Why Portugal’s defense crumbled early—and why Spain eased up later.
UEFA Women’s Euro 2025
Match: Spain Women 5 – 0 Portugal Women
Date: 3th July, 2025 | KO: 20:00 BST
Half-by-Half Key Data Comparison
| Team | Half | Total Shots | Shots on Target | xG | Tackle Success Rate | Clearances | Interceptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | First | 12 | 7 | 2.86 | 29% | 5 | 10 |
| Spain | Second | 10 | 2 | 1.34 | 56% | 7 | 1 |
| Portugal | First | 2 | 0 | 0.07 | 80% | 21 | 7 |
| Portugal | Second | 5 | 1 | 0.26 | 54% | 12 | 5 |
Match Data Summary
[Graph 1] Spain vs Portugal – Shots & xG by Half
- In the first half, Spain recorded 12 total shots, 7 of which were on target (SOT), generating an impressive 2.86 expected goals (xG).
- In the second half, they still attempted 10 shots but only managed 2 on target, with xG dropping to 1.34.
- Portugal had no shots on target (0 SOT) in the first half and posted a mere 0.07 xG. While they improved slightly in the second half, the attacking threat remained minimal.
👉All gas in the first half, all brakes in the second.
Spain exploded early, then eased off the throttle to manage the match.
[Graph 2] Defensive Metrics: Tackles, Clearances, Interceptions
- Portugal dropped their defensive line extremely deep in the first half, registering 21 clearances and participating in 80% of all tackles. This reflects a reactive, low-block strategy that struggled under pressure.
- But deep defending alone wasn’t enough. Spain’s tempo and pressing overwhelmed Portugal early. → Goals in the 1st and 15th minutes appeared to destabilize their defensive shape entirely.
- In the second half, Portugal seemed to adjust their line slightly higher. Tackle involvement dropped to 54%, and clearances decreased.
- Spain, in contrast, increased their defensive effort in the second half: tackle involvement rose from 29% to 56%. This suggests a strategic shift—lower attacking tempo, but more defensive control and pressure.
Key Takeaway
This match was a clear reminder that simply sitting deep isn’t an effective defensive strategy—at least not without structure and coordination.
Portugal's ultra-defensive first-half approach allowed Spain to dictate tempo and flow, leading to defensive collapse after early goals.
Spain, on the other hand, front-loaded their energy and put the game away early, then managed the match with composure in the second half.
Data & Tools
- Data Source: Flashscore
- Visualization Tools: pandas, matplotlib
- Metrics Used: TS (Total Shots), SOT (Shots on Target), xG (Expected Goals), Tackles, Clearances, Interceptions
What do you think?
This analysis reflects my interpretation of the data.
If you have a different view, I’d be happy to hear your thoughts!
Collaboration
I’m always open to collaborating on creating content with football data!
If this kind of analysis interests you, feel free to give me feedback. I’d love to improve my skills.
You can check out the full code and data on my GitHub repository: https://github.com/k-eunji/es_por
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