 34th minute second Portuguese goal in the match ‘heart’ of the area, assisted by Rafael Rodrigues.
Portugal loosened up from then on, creating more space to enter the area, a circumstance that Francisco Conceição took advantage of to reach the goal in an individual move and extend the Portuguese lead, with a low shot, in the 41st minute.
The Portuguese supremacy remained unchallenged in the second half and despite successive errors in the final pass, the team reached the fourth goal in the first quarter, in the 59th minute, when Fábio Silva reached the end line and was too late for the low point. deflection by Paulo Bernardo, with the ball placed near the left post.
With substitutions from one side and the other in the last half hour, Rui Jorge’s team managed to get the result in the advanced areas, threatening the fifth goal with a cross from Hugo Félix in the 76th minute and even increasing the result by a long range shot. shot by Mateus Fernandes, on 80, and another by Rodrigo Gomes, in the area, on 87.
Source: DN
