UEFA 2020 Euro Championship – Day 18
Netherlands (0) 0 – 2 (0) Czech Republic
Goalscorers: Holes (68’minutes), Schick (80’minutes)
Puskas Arena, Budapest
A genuine shock result. I’d not seen anything of the Czech’s in their group games to indicate they had this performance in their locker. It was of course helped by the sending-off of Matthijs de Ligt ten minutes after the break and maybe was assisted by the weight of expectation that the Netherlands felt going into this game. However, that is to take away from a thoroughly professional performance by the Czech Republic. In the first-half they had the better of a tight encounter, with only good Dutch defending preventing a goal for the Czechs. Into the second-half and the dismissal came on fifty-five minutes. Matthijs de Ligt got himself into a mess after a through ball with the dangerous Schick. With both players ending in a heap, De Ligt was shown a yellow card. With VAR having a look, and the handball revealed and denying a goal-scoring opportunity, it was lights-out for De Ligt as his yellow card became a red. It then became a matter of when rather if the Czechs would take advantage. The breakthrough came on sixty-eight minutes, with a deep corner headed back across goal where despite three Dutch defenders on the line, Holes header found the back of the net. With the Netherlands looking to get level, they got caught with ten minutes remaining, as Schick, a surprise candidate for the tournaments leading scorer, fired home to confirm their progress to a Quarter-Final with Denmark.
Belgium (1) 1 – 0 (0) Portugal
Goalscorer: T Hazard (42′)
La Cartuja, Seville
FIFA’s No:1 ranked team v the reigning European Champions. Somebody had to go. And in the end it was Ronaldo and his Portugal side that said goodbye to Euro2020. Talk about a game of two-halves. The first, cagey and little to excite the crowd in Seville, with it punctuated three minutes before the break with a stunning swerving strike from Thorgan Hazard. The second-half was simply stirring, with a game that flowed from end-to-end, seemingly like a kids game with players dashing one-way and then back again. As the game went into the last fifteen minutes, Portugal laid siege to the Belgium goal, with crosses and shots fired in at every opportunity, with the best chances a Ruben Dias header punched away by Courtois and a late Raphael Guerreiro drive that struck the post. Belgium though weathered the pressure and Romelu Lukaku was immerse up front holding the ball up and relieving the pressure whenever he could. Belgian are ranked the best team in the world currently, but have yet to turn that into silverware, and the pressure will be on them to break their duck. That will be no easy task as they now have to face Italy in the Quarter-Finals.
Croatia v Spain (Parken Stadium, Copenhagen)
These two last met in the 2018/19 UEFA Nations League. The first encounter saw Spain demolish Croatia 6-0 in Elche, however the result was reversed in their last meeting as Croatia won 3-2.
Croatia emerged from England’s group in second spot accumulating four points after a 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic and a win over Scotland 3-1. Spain also finished as runners-up in their group, but with five points, after draws with Sweden (0-0), Poland (1-1) and a win over Slovakia (5-0).
Spain have been criticised for their possession football which bore no fruit in their first two games, but they emerged undefeated and slightly under the radar. Croatia – well World Cup Finalists last time out tells you all you need to know. Dangerous with Modric in their team, although with Perisic out through COVID not as much a threat. After the Czech Republic’s result, how can you call this one?
France v Switzerland (Arena Na?ionala, Bucharest)
These two met at the last Finals back in 2016. The fixture which was the last of the games in their group saw both teams go through after a 0-0 in Lille.
France topped I suppose what was the nearest to a ‘group of death’ which contained Germany, Portugal and Hungary and emerging with five points thanks primarily to their 1-0 opening game victory over the Germans. The Swiss were one of the best third placed finishers with four points, with a win (3-1 v Turkey), draw (1-1 v Wales) and a loss (3-0 v Italy).
Who knows what to expect? France as World Champions should be a shoe in for a win and I’m not going against that. Cue some bizarre win for Switzerland!