Euro 2020 warm-up: Spain, Portugal play out entertaining stalemate

It was the first international game with fans in attendance in Spain since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Published : Jun 05, 2021 09:05 IST , Madrid

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo in action with Spain's Diego Llorente at the Wanda Metropolitano on Friday.
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo in action with Spain's Diego Llorente at the Wanda Metropolitano on Friday.
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Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo in action with Spain's Diego Llorente at the Wanda Metropolitano on Friday.

Spain and Portugal played out an entertaining 0-0 draw on Friday as both sides prepared for Euro 2020.

In the first international game with fans in attendance in Spain since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 15,000-strong crowd present thought Spain had fallen behind when Jose Fonte's looping header beat Unai Simon after 23 minutes. However, it was ruled out for a foul on Pau Torres.

A nervy Simon then saw a clearance charged down by Cristiano Ronaldo. But the ball ricocheted straight back to the Athletic Bilbao stopper.

After struggling early on, the host was much better after the restart, with Alvaro Morata and Pablo Sarabia both missing chances.

Portugal was indebted to keeper Rui Patricio, who denied Ferran Torres from close range with two minutes remaining, before Morata hit the bar in stoppage time as Luis Enrique's side pushed for a late winner to no avail.

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"We wanted to win, but it wasn't to be. We did some very good stuff and we'll take that away with us," defender Jose Luis Gaya told Spanish television.

"There's room for improvement, but all sides have things to improve before the tournament.

"Maybe we need to get better at set pieces, which is where Portugal are really strong, but the reality is we had the best chances to win the game."

Spain faces Lithuania in its final warm-up fixture on Tuesday before the tournament kicks off next Friday.

Portugal hosts Israel on Wednesday before it starts the defence of its Euro title.

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