Portugal Under-19s win Under-19 European Championship crown

By Matt Law, Football Editor | 29 July 2018

Portugal Under-19s win the 2018 Under-19 European Championships courtesy of a 4-3 win over their Italy counterparts in the final of the competition.

Portugal Under-19s have won the 2018 Under-19 European Championships courtesy of a 4-3 win over their Italy counterparts in the final of the competition on Sunday night.

Portugal thumped Ukraine Under-19s to progress to the final, and faced an Italy team that had overcome France in the second semi-final.

It is the first time that the Portuguese have won the European Championships at this particular level, and they needed two goals in extra time to claim the title.

Portugal led 2-0 in the 72nd minute when Trincao added to a first-half effort from Jota, but Juventus forward Moise Kean scored twice for Italy in the space of two minutes to level the scores entering the final stages.

Jota's second of the match saw Portugal edge ahead towards the end of the first half of extra time, but Italy answered back through Gianluca Scamacca in the 107th minute to level the scores at 3-3.

Penalties were looming large, but Portugal had other ideas, and Pedro Correira scored the game's decisive goal in the 109th minute to hand the Iberian nation the silverware.

ITALY U19s: Plizzari; Tripaldelli (Candela 65'), Zanandrea, Bettella, Bellanova; Zaniolo, Tonali (Marcucci 92'), Frattesi; Melegoni (Capone 59'), Pinamonti (Kean 46'), Scamacca

PORTUGAL U19s: Virginia; T Correira, R Correira, Veiga, Vinagre; Florentino, Quina (Santos 91'), Nunes; Trincao (P Correira 101'), Gomes (Dju 83'), Jota (Moura 120')