Portugal survive late drama to beat Turkey in World Cup playoff semi

PORTO, March 24 (Reuters) – Portugal survived a nervy finale to transfer a person move nearer to reaching the Planet Cup with a 3-1 win in excess of Turkey, who skipped a late penalty that could have pressured additional time in their playoff semi-ultimate on Thursday.

Roared on by a bought-out Dragao Stadium in Porto, Portugal dominated the match from the get started and went 2- up in the initially 50 % just after Otavio scored one particular intention and developed yet another for Diogo Jota.

But Fernando Santos’s side were pegged again by a Burak Yilmaz target in 65th moment that place the Portuguese admirers on the edge of their seats as Turkey started to threaten.

Defender Jose Fonte then fouled Enes Unal inside of the spot in the 85th minute to concede a penalty but Yilmaz fired his hard work higher more than the bar.

Portugal substitute Matheus Nunes then relieved the tension on the hosts in added time with their 3rd aim from a counter assault.

“I was not upset with the workforce but we played with hearth these days,” Santos explained to reporters.

“We had the game below command but slowed down. Of course the players are not devices, we did not regulate to score for 3- and individuals issues can materialize in football. But I’m happy we reacted really effectively. That moment (the penalty) could have been hard for us.”

Just after lacking out on automated qualification in November, Portugal will now host North Macedonia on Tuesday with the winner qualifying for the 2022 Globe Cup in Qatar.

Portugal would have been expecting to face Italy, but they have been shocked in a 1- defeat to North Macedonia in the other semi-last in Palermo, depriving lovers of a really predicted experience-off concerning the previous two European champions.

Portugal started out strongly, scoring 2 times in the initial half with the outcome on the lookout like a foregone summary heading into the crack.

Brazilian-born Porto midfielder Otavio, a surprise inclusion in the beginning staff, supplied Portugal’s primary attacking risk.

He scored from a rebound in the 15th moment following a Bernardo Silva shot arrived again off the article and just just before halftime, he crossed from the correct flank for Jota to aim an unstoppable header into the internet.

But Portugal took their foot off the gas in the next fifty percent and authorized the site visitors to get into the sport.

Yilmaz scored subsequent a one-two with Cengiz Under and had the chance to equalise from the location right after the movie assistant referee noticed a foul in the penalty area, but despatched his effort soaring significant in excess of the bar.

Reporting by Fernando Kallas
Editing by Toby Davis

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