Fulham midfielder Fabio Carvalho made his Portugal under 21 debut last night as Rui Jorge’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Iceland in Portimão.
The visitors took a surprise lead in the seventeenth minute when an untimely slip from Eduardo Quaresma gave Brynjolfur Andersen Willumsson the simplest of finishes from barely a yard out. That was the first goal a young Portuguese side had conceded in qualifying for the European Championships – but they continued to play, patient possession football and gradually dominated the contest. Carvalho displayed plenty of confidence and skill on the ball, with some lovely early touches, in an impressive first appearance at this level.
The hosts equalised ten minutes before the break when Gonçalo Ramos worked a clever one-two with Fabio Vieira and saw his shot deflected beyond a helpless Iceland goalkeeper. Carvalho played eighty minutes before being substituted and the draw leaves Portugal two points behind Greece in second place in the group, with a game in hand. Two of their final four fixtures are against the Greeks – beginning with their meeting in Tripoli on Tuesday night. The result of that tie could be crucial in deciding who qualifies automatically for finals in Romania and Georgia next summer.
