Northern Ireland suffer second Euro 2025 qualifying defeat to Portugal in matter of days despite early Lauren Wade strike
Northern Ireland suffered a second Euro 2025 qualifying defeat to Portugal within the span of four days as Tanya Oxtoby’s side went down 2-1 at Mourneview Park.
The hosts made a dream start, scoring after just five minutes as a swift counter-attack launched by Laura Rafferty sent Simone Magill galloping down the right and her pinpoint cross allowed Lauren Wade to tap home from close range, marking the first time Portugal had conceded throughout the campaign to date.
After a period of sustained pressure, the visitors found their equaliser as the dangerous Lucia Alves, who scored twice in Friday’s 4-0 triumph, provided a superb cross for Benfica forward Francisca Nazareth to head beyond Jackie Burns.
The visitors went ahead in the 30th minute, taking full advantage of a Northern Ireland error while trying to play out from the back with Andreia Norton driving into the box and making no mistake.
It means Portugal are now all but guaranteed to finish top of League B Group 3 – they were the highest-ranked team at the start of qualifying – and will make their way through to the play-offs as a seeded team as they look to take one step closer to booking a spot at the Euro 2025 finals in Switzerland.
With the qualifying format meaning three teams from each League B group progress to the play-off stage, where the six highest-ranked teams will be drawn into ties against the six lowest-ranked sides in the opening round, Northern Ireland, who currently occupy third and are three points ahead of Malta with two matches to play, remain in a strong position.
It likely means next month’s trip to Ta' Qali will prove crucial in determining potential progression and Oxtoby will be buoyed by a much-improved performance from last time out.
If Northern Ireland were expected to feel any trepidation after Friday’s defeat they didn’t show it as Reading striker Wade tapped home for her 10th international goal early on.
Portugal almost responded immediately through Alves, but her curled effort from the edge of the box sailed just beyond Burns’ post.
That was a sign of the pressure that Northern Ireland were about to be put under and Francisco Neto’s side, who sit 25 places higher in the world rankings, did find a deserved leveller through 20-year-old Nazareth’s smart header.
Nazareth – the top-scorer in last season’s Portuguese league – was once again involved nine minutes later, forcing Burns to make a fine save after she’d been played in by Diana Silva, but Portugal wouldn’t be denied soon after as Joely Andrews was robbed in midfield before Norton slammed home.
An acrobatic effort from Telma Encarnacao in the 34th minute went inches over the crossbar as Portugal looked to further drive home their advantage, but Northern Ireland ended the first-half with a bright spark as Magill and Wade once again linked up – the resulting corner ultimately coming to nothing.
The opening 15 minutes after the break lacked any real action or opportunity for either side, but the game sparked into life briefly when substitute Jessica Silva was sent in on goal, only to be denied once again by Burns.
Portugal ultimately proved too strong – the fact eight of their squad were involved in Benfica’s run to the Champions League quarter-finals before being eliminated by eventual finalists Lyon gives an indication of the quality on display – but Oxtoby will undoubtedly take positives.