Extra Euro excitement as France fall but Spain survive
Kylian Mbappe of France reacts after having their side’s decisive penalty saved in the penalty shoot out after the UEFA Euro 2020 Round of 16 match against Switzerland on June 28, 2021 in Bucharest, Romania. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
BUCHAREST, June 28, 2021 - Thrills and spills, delight and disaster – Euro 2020 had it all as World Cup holders France crashed out on penalties and the grandees of Spain survived an extra-time fright of their own.
The French favourites tumbled after a topsy-turvy round of 16 tie in which they trailed 1-0, survived a missed penalty, hit back to lead 3-1 then conceded two late goals. A blank extra-time led to a shootout which the Swiss won 5-4 with a crucial save by keeper Yann Sommer from French superstar Kylian Mbappe.
In the quarter-finals the Swiss will travel to St Petersburg on Friday to face Spain. The three-times European champions beat Croatia 5-3 after conceding an early, bizarre own goal, losing a 3-1 lead then regaining command with two quick goals in extra time.
Bucharest was the stage for the six-goal thriller between France and Switzerland.
The French, runners-up as European hosts five years ago, seized the initiative in the first half yet trailed to an early headed goal from Haris Seferovic. It could have been worse. Shortly after half-time the Swiss were awarded a penalty but Ricardo Rodriguez’s hesitant kick was saved by French goalkeeper-captain Hugo Lloris.
Worse followed swiftly for La Nati. Within four minutes they trailed 2-1 after a double strike from Karim Benzema. Paul Pogba further fuelled Swiss distress with a magnificently-struck third goal in the 75th minute.
At this point France, with their wealth of experience, should have been able to shut the game down. Not so. Instead, the Swiss staged a dramatic comeback of their own with goals from Seferovic again and substitute Mario Gavranovic on fulltime.
In extra-time France were closest to breaking the deadlock through Benjamin Pavard and then Mbappe. But their attacks were in vain so the tie went to penalties and, after everyone else had scored, Mbappe’s last kick was saved by Sommer. The keeper will never forget Euro 2020: midway through the finals he became a father for the second time.
Both Switzerland and Spain will be checking their injury lists ahead of their quarter-final.
Spain’s heroes in their Copenhagen victory over Croatia were centre-forward Alvaro Morata and goalkeeper Unai Simon, Morata shrugged off social media abuse to score a nerveless fourth goal while Simon pulled off a crucial extra-time save to make amends for a first-half blunder which cost an own goal.
Spain, three times European champions in 1964, 2008 and 2012 thus became the first team in the Euro finals to score five goals in consecutive matches after their thrashing of Slovakia in the concluding matchday of Group E.
An own goal in which Simon was complicit had handed unadventurous Croatia an early lead but La Roja levelled before the break through Pablo Sarabia then went ahead in the second half courtesy of Cesar Azpilicueta and Ferran Torres.
They appeared comfortably in command until two late goals out of nowhere, from substitutes Mislav Orsic and Mario Pasalic pulled Croatia level at 3-3 and forced extra time. Spain duly regrouped to power back into the lead through Morata and Mikel Oyarzabal.
Captain Sergio Busquets warned: “We were very good today, very intense, well prepared and we beat very difficult rivals. We are growing throughout the tournament."
The French favourites tumbled after a topsy-turvy round of 16 tie in which they trailed 1-0, survived a missed penalty, hit back to lead 3-1 then conceded two late goals. A blank extra-time led to a shootout which the Swiss won 5-4 with a crucial save by keeper Yann Sommer from French superstar Kylian Mbappe.
In the quarter-finals the Swiss will travel to St Petersburg on Friday to face Spain. The three-times European champions beat Croatia 5-3 after conceding an early, bizarre own goal, losing a 3-1 lead then regaining command with two quick goals in extra time.
Bucharest was the stage for the six-goal thriller between France and Switzerland.
The French, runners-up as European hosts five years ago, seized the initiative in the first half yet trailed to an early headed goal from Haris Seferovic. It could have been worse. Shortly after half-time the Swiss were awarded a penalty but Ricardo Rodriguez’s hesitant kick was saved by French goalkeeper-captain Hugo Lloris.
Worse followed swiftly for La Nati. Within four minutes they trailed 2-1 after a double strike from Karim Benzema. Paul Pogba further fuelled Swiss distress with a magnificently-struck third goal in the 75th minute.
At this point France, with their wealth of experience, should have been able to shut the game down. Not so. Instead, the Swiss staged a dramatic comeback of their own with goals from Seferovic again and substitute Mario Gavranovic on fulltime.
In extra-time France were closest to breaking the deadlock through Benjamin Pavard and then Mbappe. But their attacks were in vain so the tie went to penalties and, after everyone else had scored, Mbappe’s last kick was saved by Sommer. The keeper will never forget Euro 2020: midway through the finals he became a father for the second time.
Both Switzerland and Spain will be checking their injury lists ahead of their quarter-final.
Spain’s heroes in their Copenhagen victory over Croatia were centre-forward Alvaro Morata and goalkeeper Unai Simon, Morata shrugged off social media abuse to score a nerveless fourth goal while Simon pulled off a crucial extra-time save to make amends for a first-half blunder which cost an own goal.
Spain, three times European champions in 1964, 2008 and 2012 thus became the first team in the Euro finals to score five goals in consecutive matches after their thrashing of Slovakia in the concluding matchday of Group E.
An own goal in which Simon was complicit had handed unadventurous Croatia an early lead but La Roja levelled before the break through Pablo Sarabia then went ahead in the second half courtesy of Cesar Azpilicueta and Ferran Torres.
They appeared comfortably in command until two late goals out of nowhere, from substitutes Mislav Orsic and Mario Pasalic pulled Croatia level at 3-3 and forced extra time. Spain duly regrouped to power back into the lead through Morata and Mikel Oyarzabal.
Captain Sergio Busquets warned: “We were very good today, very intense, well prepared and we beat very difficult rivals. We are growing throughout the tournament."
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