Portugal sign off with Georgia win

Portugal sign off with Georgia win





Portugal 2-0 Georgia
João Moutinho may have played his way into Portugal's starting team at UEFA EURO 2008™ after marking a fine performance with a delightful goal in the victory against Georgia in Viseu on Saturday.

Fine opener
The Sporting Clube de Portugal playmaker, deployed in midfield alongside Petit and Deco as Luiz Felipe Scolari picked his likely first XI, had supporters on their feet by fizzing in a long-range shot to break the deadlock after 18 minutes. Winger Simão doubled the lead from the penalty spot shortly before half-time, with Portugal then winding down the clock in their final friendly before tackling Turkey in their EURO opener next Saturday.

Gaps created
Portugal's attacking ambitions were initially thwarted as the visitors packed behind the ball, so it required a moment of brilliance to force the breakthrough – Petit lofting the ball to Moutinho who expertly volleyed low into the net from outside the box. The goal brought a change of style from Georgia, whose counterattacking play created gaps which Simão and Deco threatened to exploit without finding an end product.

Many changes
Five minutes before the break, Ricardo Carvalho somehow contrived to shoot left-footed against the bar when it looked easier to score after a long-range Cristiano Ronaldo free-kick had been tipped on to the woodwork. But the second goal was not long in coming as Simão dispatched a 44th-minute spot-kick after being felled inside the area. A series of interval substitutions disrupted the flow of the game, yet Portugal's work was done.

Portugal: Ricardo (Quim 46), Bosingwa (Miguel 63), Ricardo Carvalho (Bruno Alves 46), Pepe (Fernando Meira 63), Paulo Ferreira, Petit (Miguel Veloso 46), João Moutinho (Hugo Almeida 71), Deco (Raúl Meireles 46), Cristiano Ronaldo (Nani 46), Simão Sabrosa (Ricardo Quaresma 46), Nuno Gomes (Hélder Postiga 63).

Georgia: Loria, Lobjanidze, Asatiani, Khizanishvili, Navalovski (Merebashvili 82), Kenia (Barabadze 69), Mentesashvili (Sanaia 69), Kobiashvili, Tskitishvili (Klimiashvili 46), Iashvili (Devdariani 46), Aleksidze.