[D-Kin]

Portugal rues Italian lesson Thursday 7 February, 2008

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The Portuguese Press have hit out at Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side after last night’s 3-1 friendly defeat against Italy. “It was a football lesson.”

Roberto Donadoni’s world champions impressively swept aside a young Portugal side in Zurich with goals from Luca Toni, Fabio Cannavaro and Fabio Quagliarella.

While Scolari’s side were by no means embarrassed by their Italian counterparts, the media have savaged the defeated 11.

“Only Ricardo Quaresma saved our honour,” read the headline in A Bola. “A poor performance and another defeat against Italy.”

Midfield wizard Cristiano Ronaldo described the defeat as an “important lesson for us all” – sentiments that Record echoed this morning.

“Italy exposed Portugal’s fragility,” the paper lamented. “The world champions gave a lesson in maturity to Scolari’s side. With less possession they dominated, scored three times and missed other chances.”

It has now been 32 years since Portugal beat Italy and the Selecção das Quinas have triumphed in just four of the nations’ 24 meetings.

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