England U21 0-1 Portugal U21: Three Lions suffer opening game defeat

England Under-21s kicked off their European Championship campaign with defeat as Portugal ran out 1-0 winners in their Group B opener in Uherske Hradiste.

Both sides threatened to open the scoring in an entertaining opening 45 minutes but, after the interval, Portugal dominated proceedings and scored the game’s decisive goal as Joao Mario’s close-range effort on 57 minutes settled the tie.

England, who were without the injured Saido Berahino and John Stones, struggled to match Portugal’s dynamic midfield duo of William Carvahal and Bernardo Silva but the introduction of Alex Pritchard saw them mount a late charge for an equaliser.

Substitute Danny Ings and in-form striker Harry Kane both went close with efforts in the closing stages but Portugal goalkeeper Jose Sa was up to the task as Gareth Southgate’s side suffered defeat which extended England's six-year wait for a finals win.

Football Association chairman Greg Dyke and senior assistant manager Ray Lewington were in attendance as England got their fifth straight finals appearance under way, but they witnessed a defeat which increases the chances of a third successive group-stage exit.

The teams traded blows from the outset and the first half witnessed 19 shots, with Kane and Jesse Lingard coming closest for England while Jack Butland prevented Liam Moore from inadvertently gifting their opponents an early lead.

Portugal edged the first half but scored the game's only goal against the run of play, with Mario reacting quicker than three stationary England defenders after man-of-the-match Bernardo's strike came back off the post.

England threatened to strike the first blow with only Ricardo Esgaio's last-ditch intervention prevented Nathan Redmond's low cross finding Kane.

James Ward-Prowse soon bent over an effort from the edge of the box, but this was far from one-way traffic and centre-back Moore would have given Portugal the lead was it not for a fine, reaction save from Butland.

It began an end-to-end theme which continued throughout the first half, with Redmond stinging the palms of Sa before Silva and Mario got shots away.

Lingard, impressing in place of Berahino, came close with an audacious strike, before sending a cross bound for Kane which Paulo Oliveira cleared.

Kane was growing as a presence as the opening period progressed and, having scared goalkeeper Sa into a mis-kick, twice came close from distance in quick succession.

First he rolled his marker and hit a 25-yard strike that the Portuguese goalkeeper did well to tip around the post, before again trying his luck with a low effort just wide of the near post.

England came close again as Nathaniel Chalobah burst through impressively and played in Lingard, whose curling right-footed strike went just wide.

The Portugal goalkeeper breathed a sigh of relief as Ward-Prowse's fine free-kick curled just wide from 20 yards - his final act before Southgate brought on Will Hughes.

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Raphael Guerreiro fired a warning shot moments before an unfortunate ricochet off Luke Garbutt put Silva through on goal and after his effort came back off the post to Mario to tap home.

Ings and Pritchard were brought on in a bid to give England added attacking impetus, with the latter soon playing through Kane only for his Tottenham team-mate to strike straight at Sa.

Ings' first-time shot flew just over and Pritchard flashed wide either side of deflected William Carvalho shot before Sa saved a late Carl Jenkinson header.