Diana Gomes hits back late on to save Portugal and deny Italy victory
There was drama in Geneva as Diana Gomes struck late to salvage Portugal’s European Championship hopes. In a breathtaking conclusion to the Group B encounter, Cristiana Girelli thought she had sent Italy through to the quarter-finals. Francisco Neto’s side piled on the pressure in the final stages, however, and equalised in the 89th minute to ensure their dreams of progress remained alive.
There had been contrasting fortunes on the opening day for both. While Italy earned a hard-fought victory over Belgium, Portugal had suffered a morale-sapping defeat against Spain. This was not quite last chance saloon for Neto’s side but almost, knowing they must avoid defeat to avoid elimination.
