Switzerland defeated world champions France 5-4 on penalties in the last 16 of Euro 2020 on Monday as Kylian Mbappe missed the decisive spot-kick in the shootout following a thrilling 3-3 draw in Bucharest.

Mario Gavranovic equalised in the 90th minute as Switzerland came from two goals down before Yann Sommer saved Mbappe’s penalty to book Switzerland a quarter-final clash against Spain.

“It was an incredible evening. I am so proud of the team,” said goalkeeper Sommer.

“At 3-1 nobody believed in us anymore, but before the match we said we’ll fight until the end whatever happens.”

Haris Seferovic had given Vladimir Petkovic’s Switzerland a shock lead on 15 minutes but Ricardo Rodriguez’s spot-kick was brilliantly saved by Hugo Lloris early in the second half.

Karim Benzema, recalled to the France squad for the tournament after a five-and-a-half-year international exile, then struck a quick-fire double to put the Euro 2016 finalists back on track.

Paul Pogba’s sensational curling effort made it 3-1, but Switzerland forced extra time as Seferovic grabbed his second of the game before Gavranovic levelled in the final minute.

Switzerland converted all five of their penalties before Sommer dived to his right to turn away Mbappe’s kick, as the Swiss won a major tournament knockout tie for first time in 83 years.

“The two goals came very quickly after the missed penalty. For normal players it’s almost impossible to come back from, but today we were a great team and everyone gave it everything,” said Petkovic.

Lloris conceded France paid the price for failing to hold on to their two-goal lead.

“It’s painful, even more so after a penalty shootout where it becomes a lottery,” said Lloris.

“The only regret we can have is that at 3-1 we need to manage the match better. We’ve been able to close it out in the past few years.”

France coach Didier Deschamps controversially switched to a 3-4-1-2 formation designed to extract the best from his attacking trio of Benzema, Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann, but it was instead Seferovic who gave the Swiss a surprise lead.

Steven Zuber used the space afforded by Rodriguez’s overlapping run, clipping in a left-wing cross that Seferovic headed past Lloris after rising all too easily above Clement Lenglet.

After a dismal first half, in which France failed to test Sommer, Deschamps ditched the experiment of three at the back, hauling off Lenglet and introducing Kingsley Coman while reverting to a more familiar 4-4-2.

Lloris saves penalty

But France were indebted to Lloris for sparing them from further trouble after a lung-busting run from Zuber eventually resulted in a penalty for the Swiss when he was brought down by Benjamin Pavard.

Argentine referee Fernando Rapallini immediately pointed to the spot following a VAR review, but Lloris flung himself to his right to claw away Rodriguez’s attempt — the seventh missed penalty of 15 taken at the tournament.

The momentum soon swung sharply in France’s favour as Benzema, scorer of both goals in the 2-2 draw with Portugal in the group phase, superbly dragged a pass from Mbappe into his stride, lifting over Sommer to level.

The Real Madrid striker headed France in front two minutes later when Griezmann’s dinked effort was turned away by Sommer but only to a waiting Benzema who headed in from point-blank range.

Pogba’s magnificent 25-yard strike had France on the cusp of the last eight, but Seferovic powered in a terrific delivery from substitute Kevin Mbabu with nine minutes left to give the Swiss hope.

Gavranovic then had a goal ruled out for offside, but there was no doubting his last-minute equaliser as he skipped past Presnel Kimpembe and drove low beyond Lloris.

Remarkably, Coman nearly won the game with the final kick, rattling the crossbar right at the end of injury time.

An ailing Benzema was withdrawn at the start of extra time for Olivier Giroud, moments before Sommer tipped over superbly to deny Pavard. 

Pogba released Mbappe with a piercing pass through the Swiss defence but the Paris Saint-Germain forward sliced wide, with Sommer flying to his right to grasp Giroud’s header before his penalty heroics, which came at the expense of the star of France’s World Cup triumph in 2018.

(AFP)

Croatia advanced to the knockout phase of the European Championship after its win over Scotland on Tuesday. England and the Czech Republic, also in Group D, had already secured spots in the round of 16 before their game.

It was a big day for the Croatian football team.

Luka Modric curled home a magnificent finish as Croatia shrugged off a slow start to Euro 2020 to beat Scotland 3-1 on Tuesday and reach the last 16 in style, while leaving their opponents again on the tournament scrap-heap.

Nikola Vlasic and Ivan Perisic were also on target for Croatia in a victory that lifted Zlatko Dalic’s side, so leggy and unconvincing in their first two games, up to second in Group D on four points.

Modric’s form had been called into question at the tournament, but the 35-year-old shaped a delightful finish into the corner of the net with the outside of his foot in the second half to make it 2-1, sending his side on to a thoroughly deserved victory.

He fell to his knees at the whistle for about a minute before rising to his feet and pumping his fists in celebration.

Deprived of Billy Gilmour, who failed a COVID-19 test in the buildup, Scotland seemed lacking in midfield and Croatia bossed the ball, dominating possession for large periods before deservedly taking the lead after 17 minutes as Vlasic scored his sixth goal for his country.

Croatia next face the runner-up of Group E – where Sweden, Slovakia, Spain and Poland are all still jockeying for position – in Copenhagen on June 28.

England wins 1-0 over Czech Republic

Meanwhile, England clinched first place in Group D with a 1-0 win against the Czech Republic after Jack Grealish drove down the left and chipped the ball towards the back post in the 12th minute for Raheem Sterling to head in.

The Manchester City midfielder scored England’s only other goal at the tournament in the opening win over Croatia.Both England and the Czech Republic had already advanced to the round of 16 before the match.

France and Sweden have already qualified for the round of 16.

(FRANCE 24 with AP, REUTERS, AFP)

In Group F clash in Budapest, France came back from a goal down to salvage a point against Hungary.

Didier Deschamps’ men fell behind on the verge of halftime, when Attila Fiola charged forward from the left and beat 3 defenders before sending himself and the home stands into a frenzy.

However, the 2018 World Cup champions found the equalizer in the 66th minute, when Kylian Mbappe’s cut back found its way to Antoine Griezmann after a poor clearance by the defender, and the Barcelona striker made no mistake to smash the ball into the back of the net. The draw puts France on 4 points heading into matchday 3, while Hungary pick up their first point so far.

Meanwhile in Group E, Spain were held to another home draw, after Robert Lewandowski scored his first goal of the tournament to rescue a point for Poland, and keep their hopes up for reaching the knockout-stage.

Alvaro Morata put La Roja in front with a precise shot from close range in the 25th minute. The goal had initially been ruled out for offside, but it was given after a VAR review.

However, the Poles who knew that a defeat would mean an early exit, moved into rhythm after the break, and finally found the equalizer, thanks to a masterful header by Lewandowski before the hour mark. After 2 disappointing draws so far, the Spaniards are 3rd behind Sweden and Slovakia, while Poland are at the Bottom.

Source: Presstv

Substitute Kevin de Bruyne set up one goal and scored the winner himself to give Belgium a 2-1 victory over Denmark in a European Championship game marked by an emotional tribute to Christian Eriksen in the first half.

De Bruyne came on after halftime for his first appearance since sustaining a facial fracture in the Champions League final and squared the ball for Thorgan Hazard to equalize in the 55th minute. He then scored in the 71st with a low shot from outside the area.

It was Denmark’s first game since Eriksen’s collapse, and the hosts started at a furious pace at a raucous Parken Stadium. Yussuf Poulsen scored with a low shot inside the far post in only the second minute.

Players from both teams then halted play after 10 minutes as the 25,000 fans rose for a minute of thunderous applause in tribute to Eriksen, who wears the No. 10 shirt for Denmark’s national team.

The players joined the applause as well, as did referee Bjorn Kuipers.

Eriksen remains in a nearby hospital after suffering cardiac arrest in the team’s opening game against Finland.

The victory gives Belgium a spot in the round of 16. Denmark can still advance with a win over Russia on Monday if the Belgians beat Finland.

It had all started so well for Denmark.

Carried forward by the largest crowd in Denmark since the government eased pandemic restrictions, the hosts kept pushing forward in wave after wave after the early goal.

Play resumed at a more normal pace after the tribute to Eriksen, but Denmark still had the better chances in the first half.

Things changed completely when De Bruyne came on after the break.

Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand had said the team’s strategy for keeping Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku quiet was to make sure he didn’t get the ball in the first place. And Denmark largely succeeded until the 55th, when Lukaku burst forward down the right flank before passing to De Bruyne. The Manchester City midfielder went around a defender inside the area before teeing up Hazard, who slotted it past a scrambling Kasper Schmeichel.

Eden Hazard, Thorgan’s brother, then came on and set up De Bruyne for the second goal. De Bruyne ran toward the Belgium fans but didn’t celebrate the goal, pushing in hands down in a calming motion out of respect for Eriksen.

Martin Braithwaite had Denmark’s best chances for an equalizer, but his shot was saved by Thibaut Courtois in the 75th and his header glanced against the crossbar in the 87th.

(AP)

Denmark international Christian Eriksen showed no hint of any underlying health condition, Inter Milan’s team doctor said Sunday, after the midfielder’s collapse in Copenhagen.

Midfielder Eriksen, 29, remained in hospital but is in a “stable” condition as he undergoes further tests after his dramatic collapse during a Euro 2020 game against Finland on Saturday.

“We had a bad time, not just me, but the whole family of our club,” Piero Volpi told Gazzetta Dello Sport.

“In the next few days he will be subjected to in-depth examinations.

“The important thing is that he is well, but there had never been any episode that even remotely hinted at a problem when he was at Tottenham nor at Inter. In Italy there are very strict controls.”

The Inter Milan star suddenly fell to the turf in the 43rd minute of Denmark’s opening Euro 2020 game, laying motionless as medical personnel administered CPR.

He laid on the field for about 15 minutes before being carried off the pitch and rushed to hospital.

Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta said that Eriksen had sent a message on the team chat reassuring them: “I’m fine, I hope to be back soon.”

“Those harsh images foreshadowed dramatic things, but luckily it wasn’t so thanks to the doctors,” said Marotta.

“Thanks to everyone, opponents and friends, because they stayed close to us. He never had Covid and he has never been vaccinated, we don’t want to be intrusive because it’s right for the player to be calm.

“He is a champion, we want to hold onto him for a long time and hope he can resolve these health problems.”

Source: AFP