ROME, June 20, 2021 - Italy and Wales have progressed to the round of 16 from Group A at Euro 2020. Switzerland will almost certainly go through as one of the best third-placed teams after finishing on four points.
The Italians won by 1-0 over a Wales team who finished with 10 men after the expulsion of central defender Ethan Ampadu while Switzerland beat Turkey 3-1 in Baku. Italy finished with nine points followed by Wales and Switzerland on four apiece but the Welsh had a better goal difference.
The Italians rested many of their senior starters in Rome since they were already certain of a place in the round of 16 after winning their first matches against Turkey and the Swiss.
A 39th-minute goal from Atalanta’s Matteo Pessina, touching in a free kick from the outstanding Marco Verratti, provided them with an unbeaten 100pc record in the finals.
They have gone 30 matches unbeaten which equals an Azzurri national team record set between 1935 and 1939 under legendary World Cup-winning manager Vittorio Pozzo.
Wales battled energetically but were probably fortunate not to concede more goals.
Lucky escape
Their priority was not to concede any more goals but they came close to suffering that when Federico Bernardeschi hit a low free kick against keeper Danny Ward’s right-hand post eight minutes after the interval.
Even worse, Ampadu was sent off in the 55th minute by Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan for a reckless stamp on Bernardeschi’s ankle.
However Italy coach Roberto Mancini’s decision to use as many substitute as possible cost cohesion and penetration and helped Wales survive.
The Welsh might even have snatched a late equaliser but unmarked captain Gareth Bale hooked a volley over the bar.
Switzerland had kicked off simultaneously in Baku knowing they needed to make up five goals on Wales. They started brightly with early goals from Haris Seferovic and Xherdan Shaqiri but then began to run out of steam.
In the second half striker İrfan Can Kahveci scored Turkey’s only goal of the finals from a free kick but six minutes later Shaqiri restored the Swiss team’s two-goal lead. It was insufficient to overtake Wales but should be enough to keep coach Vladimir Petkovic’s men in the tournament.
