England Men's Under-19s lost 2-1 to Portugal in a rainy Marbella on Wednesday evening.

With preparation for November's UEFA EURO Under-19 qualifiers the priority, Will Antwi's team started the stronger of the two sides, controlling possession.

However Portugal’s counter-attacking threat was evident from the start and they had already struck the bar and forced goalkeeper Ted Curd into a save before breaking the deadlock through João Simões 22 minutes in.

England sustained pressure throughout the first half, Samuel Amo-Ameyaw continuing to test the goalkeeper cutting in from the right side, but clear-cut chances were few and far between as the Portuguese defence held firm.

And for all their pressure, they soon conceded a second, Portugal working the ball into the box and doubling their lead through a powerful strike from Gil Martins.

The Portuguese started the second half the more confident of the two sides but Amo-Ameyaw continued to provide a threat for England off the right, as they looked to assert themselves.

The Young Lions did manage to get a foothold back into the fixture when they were awarded a penalty midway with 20 minutes to play. A short-free kick led to Reiss Russell-Denny being hauled down in the box.

Captain Ethan Nwaneri provided the finishing touch, reducing Portugal's lead to one in the 71st minute with a powerful effort.

England continued to push for an equaliser with sustained pressure until the final whistle but were unable to break down Felipe Ramos' well-drilled defence.

Will Antwi and his side will now look towards their next fixture in Marbella against the Netherlands on Saturday 12 October (6pm BST).

Starting XI: 1 Ted Curd (Hampton & Richmond Borough) (GK), 2 Triston Rowe (Aston Villa), 3 Jayden Meghoma (Brentford), 4 Kiano Dyer (Chelsea), 5 Harrison Murray-Campbell (Chelsea), 6 Amara Nallo (Liverpool), 7 Samuel Amo-Ameyaw (Southampton), 8 Reiss Russell-Denny (Chelsea), 9 Lennon Wheeldon (Derby County), 10 Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal), 11 Mikey Moore (Tottenham Hotspur)

Substitutes: 12 Leo Black (Tottenham Hotspur) for Triston Rowe 65’, 16 Stephen Mfuni (Manchester City) for Nallo 65’, 18 Lewis Orford (West Ham United) for Kiano Dyer 65’, 20 Shumaira Mheuka (Chelsea) for Lennon Wheldon 65’, 23 Kadan Young (Aston Villa) for Samuel Amo-Ameyaw 65’, 14 Joe Johnson (Luton Town) for Jayden Meghoma 74’, 15 Zach Abbott (Nottingham Forest) for Harrison Murray-Campbell 74’, 17 Josh King (Fulham) for Reiss Russell-Denny 74’, 19 Tyrique George (Chelsea) for Ethan Nwaneri 74’, 21 Joel Ndala (PSV Eindhoven) for Mikey Moore 74’

Substitutes not used: 13 Finlay Herrick (West Ham United), 22 Matthew Young (Salford City)

Goals: Nwaneri 71’

Head Coach: Will Antwi