Portugal picked up their first win of the UEFA European U21 Championship with a convincing 5-0 victory over Poland in Trencin, with Geovany Quenda basking in the glory after notching three first-half goal contributions.
Portugal flew out of the blocks against Polish opposition with Quenda – a £44m signing who will join Chelsea at the end of 2025/26 – turning home at the far post in the 16th minute after great work from Roger Fernandes on the left flank.
The pair combined again eight minutes later when Quenda demonstrated his impeccable touch inside the box to double the lead, before the 18-year-old turned provider to tee up captain Henrique Araujo on the half-hour mark with a perfectly timed through ball.
Rui Jorge’s men were not done there, though, with Paulo Bernardo completing the first-half rout after Fernandes and Flavio Nazinho linked up beautifully on the left again.
Match statsFlashscorePerhaps to Poland’s relief, Quenda’s job was over for the day as he was one of Rui Jorge’s half-time withdrawals, perhaps leading to a drop in tempo, with Poland able to force a few opportunities of their own.
The most promising of those, a free-kick on the edge of the box, only served to further hurt their goal difference, as a rapid counterattack allowed Rodrigo Gomes to turn home from close range following selfless play from his teammates.
The remainder of the match was played out without all too much to talk about on a humid evening in Slovakia.
That won’t deter from a hefty victory in Trencin, which sees Portugal rise above France in the Group C standings, while Poland – whose third Group Stage exit of the century has now been confirmed – head into their final group stage game still searching for their first point.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Geovany Quenda (Portugal)
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