Portugal came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Switzerland in their opening UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 group match.
This game had initially looked very different when the schedule was first announced all those months ago. However, with Russia’s expulsion from the competition, it was Portugal who were set to face Switzerland at Leigh Sports Village in their stead.
After being given a lifeline to keep their European dreams alive, it was far from the ideal start for the Iberian side. The match had barely kicked-off before the ball broke to forward Coumba Sow 30 yards from goal. The Swiss number 11 tried her luck and her low effort nestled into the bottom corner of the net leaving Inês Pereira with no chance in the Portuguese goal.
The crowd didn’t have a chance to catch their breath before Switzerland doubled their lead. A deep free-kick was played into the Portuguese area and Rahel Kiwic rose highest to meet it with her head. The header was perfectly directed into the top corner to put her side two goals to the good just five minutes in.
Portugal were then able to stem the tide of the Swiss onslaught and keep the score at 2-0 in a fiercely contested first half. Some full-blooded challenges from Ana Borges and Eseosa Aigbogun demonstrated that neither team were taking the game lightly.
Portugal began the second half much the brighter and looked the most likely to score. However, a low left-footed shot from Ramona Bachmann let them know that the Swiss still posed a threat.
However, the trailing side soon halved the deficit. A corner whipped into the box was met by defender Diana Gomes whose powerful downward header was well kept out by Gaëlle Thalmann but the Portuguese player was the first to react and forced the ball home.
Buoyed by a very vocal crowd, Portugal then quickly found the equaliser. A superb cross in from the right was met by Jessica Silva with a superbly controlled volley into the far bottom corner.
Switzerland had barely been in the Portuguese half after the interval but very nearly took the lead once again through Géraldine Reuteler. A corner was only half-cleared and the midfielder struck the ball on the volley, only to see her shot bounce out off the post.
Portuguese substitute Telma Entranção then thought she’d given her side the lead, only to see her shot cruelly rebound off the upright and away from danger.
The Marítimo forward then had a glorious chance to win the match late on as she was played clean through and looked certain to score, only to be denied at the last by a superb challenge from Viola Calligaris.
Both sides looked threatening in the dying moments with neither looking to settle for a point but that is what they both went away with.
Switzerland will be disappointed not to have got the win given their superb start to the game, however, the draw was no more than Portugal deserved after they reacted strongly to going behind so early when they could’ve easily folded under the pressure. Instead, they stepped up and provided a scrappy and tenacious performance to prove that they deserve their place at this EUROs.
About The Author
