Aston Villa attacker Diana Silva came off the bench to feature for Portugal as they defeated Albania 1-0 in their latest UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 qualifier in Lisbon this evening.
The 25-year-old forward came on for the second half at the Estadio do Restelo and she played a key role in the creation of the game’s only goal.
After defeating Scotland 1-0 in Lisbon on Friday, Portugal went into this evening’s clash against Albania knowing that a victory would put them in a strong position to at least secure a play-off place.
This evening’s fixture followed a similar pattern to Friday’s nail-biting victory over Scotland with Portugal having to bide their time before getting their goal. With Villa forward Silva having been introduced at the break to increase the host’s attacking threat, the player made little time to make her mark on the game. In the 57th minute, she crossed for Ana Capeta to fire home the only goal of the match as Portugal collected a huge three points.
The victory saw Portugal temporarily top their group but they have quickly been replaced at the summit by Finland who defeated Scotland 1-0 in Edinburgh this evening. Defeat for Shelley Kerr’s side now means that Portugal are assured of at least a play-off place with two games remaining.
About The Author
