Geovany Quenda excels: Portugal with a landslide victory against Poland
Thanks in particular to Geovany Quenda, who scored three points in the first half, Portugal swept Poland 5-0 and thus created a good starting position ahead of the final round of group matches at the U-21 European Championship.
He's only 18 and is under contract with Chelsea FC from 2026: Geovany Quenda. IMAGO/Maciej Rogowski
In their opening match of the U-21 European Championship, the Portuguese team, packed with highly talented players, could only manage a 0-0 draw against France . Therefore, the team was already under some pressure against Poland, which had lost 2-1 to Georgia on the first day of group matches.
Poland can be counteredAt the beginning, it was the underdogs who were more prominent offensively. Poland had the first shot of the game after six minutes through Szymczak. Portugal struggled in the early stages. But the first attack put the favorites in the lead: Roger crossed on the counterattack to Geovany Quenda, who only had to tap in (16').
Govany Quenda dances with the opponentsEven after conceding this goal, Poland continued to play boldly, but this approach proved to be their downfall, as Portugal countered with icy coolness. In the 24th minute, Roger played a powerful diagonal ball to Geovany Quenda, and the 18-year-old Sporting Club player, who will play for Chelsea FC from summer 2026, fired the ball into the top right corner after a brief dance with two defenders.
Just six minutes later, the youngster played a well-considered through ball to Henrique Araujo on the counterattack. The striker made it 3-0. Shortly before halftime, Portugal even made it 4-0, but this time, for once, Geovany Quenda wasn't involved: a deflected cross found Paolo Bernardo, who fired a shot wide of the right post (41').
Draw is enough to advance - Poland is eliminatedThe second half offered significantly less entertainment and flow due to numerous substitutions. However, in the 63rd minute, Poland was once again caught off guard, and Rodrigo Gomes increased the lead to 5-0. After that, not much happened.
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Portugal held on to a 5-0 lead, putting them in a very strong position heading into the final group matchday. France also beat Georgia 3-2, meaning a draw against Georgia on the final matchday (Tuesday, 6 p.m.) will be enough for Portugal to advance. Poland, which will face France on the final matchday, has already been eliminated due to the defeat.
