Ethan Nwaneri marked his full England Under-21s debut with a goal in their 4-2 friendly victory over Portugal at The Hawthorns.
The Arsenal youngster was particularly impressive and it only took him 10 minutes to open his account.
Hayden Hackney had opened the scoring for the hosts but Fabio Silva reduced the deficit for Portugal in the 22nd minute.
Omari Hutchinson, who was sent off against France three days ago, added England’s third before Carlos Forbs pulled one back for Portugal with five minutes left but Jaden Philogene made sure of the victory in added time.
Lee Carsley was looking for his first win since returning to the Under-21s dugout after his interim period with the senior side and he made nine changes from the starting XI that lost 5-3 to France on Friday night.
James Beadle was twice called upon in the opening five minutes to deny Tiago Tomas’ low drilled effort before he stopped Silva straight after.
England did not have to do much before they opened the scoring with their first foray forward.
Hackney was alert to intercept as Portugal aimed to play out from the back and he let fly from outside the box for his second goal at The Hawthorns this season.
Carsley’s side had a second with 10 minutes on the clock thanks to a piece of brilliance from Nwaneri.
Jobe Bellingham spotted Nwaneri in space outside the box and the 18-year-old expertly shifted the ball onto his left foot and bent it into the bottom corner.
England were close to a third when Hutchinson lifted an effort over Joao Carvalho and it looked to be bouncing in until Joao Muniz cleared off the line.
Portugal were also impressive going forward and they finally had their reward midway through the first period – Southampton’s Mateus Fernandes spotted the run of Rodrigo Pinheiro and his cross was tapped home by Silva.
Portugal ought to have been level soon after. Beadle’s quick thinking snuffed out Silva but the ball fell to Gustavo Sa with the goal at his mercy but he saw his effort crash off the post.
The game sparked back into life when Carsley made five second-half substitutions and England soon had a third.
CJ Egan-Riley jumped highest from a corner and guided a header into the path of Hutchinson who was able to nod home from close range.
Borges struck back for Portugal but Philogene rounded the night off with his fourth goal for the Under 21s.
[(Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C.) Strength]: 1. Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. will be at home first in this tie. They hope to extend winning record, with full motivation.2. Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. beat Hapoel Jerusalem F.C. 2-1 in the last home game, making it three wins in a row.3. Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. defeated Hamrun Spartans F.C. 5-2 on aggregate in the last qualifying round and advanced.4. Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C....
[(Seattle Sounders FC) Strength]: 1. Seattle Sounders FC achieved 4 wins and 2 draws in the last 6 home games with good performances.2. In the previous group stage of the Leagues Cup, Seattle Sounders FC scored 11 goals in total. They are the top in Group B, with outstanding performances.3. Seattle Sounders FC conceded only 3 goals in the last 5 games with a good defense.4. Seattle Sounders FC los...
[(FC Midtjylland) Strength]: 1. In-form Dario Osorio scored and assisted in the last game. He may get more playing time in midweek's European game.2. FC Midtjylland scored at least 2 goals in all the last 4 games with a stunning offense.3. In the last UEFA Europa League qualifying round, FC Midtjylland defeated Eliteserien side Fredrikstad twice, with outstanding performances.4. FC Midtjylland bea...
[(KF Shkendija) Strength]: 1. KF Shkendija, playing at home in this game, need to go all out to gain the upper hand and are highly motivated.2. KF Shkendija won 3-1 away from home in the last league match, returning to the winning track and boosting their morale.3. KF Shkendija have performed well at home and have achieved three consecutive victories so far. They have only lost 2 of their last 20 ...
[(SC Internacional) Strength]: 1. SC Internacional lost 0-1 in the first leg and are currently 12th in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, performing poorly. They urgently need to prove themselves in the Copa Libertadores. This time playing at home, they will do their best to win and strive for advancement, so the team are motivated.[(SC Internacional) Weakness]: 1. SC Internacional goalkeeper Ivan...
[(Rosenborg) Strength]: 1. Rosenborg won two consecutive rounds in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers and advanced to the play-off stage. In the first leg against Bundesliga team 1.FSV Mainz 05, Rosenborg must capitalize on their home field advantage to secure a victory, laying a solid foundation for the second leg. So they are highly motivated.2. Rosenborg have remained unbeaten at home in the...
[(Esporte Clube Juventude) Strength]: 1. Esporte Clube Juventude are currently near the bottom of the table with 15 points, still 4 points away from the survival zone. They are in strong intention of picking up points.2. Esporte Clube Juventude won the last two consecutive games in AH with an improved trend.[(Esporte Clube Juventude) Neutral]: 1. Esporte Clube Juventude drew 2-2 away to Esporte Cl...
[(Estudiantes de La Plata) Strength]: 1. Santiago Ascacibar made 1 goal and 1 assist for the team in the last two games, being in good form.2. Estudiantes de La Plata kept unbeaten in the last 5 home games with 4 wins and 1 draw, being in great form.3. Estudiantes de La Plata have scored 12 goals since the group stage of Copa Libertadores. Their offensive performance in cup event is reliable.4. Es...
[(Fenerbahce S.K.) Strength]: 1. Fenerbahce S.K. have strengthened their squad by recruiting players during the off-season. Their goals for this season are to contend for the league title and qualify for the main tournament of the UEFA Champions League. Having eliminated the Eredivisie giants Feyenoord in the first round, the team must seize the home advantage in the first leg against SL Benfica, ...
[(Celtic F.C.) Strength]: 1. As a Scottish Premiership giant, Celtic F.C. have rich experience in European competitions and a high reputation. They have made a flying start to the season with three consecutive wins, and their morale is high. Facing the relatively weak FC Kairat Almaty, they hope to secure an easy victory with home advantage, lay the groundwork for the Play-off round, and smoothly ...
- 1 Brentford Agree Deal to Sign Dango Ouattara From Bournemouth
- 2 TIPS - Villarreal VS Real Oviedo
- 3 BVB, Monaco and Ajax go for unwanted West Ham midfielder Alvarez
- 4 ngland cricket legend’s granddaughter stuns in bikini
- 5 Lamela explains retirement decision: It started 11 years ago...
- 6 Estevao Willian set for 'key' Chelsea role after debut vs Palace
- 7 TIPS - Gwangju FC VS Daejeon Hana Citizen
- 8 Emotional Arne Slot admits he had wanted to bring late Diogo Jota on as a substitute in Liverpool's dramatic victory over Bournemouth
- 9 Benjamin Sesko vs Viktor Gyokeres: Man Utd-Arsenal showdown sets early stage for big-money No.9s to show the Premier League what they can offer
- 10 Alaves vs Levante Prediction for today 17 August 2025 - Football