Diego Costa Expresses Support for Teammate David de Gea After Portugal Nightmare

Spain striker Diego Costa has come to the defence of his compatriot David de Gea in the afermath of the goalkeeper's howler against Portugal on Friday night. The Manchester United stopper allowed a tame effort from Cristiano Ronaldo to slip between his hands, which eventually proved costly for Spain.

It was a horror moment for de Gea, whose blushes were somewhat saved by an incredible goal from Nacho, and an intelligent brace from Costa - although, the game did eventually end 3-3.

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And now Costa, who pulled Spain level twice during the match with his goals, has jumped to the aid of his nation's first choice keeper, admitting that sometimes players have off days.

"De Gea is a goalkeeper, because of a failure like today's, we are not going to doubt him, a family is like that, you have to trust and support yourself, yesterday I was bad and today I can be a little better. it's like that."

It was a match that immediately went down as a contender for game of the tournament - despite Friday only arriving as day two of the competition.

Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick began in the third minute, when Nacho tripped the attacker in the box, giving away a penalty. Ronaldo doesn't miss from 12 yards, and there was nothing de Gea could've done about it.

It was then Costa who managed the equaliser, a goal which seemed to come from nothing, before de Gea's infamous mistake. Again, Costa found an equaliser when getting onto the end of a Sergio Busquets cross, and Nacho made it 3-2 shortly after.

However, when everything seemed all but finished, Ronaldo had one more trick up his sleeve - and tied the game with a well struck 25 yard free kick.

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An immediate classic.