Portugal 2-2 Italy - Penalty shootout success as Portugal secure a spot in the 2025 UEFA European U17 Championship final | OneFootball

Portugal reached their second successive European U17 Championship final after a thrilling penalty shootout victory against Italy at Arena Kombëtare in Tirana.

The Equipa das Quinas avoided an early penalty before conceding one in the 19th minute when Mauro Furtado brought down Antonio Arena, Romário Cunha saving Samuele Inácio’s spot kick but unable to prevent the forward converting the rebound.

Steven Manuel equalised in the 28th minute after getting on the end of Duarte Cunha’s cross following a peach of a pass from Mateus Mide.

Portugal got on top in the second half but Italy regained their lead in the 59th minute against the run of play, Alessio Baralla’s long distance strike swerving into the top corner despite Romário Cunha getting his fingertips on the ball.

Bino Maçães brought on Yoan Pereira and Tomás Soares with both players involved in the equaliser in the 67th minute, Pereira and Mide combining to send Soares through on goal where he made no mistake.

The contest went straight to a penalty shootout where Tomás Soares and Christian Comotto saw their efforts saved, the next six spot kicks converted before Gabriel Dbouk was denied by Sebastiano Nava.

Valerio Maccaroni couldn’t beat Cunha to seal the deal, Martim Chelmik finding the net before Cunha saved Dauda Iddrisa’s penalty to send Portugal into the final where they will face France.

Nerves on show in Tirana

It was a nervous start from both teams, Daniel Banjaqui recovering well to deny Destiny Elimoghale before the right-back was booked for holding back Andrea Luongo.

Portugal were spared when Jean Mambuku went down in the box, Martim Chelmik breathing a sigh of relief when referee Joey Kooij booked Mambuku for diving.

Inácio at the second attempt

The Equipa das Quinas wouldn’t be so lucky when Antonio Arena was brought down by Mauro Furtado. Kooij pointed to the spot and Samuele Inácio stepped up, his penalty saved by Romário Cunha before converting the rebound.

The goal sparked Portugal into action, Anísio Cabral winning a corner which he headed past the post. Steven Manuel then saw his shot blocked but the persistence paid off as the equaliser came in the 28th minute

Manuel equalises

Mateus Mide played a lovely trough ball to Duarte Cunha, the winger sending a cross into the box that evaded Sebastiano Nava and Dauda Iddrisa, Stevan Manuel getting around the back of the defender and finding the net.

The game swung back and forth as half-time approached, Bambuku firing wide before two players were booked, Mide for holding back Luongo and Destiny Elimoghale for entering the pitch without Kooij’s permission.

Portugal had a strong start to the second half which saw Massimiliano Favo go to his bench in the 57th minute, Elimoghale making way for Thomas Campaniello.

Baralla from distance

Two minutes later Italy regained the lead. Alessio Baralla picked up the ball a long way from goal and tried his luck from distance, sending a swerving shot towards to top corner with Cunha’s touch unable to prevent it from nestling in the net.

Bino Maçães immediately brought on Yoan Pereira and Tomás Soares for Cunha and Anísio Cabral.

Soares scores again

It proved to be a master stroke with both substitutes playing a role in the equalising goal which came in the 67th minute. Pereira cross picked out Mide who headed the ball over Italy’s defence, Soares taking a touch and steering it past Nava.

Maçães had two subsitutes lined up before the equaliser and didn’t change his mind, Rafael Quintas and Manuel making way for Santiago Verdi and Gil Neves. Vincenzo Prisco came on for Andrea Luongo as Favo sought some stability in the middle of the pitch.

Portugal continued to dominate however, Neves heading Pereira’s cross over the bar before Favo made a triple substitution. Mambuku, Baralla and Antonio Arena were replaced by Laurence Giani, Christian Comotto and Valerio Maccaroni.

Inácio tested Cunha at his near post as the game headed into added time, Maçães making his final switch which saw Gabriel Dbouk come on for Banjaqui.

Penalty shootout success

The game went straight to a penalty shootout where Soares and Comotto saw their spot kicks saved. Pereira, Prisco, Neves, Giani, Mide and Inácio all converted their penalties before Nava, who had guessed the right way every time, dived to his right to deny Dbouk.

Maccaroni couldn’t convert to send Italy through, Cunha making a vital save before Martim Chelmik stepped up and made no mistake. Dauda Iddrisa was visibly feeling the pressure as he attempted to keep his nation in the tournament, unable to do so as Cunha made another save to send Portugal into the final where they will meet France.

Quotes

Bino Maçães: “It’s a well-deserved award for our team. Especially after everything they did: being behind twice, managing to come back and even coming out on top in the final stages, creating another chance to win the game… it’s a great award and I congratulate my players. Now we want more. After the first big goal, we reached this semi-final and faced the mighty Italy. Now we’re in the final and we’re not just going there to enjoy it. We’re going there to win it too.

“In the penalty shootout, I don’t know if you believe it or not, I was very calm and didn’t see any of them take penalties. Because the work they had done up until that point was enough for me. I know that winning and losing a semi-final is different, but everything they did, when we know that we’re also going to have a World Cup ahead of us, was enough to give me the assurance that we’re going to represent Portugal well. It was also a reward for their composure, Romário was also very good in goal. For the whole journey, it was a well-deserved reward.

“First I have to understand how the players will recover because that will be crucial to the quality and intensity of the final. I'm talking about my players and the French players too. We want a final between two great teams - they've already shown that they are during this European Championship - but I think we don't have much time to recover.

“I think it will depend on the rest. The truth is that I have alternatives. As I've always said to the players, I don't have any starters, even if some have played more than others. We'll need everyone until the end. We needed them to get here, as you can see from how they've played and the response given by everyone who's been called upon to help.”

Romário Cunha: “We studied some opponents. I went on faith and the rest is an incredible feeling, for being able to help the team. We are ready for the final and we are going all out. We had in our heads that Italy would beat Portugal since 2013. At the beginning, in the circle, we said we were going to change.

“We believed a lot, we suffered a lot, and the rest came as a bonus. Everyone saw it, our reaction to the two goals was incredible. The dressing room has been incredible, since the first game, against Albania, with everyone united, all connected, and that could, honestly, lead us to winning the European Championship.

“We've already played against France, we drew, but we were superior, we could have killed the game. We're going to face this challenge with the pressure of the final and we can promise the Portuguese fans that we'll give everything, as we have been doing. This European Championship has been incredible for us, we're giving a phenomenal response and the final will be further proof that we didn't come here just for the group stage.”

Tomás Soares: “I try to help the team as much as possible, always being focused, waiting for my opportunity, active so that when I come on, I can make a difference. Obviously, I wouldn't be able to make a difference if it weren't for my teammates, who, like me, always give their lives and want the best for Portugal, for our team, and that's what I try to do.

“It was a fair game. We had several chances, they did too, the 2-2 was fair. We could have made the difference in the end, but I think this is destiny and, perhaps, it was even better this way.

“The penalty shootout was, perhaps, the worst moment of nervousness I have ever experienced. I missed the first one; it happens, the goalkeeper also made a good save, but it was very nervous. My teammates were always pushing me forward, the whole team and, if it weren't for them, I and the whole team wouldn't have been in a good place to take it.”

Line Ups

Portugal (4-4-1-1): Romário Cunha; Daniel Banjaqui (Gabriel Dbouk 90+1’), Martim Chelmik, Mauro Furtado, José Neto; Duarte Cunha (Yoan Pereira 60’), Rafael Quintas (Santiago Verdi 68’), Bernardo Lima, Stevan Manuel (Gil Neves 68’); Mateus Mide; Anísio Cabral (Tomás Soares 60’)

Unused substitutes: Alex Tverdohlebov, Ricardo Neto, Martim Guedes, João Aragão

Italy (4-3-1-2): Sebastiano Nava; Dauda Iddrisa, Leonardo Bovio, Cristiano De Paoli, Jean Mambuku (Laurence Giani 83’); Federico Steffanoni, Alessio Baralla (Christian Comotto 84’), Andrea Luongo (Vincenzo Prisco (73’); Samuele Inácio; Antonio Arena (Valerio Maccaroni 83’), Destiny Elimoghale (Thomas Campaniello 57’)

Unused substitutes: Andrea Maran, Davide Pavesi, Benit Borasio, Thomas Campaniello, Edoardo Zanaga

Goals