Portugal 1-2 England: UEFA Women's Euro 2017

Thursday 27 Jul 2017

England will play France in the quarter finals of Euro 2017 after they topped Group D with three wins from three.

Following victories over Scotland and Spain, the Lionesses edged Portugal 2-1 in Tilburg, Netherlands, to maintain their perfect start to the competition.

Toni Duggan marked her 50th cap by opening the scoring early on, only for Carolina Mendes to equalise 10 minutes later.

But Duggan’s former Manchester City team-mate Nikita Parris wrapped up a third straight win in the second half.

The result means that Mark Sampson's charges are only the second England team to progress from the group stage of a major tournament with a 100 per cent record, after the men’s side at the 1982 World Cup.

There were 10 changes from the side that defeated both Scotland and Spain, with only centre back Millie Bright retaining her place, while Laura Bassett captained her country for the first time.

Sampson and his players are confident they are the fittest and strongest team at the Euros – and they burst out of the blocks in all three group games.

Jodie Taylor put England ahead after just 10 minutes against Scotland while Fran Kirby scored in just the second minute against Spain, the quickest-ever tournament goal.

And Duggan made it a hat-trick of rapid starts when she punished Patricia Morais for a poor clearance.

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The Portugal goalkeeper attempted to clear Ana Borges’s back pass but hit the ball straight at Duggan – who clipped the ball over the keeper's head and into the empty net.

But the Lionesses weren’t ahead for long.

Francisco Neto’s side put together a good move down the right which led to Diana Silva delivering a low cross into the box.

Bassett half-cleared but the ball fell back to Silva who picked out Mendes at the back post for a tap-in.

This match pitched the tournament’s lowest-ranked team against the third favourites, and England lived up to their elevated status a lot more in the second half.

They dominated straight from the restart and regained the lead soon after.

Duggan climbed highest to flick-on a goal kick, Isobel Christiansen then played a cute pass through to Parris, who nipped inside Carole Costa before slipping the ball underneath Morais.

England enjoyed far more possession after the break and limited their opponents to only occasional forays forward.

Dolores Silva hit a 25-yard free-kick just wide, but Portugal’s best chance to level once more came in added time when substitute Laura Luis volleyed goalwards – luckily for England, it was straight at Siobhan Chamberlain.

England march into the knockout stages and a quarter final tie against Les Bleues in Deventer on Sunday.

Portugal (4-3-3): 12 Patricia Morais; 9 Ana Borges, 4 Silvia Rebelo, 15 Carole Costa, 14 Dolores Silva; 23 Antunes, 11 Tatiana Pinto, 20 Suzane Pires; 18 Carolina Mendes, 7 Claudia Neto (capt), 16 Diana Silva.

Substitutes: 10 Ana Leite for Mendes 64, 19 Amanda Da Costa for Pires 80, 8 Laura Luis for Diana Silva 88.

Substitutes not used: 1 Jamila Marreiros, 2 Monica Mendes, 3 Raquel Infante, 5 Matilde Fidalgo, 6 Andreia Norton, 13 Fatima Pinto, 17 Vanessa Marques, 21 Diana Gomes.

Goal: Mendes 17

Head coach: Francisco Neto

England (4-4-2): 13 Siobhan Chamberlain (Liverpool); 22 Alex Scott (Arsenal), 15 Laura Bassett (capt; Unattached), 16 Millie Bright (Chelsea), 20 Alex Greenwood (Liverpool); 14 Karen Carney (Chelsea), 10 Fara Williams (Arsenal), 6 Jo Potter (Reading), 8 Isobel Christiansen (Manchester City); 19 Toni Duggan (Barcelona), 17 Nikita Parris (Manchester City).

Substitutes: 7 Jordan Nobbs (Arsenal) for Bright 60, 3 Demi Stokes (Manchester City) for Duggan 81.

Substitutes not used: 1 Karen Bardsley (Manchester City), 2 Lucy Bronze (Manchester City), 4 Jill Scott (Manchester City), 5 Steph Houghton (Manchester City), 9 Jodie Taylor (Arsenal), 11 Jade Moore (Reading), 12 Casey Stoney (Liverpool), 18 Ellen White (Birmingham City), 23 Fran Kirby (Chelsea).

Goals: Duggan 7, Parris 48

Bookings: Williams 5, Christiansen 27

Head coach: Mark Sampson

Referee: Kateryna Monzul (UKR)

Attendance: 3,335

By Glenn Lavery at Willem II Stadium, Tilburg