Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes came off the bench, scoring twice and helping Portugal begin their Euro preparations with a 4-2 win over unseeded Finland in Lisbon on Tuesday.
Portugal was without its captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who is resting before returning to duty on Friday ahead of his sixth European Championship. Thus, Coach Roberto Martínez put together a heavily modified team, which dominated from the starting.
Rúben Dias gave the hosts the advantage in the 17th Minute with a header after a Corner, and Diogo Jota extended the lead from the point after Francisco Conceição was fouled in the penalty area in extra time before the break.
Fernandes, who was one of the five substitutes at half-time, scored Portugal’s third goal in the 55th Minute with a fine strike from the edge of the box into the top corner. Finnish substitute Teemu Pukki used sufficient Portuguese defense to score twice in five minutes and bring his team back into the game. However, Fernandes took command and secured the victory with a close-range strike.
Portugal will face Croatia on Saturday and the Republic of Ireland in the last heat-up matches next week before starting their Euro campaign on June 18 against the Czech Republic in Group F. You will also meet Turkey and Georgia.
Troy Parrott has bolstered John O’Shea’s claims to the vacant coaching job after the replacement sent the Republic of Ireland back for a friendly win over committed Hungary at Euro. The Tottenham striker, 22, who was on loan at Dutch club Excelsior last season, scored in extra time to seal a 2-1 win over Marco Rossi’s side, which ended their 14-game unsmacken run.
O’Shea saw Adam Idah put his team in the lead and, after stubbornly surviving a action in which Adam Lang managed to equalize, won it to gone. The Irish football association has insisted that Kenny’s successor will be on hand until the team meets before the opening Nations League match against England in September, and the former Manchester United defender is increasingly defending himself.
Hungary, meanwhile, will face Israel on Saturday in the last heat-up match, knowing full well that they must be sharper in Germany if they want to succeed on the big stage.
Andras Schafer fired beyond Caoimhín Kelleher’s left-hand post after bursting into the box with real chances with a premium, although the Liverpool goalkeeper had to make a solid save from Milos Kerkez in the 29th Minute. Ireland, for their part, tried to move the ball forward quickly, sometimes bypassing the midfield altogether, although Idah, Sammie Szmodics and Finn Azaz too often made their first senior start for his country, repeatedly pursuing lost causes.
Dara O’Shea’s forward run and Szmodics’ clever pass looked to have put Ireland behind Hungary 12 minutes before the Break, but indecision in the middle of Idah and Matt Doherty made a fleeting opening disappear. But Idah made up for it in three minutes as Smallbone had time and space to pick the leader who put a header past goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.