Bundesliga at the Euros, Day 18
What a day of football! An incredible number of goals scored today and there were only 2 matches today! Both of the World Cup finalists played their respective round of 16 matches, with Croatia taking on Spain in Copenhagen, and the world champions France took on near neighbours Switzerland in Bucharest.
| UEFA Euro 2020 |
A fantastic game of football was played out in the Danish capital Copenhagen which needed extra time to finish but in the end, Spain just got the better of Croatia winning 5-3 in a European Championship classic.
The Croats took the lead in the most bizarre of circumstances when Barcelona midfielder Pedri played the ball back to goalkeeper Unai Simon, but Simon miscontrolled the ball and it bounced off his foot into the bottom corner. Spain were on level terms when Pablo Sarabia fired in with the help of Croatian keeper Dominik Livakovic as the ball bounced off his head into the net.
Spain later took the lead after a header from Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta and they made it 3-1 following quick thinking which put Manchester City winger Ferran Torres to give Spain what looked like an unassailable lead.
But then the Croatian comeback, first it was the substitute Miroslav Orsic who had his shot cleared off the line but goal-line technology said the ball crossed the line and Croatia were 1 goal away. Then, pandemonium. Orsic at the heart of it again as his cross was met by Atalanta midfielder Mario Pasalic who equalized in the 93rd minute.
Spain stepped up in extra time as goals from Alvaro Morata and Mikel Oyarzabal put the game beyond doubt. Spain take on the winner of the France v Switzerland encounter.
Croatia Starting XI: (4-2-3-1)
Livakovic
Juranovic - Vida - Caleta-Car - Gvardiol
Modric - Brozovic - Kovacic
Vlasic - Petkovic - Rebic
Spain Starting XI: (4-3-3)
Simon
Azpilicueta - Garcia - Laporte - Gaya
Koke - Busquets - Pedri
Torres - Morata - Sarabia
Game of the tournament in the National Arena???
An equally if not better game of football was played out in the National Arena in the Romanian capital Bucharest, as world champions France took on Switzerland. Another round of 16 tie that needed extra time and then penalties after the 90 minutes produced a 3-3 draw including a 90th-minute equalizer.
Switzerland took the lead after a Steven Zuber cross was met by Haris Seferovic after just 15 minutes. It was 1-0 at half time and Switzerland had the chance to double the lead when VAR gave a penalty to the Swiss when Zuber was fouled by Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard. Former Wolfsburg left-back Ricardo Rodriguez stepped up, but his penalty was saved by Hugo Lloris, and almost immediately France equalized when Kylian Mbappe played in Karim Benzema to lift the ball over Borussia Mönchengladbach keeper Yann Sommer.
France took the lead moments after equalizing when Benzema nodded in an Antoine Griezmann cross and it looked all over when in the 75th-minute, Paul Pogba unleashed a wonderful strike curling into the top corner to make it France 3-1 Switzerland.
But as with the game earlier today, the game is never over until it is over. The Swiss found a new lease of life when substitute Kevin Mbabu put in an excellent ball to be headed in by Haris Seferovic again and with 9 minutes to go, it was game on. Another Swiss substitute Mario Gavranovic thought he got the equalizer but was judged to be offside in the 84th-minute. But on minute 91, the comeback was complete. Granit Xhaka played the perfect ball to Gavranovic, who side-stepped Kimpembe and fired into the far corner to send the Swiss contingent into raptures. Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman thought he won it, but his strike came crashing off the bar and the final whistle went. Another 30 minutes required to separate the sides.
It was a leggy and tiring 30 minutes period, nothing happened in the extra-time period and so the first penalty shootout needed to separate the sides. Mario Gavranovic stepped up to take the first and he ruthlessly put it away. France's first was taken by Paul Pogba who put it right into the top corner. 1-1. Fabian Schär stepped up next and calmly sent Lloris the wrong way. The French reply came from Olivier Giroud, who sent Sommer the wrong way. 2-2. Borussia Dortmund defender Manuel Akanji took the next one and rolled into the bottom corner and Borussia Mönchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram was the next for France. He just beat his Gladbach teammate Sommer in goal and still no errors made. Augsburg's Ruben Vargas was up next for Switzerland and just about scored, Lloris couldn't keep it out. Presnel Kimpembe for France... 4-4. Admir Mehmedi sent Lloris the wrong way, advantage Switzerland.
Kylian Mbappe was the man to keep France in the tournament. The heir to Ronaldo and Messi's throne, the young man who had the hopes of a nation on his shoulders. Sommer saved, Sommer won the game for a nation that hadn't won a knockout game vs France for 83 years. Everyone thought the Netherlands' defeat against the Czech Republic was the shock of the tournament, Switzerland went one better.
Defending European champions, soon to be de-throned. World Cup runners-up, sent home packing. World Cup winners, embarrassed. It is well and truly, a wide-open tournament. Switzerland will take on Spain in St. Petersburg, the first quarter-final of a fantastic EURO 2020.