After narrowly defeating Belgium 1-0 in their opening group match, Italy looked confident in the early moments, with Cristiana Girelli's long-range shot expertly saved by Patrícia Morais.
Le Azzurre continued to dominate as the first half went on, coming close to scoring when Cecilia Salvai headed Lisa Boattin’s tempting cross against the crossbar.
Winless in their last six matches (D1, L5), Portugal sought to establish control of the game before halftime, enjoying significant possession in midfield; however, it was Andrea Soncin’s team that remained more dangerous in the attacking third.
Notably, Emma Severini had a close-range shot disallowed for offside, while Morais stood strong in the Selecção das Quinas’ goal, thwarting a dangerous low shot from Girelli.
The early part of the second half mirrored the first, with Italy’s Arianna Caruso sending a powerful shot just over the bar.
Undeterred by that missed chance, Le Azzurre’s pressure finally bore fruit in the 70th minute, as Girelli found space at the edge of the box and curled a stunning shot into the top corner for her first goal of the tournament.
Francisco Neto’s team sought an immediate reply and believed they had one when Diana Silva scored from a rebound in the box, only for VAR to rule the goal out for a marginal offside.
However, Portugal kept pressing in the final moments, and an equalizer came in the 89th minute when Dolores Silva’s cut-back was instinctively directed into the net by Gomes.
That goal proved to be the decisive moment of the match as Portugal maintained their slim hopes of reaching the quarter-finals heading into matchday three.
Flashscore Player of the Match: Cristiana Girelli (Italy)
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