5-1, that's the result that hangs in the head during this fateful summer night. The result by which the Portuguese beat this same opponent just ten days ago, in the group stage. Italians in a version much superior to this one... and Portuguese unarmed for the fifth time in six U-19 Euro finals. Call it a stumble at the wrong time, but a Portuguese person knows that this too is fado.

In the competitive part now, Italy - if underdogs - were superior on the field of play, justly getting to victory. He entered the match very strongly, managing to open the scoring in the 19th minute after a cross from Hasa (4th assist in the competition for the Juventus midfielder), a header from Kayode and a miscalculation from Ribeiro.

Portugal - which up to that point had been in a passive role - tried to pick up the pace, especially in the second half. But without achieving anything, with Italy defending their advantage until the final.

The "Azzurri" squad was much better in the first half, reached the advantage and then held it until the end against a Portuguese team that grew, but that did not manage to reach a tie. In the last shot of the game, Herculano shot just wide of the post and Portugal fell to its knees. A huge disappointment for a generation that had already missed the final phase of the under-17 European Championship due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Portugal tried to enter the game in the same way as they had done in the first four games, trying to impose their football, with a raised block and possession of the ball, but quickly found difficulties. Ahead of us was an Italy very different from the group stage game, as, in fact, we had already seen in the previous game against Spain.

Former Benfica player N'Dour returned to midfield, after serving a suspension, to give him more physical power and defensive consistency, in an Azzurri squad that deployed very well for the attack, with Kayode on the right and Hasa on the opposite side to easily get depth over the wings. After four high-quality games, Portugal lost everything in the decisive game, against an Italy that again won a final against Portugal, as in 2003, after having lost another in 2018.

Thus the cup returns to Rome 20 years later: in 2003 it was Italy led by Paolo Berrettini who overtook the Portuguese in Vaduz, with the various Chiellini, Aquilani and Pazzini on the field. Since then, the defeats against Germany (2008), France (2016) and again Portugal (2018), a negative streak forcefully interrupted by a group that risked not reaching the final stage. But then, once he found himself in the Maltese group, he became a team and decided not to go on holiday. If not with the gold medal around his neck.