England vs. Portugal: Score, Reaction from 2016 International Friendly

Chris Smalling scored the only goal in England’s 1-0 in over Portugal on Thursday at Wembley Stadium in the Three Lions’ final international friendly in preparation for the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament starting June 10.   

The Manchester United man powered home a close-range header with minutes to spare, ensuring England enter the tournament with the wind in their sails.

The first half passed without any major incidents until Bruno Alves was sent off for a horrible tackle on Harry Kane, handing momentum to the hosts entering half-time. England did little with the advantage, as the second half was a drab affair, but Smalling’s late goal added a positive twist to the night for the Three Lions.

England will start their Euro 2016 campaign on Saturday, June 11, when they take on Russia. Portugal will be play one more friendly against Estonia on Wednesday.

As shared by the team’s official Twitter account, England manager Roy Hodgson made wholesale changes to the starting XI he fielded against Australia, with only Smalling keeping his spot:

CONFIRMED: The #ThreeLions teamsheet for tonight’s pre-#EURO2016 clash with @selecaoportugal. pic.twitter.com/rRwMGFjiza

— England (@England) June 2, 2016

Meanwhile, there was one glaring absence for Portugal, as Bleacher Report UK checked in with what Cristiano Ronaldo was up to:

Cristiano Ronaldo is not playing for Portugal tonight, and clearly has better things to do (? Instagram) pic.twitter.com/lhGNJtqKx8

— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) June 2, 2016

Portugal immediately took possession of the ball from the opening kick-off, but the match came to a halt after just two minutes, as Rafa Silva was caught by Smalling and needed some treatment.

While the ball quickly moved up and down the pitch, clear-cut chances were rare early. Both teams pushed forward with intensity, but the final ball was often lacking.

The Blizzard’s Jonathan Wilson wasn’t too entertained and instead cast his eye on the rather unusual kits both teams were wearing:

So England’s away kit is Portugal’s home kit & their home kit is the USA with faded sleeves. Horrible and generic is quite an achievement.

— Jonathan Wilson (@jonawils) June 2, 2016

As the half wore on, England started getting the better of play. Dele Alli was a lively force in midfield, and Kyle Walker frequently got involved in the attack.

The first chance fell to Wayne Rooney, who fired a volley straight at goalkeeper Rui Patricio, but the flag had …

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