Football
Swiss beat France on penalties at Euro 2020
The Latest on soccer’s European Championship:
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Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer saved a penalty kick from Kylian Mbappe in a penalty shootout to knock France out of the European Championship.
Switzerland won the shootout 5-3 after a 3-3 draw through extra time.
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France and Switzerland are headed to a penalty shootout in the round of 16 of the European Championship.
The match ended 3-3 after 90 minutes and neither team was able to score in extra time.
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France and Switzerland are headed to extra time in the round of 16 of the European Championship.
Mario Gavranovic scored the equalizer for Switzerland in the 90th minute in Bucharest.
READ: Belgium edges Portugal, reaches quarterfinals at Euro 2020
It’s the second match of the day to go to extra time. Spain and Croatia were also even at 3-3 after 90 minutes. Spain ended up winning 5-3 in Copenhagen.
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England coach Gareth Southgate is deciding whether to include Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell in the squad to face Germany at the European Championship after a week in self-isolation.
The players had to split from the rest of the England squad after being deemed close contacts following a conversation with Chelsea teammate Billy Gilmour after the match against Scotland. Gilmour later tested positive for the coronavirus.
Mount and Chilwell were able to do fitness work away from the rest of the England squad on a training field.
England hosts Germany at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday in the round of 16.
Southgate says “it’s really complicated because there’s the physical periodization you want for a game like this.”
Mount started two group games at Euro 2020 before missing last Tuesday’s win over the Czech Republic while isolating.
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Alvaro Morata and Mikel Oyarzabal scored in extra time to give Spain a 5-3 win over Croatia and a place in the European Championship quarterfinals.
Spain gifted Croatia a bizarre own-goal in the first half and then threw away a 3-1 lead but Morata made it 4-3 when he controlled a cross with one deft touch in the 100th minute and sent a shot past goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.
Oyarzabal doubled the lead three minutes later.
READ: BPL Football: Abahani, Mohammedan play out 1-1 draw
Mislav Orsic had pulled one back for Croatia in the 85th and Mario Pasalic equalized in injury time.
Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon’s massive blunder gave Croatia a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute when he failed to control a long back pass.
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Ukraine coach Andriy Shevchenko says he’s concerned about Sweden’s threat at set pieces in their match in the round of 16 at the European Championship.
Ukraine’s two losses at Euro 2020 came with a header from the Netherlands after a cross and from Austria scoring on a corner kick.
Shevchenko says “definitely we have to be really careful at set pieces. Sweden is a team that uses set pieces really well.”
Sweden has not yet scored from a free kick or a corner and coach Janne Andersson has noted the absence.
Andersson says Sweden has a bit of a height advantage “so we are hoping that we are able to take advantage of that” against Ukraine in Glasgow.
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Croatia and Spain will play extra time in the round of 16 at the European Championship.
Mario Pasalic scored for Croatia in injury team to make the score 3-3 in Copenhagen.
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The captains of Germany and England will wear rainbow armbands in the round of 16 at the European Championship.
The England team says the move by Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and England striker Harry Kane is “to mark the end of Pride month.”
UEFA had looked into whether Neuer breached regulations by not wearing the official armband in the opening two games of Euro 2020. But Germany later said UEFA accepted its argument that the rainbow armband is a symbol of diversity and can therefore be categorized as a “good cause.”
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Spain scored a bizarre first-half own-goal against Croatia in the round of 16 of the European Championship after a massive blunder by goalkeeper Unai Simon.
Simon failed to control a back pass in the 20th minute and the ball trickled slowly into the net.
Spain had dominated play until then but the goal gave Croatia a 1-0 lead.
It was the ninth own-goal so far at Euro 2020.
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Unbeaten and underestimated Sweden has quietly progressed into the round of 16 at the European Championship with a coach who says he no longer yells at players because it doesn’t make them better.
The Swedes will next face Ukraine in the round of 16 on Tuesday in Glasgow.
Sweden coach Janne Andersson says “to yell at people is rarely something that helps them so I don’t believe in that way of working.”
He says he prefers to “explain to them where they are doing things wrong and how they can improve.”
Andersson did have a confrontation with the Poland coaching staff during Sweden’s 3-2 win last week. Andersson says to yell at opponents is “a different thing.”
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Belgium coach Roberto Martinez says Kevin De Bruyne’s injury is not serious and he will remain with the squad at the European Championship.
De Bruyne was replaced early in the second half of Belgium’s 1-0 victory over Portugal on Sunday in the round of 16. De Bruyne hurt his left ankle after being tackled from behind by Portugal midfielder João Palhinha.
Martinez says it’s too early to know if De Bruyne will be available for Friday’s quarterfinal match against Italy at Euro 2020.
The Belgium coach says Eden Hazard also doesn’t have a serious injury. The playmaker was replaced late in the match because of a muscle problem.
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A health official in Finland says he hopes soccer fans in the country won’t travel to neighboring St. Petersburg for Friday’s European Championship quarterfinal match in the Russian city.
The Finns saw a spike in coronavirus cases that has been traced to soccer fans returning from Russia. Finland played two of its group matches in St. Petersburg but the team has been eliminated from the tournament.
Helsinki University Hospital doctor Markku Makijarvi says “I hope that it is now clear to everyone that the rest will be watched from Finland.”
More than 200 cases of the virus have been reported among people who have arrived from neighboring Russia in recent days and nearly 500 people have been quarantined. Health officials say these cases either were soccer fans or people who took part in the traditional mid-summer celebrations.
At least 2,000 Finns are estimated to have traveled to St. Petersburg for the earlier games.
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Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand says he expects captain Simon Kjaer to be able to play in the team’s quarterfinal match against the Czech Republic at the European Championship.
Kjaer had to exit Saturday’s game against Wales in the round of 16 after getting his right thigh wrapped in the second half. Hjulmand says Kjaer is still undergoing treatment but that the center back should recover in time for Saturday’s game in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Hulmand says ”they’re working on Simon and we all think he’ll be ready.”
Hjulmand says he has ”no reason to believe” that he won’t have all his players available.
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World Cup champion France will play Switzerland for a spot in the quarterfinals at the European Championship.
The French team lost in the Euro 2016 final before winning the World Cup three years ago. They finished first in their group at Euro 2020 but won only one match.
The game against the Swiss will be played in Bucharest.
Spain will take on Croatia in Copenhagen in the early match.
Women's Football: Bashundhara Kings crush FC Brahmanbaria 6-0
Title aspirant Bashundhara Kings crushed FC Brahmanbaria by 6-0 goals in the 2nd phase match of the "Women's Football League 2020-21" at the Kamalapur Stadium on Monday.
In the day's match, National women's team captain Sabina Khatun, who emerged as the country's first women's footballer to reach a landmark of scoring 100 plus goals in the top league, opened the floodgate for the Kings in the very 6th minute.
READ: BPL Football: Abahani, Mohammedan play out 1-1 draw
Krishna Rani Sarkar struck twice in the 18th and 21st minutes, Sirat Jahan Swapna also netted two goals in the 49th and 90+3 minutes while Sultana scored the other goal for the Kings in the 89th minute
The day's other league match between Ataur Rahman Bhuiyan College SC and Kachiihuli Sporting Club could not held as per schedule at the same venue as the later team did not appeared at the match venue in time.
READ: Denmark beats Wales 4-0 at Euro 2020
Belgium edges Portugal, reaches quarterfinals at Euro 2020
Belgium stopped Cristiano Ronaldo on one end, and had just enough attacking power on the other.
The top-ranked Belgians held Ronaldo scoreless Sunday and held onto a first-half lead to beat Portugal 1-0 and advance to the quarterfinals of the European Championship.
Read: Denmark beats Wales 4-0 at Euro 2020
Ronaldo, who threw his captain’s armband to the ground in despair after the final whistle, is still one goal shy of becoming the all-time men’s top scorer in international soccer. He came into the match tied with former Iran striker Ali Daei at 109 goals.
Belgium, which has never before won a major soccer title, will next face Italy on Friday in Munich.
Belgium’s potent attack, led by Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku, also struggled, but Thorgan Hazard scored the winning goal in the 42nd minute with a swerving shot from outside the area. Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patrício was left wrong-footed and was late to swat the ball away.
“In these kinds of games you have to grab your chances with both hands,” Thorgan Hazard said. “The goalkeeper expected me to choose the other corner, so the ball went in.”
Read: Denmark on the road for 1st time to face Wales at Euro 2020
Belgium played most of the second half without De Bruyne, who had to be substituted after being tackled from behind and injuring his left ankle. De Bruyne missed the team’s first game at Euro 2020 while recovering from a facial injury sustained in the Champions League final.
Portugal had several good chances to equalize late in the match, including a header by Rúben Dias saved by Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and a shot by Raphael Guerreiro that hit the post.
The Portuguese did most of the attacking in the second half, finishing the match with 24 attempts. Belgium had six in total and scored the only time it hit the target.
“Looking at that second half, we are lucky to win,” Belgium defender Thomas Vermaelen said. “Portugal made it really hard for us. We had to really stay focused. It has cost us a lot of energy, but we have some time to recover and now we are looking forward to the game against Italy.”
While Portugal’s run for a second consecutive European title ended, Belgium stayed on track to end its title drought. The Belgians lost in the European Championship final in 1980 and finished third three years ago at the World Cup for their best finish at that tournament.
The Red Devils have won all four matches so far at Euro 2020 and won all 10 qualifiers for the tournament. The team is unbeaten in 13 consecutive matches in all competitions, since a loss to England last year in the Nations League. Belgium has lost only one of its last 27 international matches.
“We showed incredible concentration and defended really well,” Belgium coach Roberto Martinez said. “We scored a very good goal and then in the second half, as you would expect, the momentum went to Portugal more. We had to show an incredible mentality.”
Ronaldo was kept in check for most of the match, with his best scoring chance coming from a free kick saved by Courtois in the 25th minute. He also was off target with a free kick in the 74th, and then only managed a weak shot on goal from inside the area a few minutes later.
The Juventus striker seemed frustrated by the lack of opportunities, and he also couldn’t do much to help his teammates, with Diogo Jota misfiring from close range after a pass from Ronaldo in the 56th.
“We have some players crying in the changing room, and I’m sure that many Portuguese fans are as well,” Portugal coach Fernando Santos said. “We were confident with our chances of winning the European title and we thought we could win it. Portugal deserved to win this match but it didn’t happen.”
It had been a slow start at La Cartuja Stadium on a hot night in southern Spain, with neither team threatening much offensively.
Portugal kept Belgium’s attack under control until Thorgan Hazard scored after a failed clearance in front of the area. The buildup to the goal started with Courtois dummying Ronaldo inside his own area. The forward tried to put pressure on the goalkeeper but he cut back with the ball as Ronaldo went past him.
The game grew heated at times, with a small altercation starting in the 76th after Portugal defender Pepe came in hard on Thorgan Hazard while play was stopped as Lukaku waited to be attended by doctors after being hit on the head by an opponent’s foot.
BPL Football: Abahani, Mohammedan play out 1-1 draw
Six-time champions Dhaka Abahani split points with their arch-rivals Dhaka Mohammedan, as Sunday's second phase match of the 13-team Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football ended in a 1-1 draw.
The first phase match between the two teams concluded in a 2-2 draw in Cumilla in January this year.
Both goals of the day's match were scored by two foreign booters at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in the first half.
Also read: BPL Football: Arambagh KS pull off biggest upset outplaying Sheikh Jamal DC 3-1
Cameroon forward Yassan Quatching put Mohammedan ahead in the 30th minute, silencing the Abahani fans (1-0).
Haitian striker Kervens Belfort restored the parity for Abahani in the 41st minute, capitalising on a misunderstanding between Mohammedan defenders and goalkeeper (1-1).
On Saturday, the second phase of BPL matches resumed after one and half months as the national team was busy with Group E 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifiers.
Also read: BPL Football: Baridhara taste 2nd victory crushing Brothers 3-0
With the day's result, former champions Dhaka Abahani remained at the second spot in the league table after securing 33 points from 16 matches and Dhaka Mohammedan at the fourth slot with 29 points from as many encounters.
Star-studded Kings stayed at the top of the table with 46 points from 16 matches, 13 points ahead of nearest rivals Dhaka Abahani.
Denmark beats Wales 4-0 at Euro 2020
Kasper Dolberg scored two goals to give Denmark a 4-0 victory over Wales and a spot in the European Championship quarterfinals.
Denmark has ridden a wave of emotion through the tournament since playmaker Christian Eriksen suffered cardiac arrest in the team’s opening group match and had to be resuscitated with a defibrillator.
Dolberg is former Ajax striker and the match was played at the club’s home stadium in Amsterdam.
Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand gave Dolberg his first start of the tournament and he scored a goal in each half. Joakim Maele scored the third goal in the 88th minute and Martin Braithwaite added the fourth in injury time.
Raed:Wembley may have 65,000 fans for Euro 2020 semifinals, final
The Danes will play either the Netherlands or the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals in Baku on Saturday.
Spain striker Álvaro Morata says deaths threats were made against him and even his sons after his misses in the group stage of the European Championship.
Among Morata’s misses was a failed penalty kick against Slovakia on Wednesday.
Spain’s players have condemned the death threats. Forward Dani Olmo says players accept criticism but more than that is “crossing the line.”
Morata says what upsets him is when fans go to his wife and relatives to makes threats.
Spain will face Croatia in the round of 16 on Monday in Copenhagen.
A framed Wales national team shirt with Christian Eriksen’s name on it was given to Denmark captain Simon Kjaer before the teams played in the round of 16 at the European Championship.
Eriksen collapsed on the field during Denmark’s opening match at Euro 2002 and had to be resuscitated with a defibrillator.
Also read: Denmark on the road for 1st time to face Wales at Euro 2020
The Wales jersey had “CHRISTIAN” written on top of Eriken’s No. 10 and BRYSIA WELLA underneath. Brysia wella means get well soon in Welsh.
Kjaer, Wales captain Gareth Bale and the three match officials in Amsterdam then posed for a photo with the framed jersey moments before kickoff.
The vast majority of fans at the Johan Cruyff Arena are supporting Denmark in the team’s European Championship match against Wales.
Only a handful of Welsh dragon flags are visible among a sea of Danish flags being waved by about 16,000 fans in Amsterdam for the match in the round of 16.
Wales fans were warned not to travel to the Netherlands because of coronavirus restrictions.
Raed:UEFA Euro 2020: Round of 16 Qualified Teams, Fixtures
Denmark played all three of its group matches at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen and Saturday’s game should have a similar feel.
The Johan Cruyff Arena is the home of Ajax. The Amsterdam club has a long history of signing Danish players. One of them was Christian Eriksen. The Denmark playmaker suffered cardiac arrest in his team’s first match at Euro 2020 and was resuscitated with a defibrillator.
Czech Republic captain Vladimír Darida is doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Netherlands in the round of 16 of the European Championship.
The team says Darida sustained an unspecified injury during practice on Friday and didn’t participate in pre-match training in Prague.
Czech team spokesman Petr Šedivý says the medical team has been treating Darida and it was not yet clear if he will recover in time for Sunday’s game in Budapest.
Darida’s loss would be a blow for the Czechs. The 30-year-old midfielder is the engine of the team and its most experienced player with 73 international appearances.
Also read: Finland beats Denmark at Euro 2020 after Eriksen's collapse
The team’s flight to Budapest was postponed until later in the day because of a technical problem with the plane.
Finnish health authorities have detected a spike in coronavirus cases that has been traced to soccer fans returning from neighboring Russia following European Championship matches in St. Petersburg.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare has urged “all passengers who have traveled from St. Petersburg to Finland by any bus company to apply for a coronavirus test.”
Finland played two of its Euro 2020 group games in St. Petersburg, The team faced Russia on June 16 and Belgium on Monday. At least 2,000 Finns are estimated to have traveled to the city for those matches.
The Finns finished in third place in their group and were eliminated. Russia was also eliminated after finishing last.
St. Petersburg hosted six games in the group stage of the tournament and will host one of the four quarterfinal matches on Friday.
Raed:Croatia advances, beats Scotland 3-1
The knockout stage of the European Championship has arrived.
Denmark will take on Wales in the first match of the round of 16 in Amsterdam. Italy will then face Austria in London.
The winners will advance to the quarterfinals.
Either Denmark or Wales will go to Baku to face the Netherlands or the Czech Republic on July 3. Italy or Austria will take on Belgium or Portugal on July 2 in Munich.
Denmark on the road for 1st time to face Wales at Euro 2020
After three emotional European Championship matches in Copenhagen, Denmark will next play in a city that Christian Eriksen once called home.
The Danes will take on Wales in the round of 16 at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Saturday, a stadium where Eriksen is fondly remembered by Ajax fans as a stylish midfield playmaker from 2010-13 before his transfer to Tottenham.
Denmark lost its first Euro 2020 match to Finland 1-0 after Eriksen suffered cardiac arrest on the field and had to be resuscitated with a defibrillator. The Danes also lost to Belgium before beating Russia 4-1 to finish second in Group B and advance to knockout rounds.
“I’m thinking a lot about Christian and how much I have hoped that he could experience this,” Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand said. “He has been looking forward to this summer so much, it’s a big, big dream for Christian, and just to know that he’s not here hurts.”
Wales coach Rob Page paid tribute to the way the Denmark team had coped with the situation, but said his team has to focus solely on the match.
“Obviously the world has taken note of what’s happened and the emotion involved in it, but we can’t get involved in that now,” he said. “It’s work as usual for us and now we’ve got a job to do and we want to go and finish it.”
While Denmark is hitting the road for the first time at a tournament that is being played in 11 cities across Europe, Wales have had a tougher travel schedule. The team based itself in Baku, Azerbaijan, where it played its first two matches before facing Italy in Rome and traveling to the Netherlands for the round of 16.
“On paper it sounds like a great idea to have it all around Europe but logistically it is an absolute nightmare, and throw COVID into that mix as well,” Page said.
Also read: Record-chasing Italy becoming the team to fear at Euro 2020
Wales’ victory over Turkey and a draw with Switzerland were enough for second place behind Italy in Group A. The Welsh lost 1-0 in their final match against the Italian, one of the tournament’s top teams.
Now Wales is hoping it can build up the same kind of momentum that carried it to the semifinals of Euro 2016, where it lost to eventual champion Portugal 2-0.
Gareth Bale, one of the stars of the 2016 campaign, is his country’s all-time leading scorer with 33 goals, but he has not scored in his last 14 internationals and missed a penalty against Turkey in Baku.
Aaron Ramsey, another of the veterans from the tournament in France, is hoping to improve on the team’s performance five years ago.
“We’re a threat. We keep games tight, so who knows,” Eamsey said. “Why not go all the way again?”
Wales will be without midfielder Ethan Ampadu, who is suspended after being sent off early in the second half of the team’s final group match against Italy for a foul on Federico Bernardeschi.
Hjulmand said it would be tough to prepare against an unpredictable Welsh team.
“They’re very flexible. They change their strategy and their positions so it’s going to be hard to know what to expect from that team,” he said.
Page said it’s uncertain how Denmark will set up for Saturday’s match. What he does know is that Wales has to match the Danes physically.
“Irrespective of what 11 he puts on the pitch, they’re going to work, battle, fight for each other and we have to match that,” Page said.
Also read: Finland beats Denmark at Euro 2020 after Eriksen's collapse
Players on both sides should have a good idea what to expect from one another — Kasper Schmeichel and Danny Ward both play for Premier League club Leicester.
“We have great competition and we have a really great relation to each other,” Schmeichel said of Ward. “I don’t see any any weakness in him. He’s a complete goalkeeper.”
Also, Ben Davies and Joe Rodon are Tottenham teammates with Denmark midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Bale also played on loan for the London club last season.
Hojbjerg called Bale “one of the best players I’ve ever played with.”
“I know how much Wales mean to him, I know how much tomorrow’s game means to him,” Hojbjerg said. “I wish him the best, just not tomorrow.”
The winner of Saturday’s match will head to Baku — where Wales is undefeated in two matches at this tournament — to face either the Netherlands or the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals on July 3.
BPL Football: Bashundhara continue unbeaten run beating Rahmatganj 2-1
Title aspirant Bashundhara Kings extended their unbeaten run to 16 matches in the 13-team Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football after beating Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society 2-1 Saturday.
The BPL was suspended for one and half months as the national football team was busy with Group E 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifiers. The second phase of the league resumed today at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.
With Saturday's win, star-studded Kings stayed at the top of the table with 46 points from 16 matches, 14 points ahead of nearest rivals Dhaka Abahani. Rahmatganj MFS remained at the ninth slot with 14 points from 16 matches.
Also read: BPL Football: Arambagh KS pull off biggest upset outplaying Sheikh Jamal DC 3-1
Earlier, Bashundhara Kings made a flying start to the second phase of the league, outplaying Uttar Baridhara Club 6-0.
All three goals Saturday came in the first half. Nigerian-born booter Eleta Kingsley, who got Bangladeshi citizenship recently, put the Kings ahead in the 29th minute (1-0).
Ivory Coast striker Lorougnon Christ Remi restored the parity for the Old Dhaka outfit Rahmatganj in the 39th minute (1-1).
Also read: BPL Football: Baridhara taste 2nd victory crushing Brothers 3-0
Argentine forward Raul Becerra scored the match-winner for the Kings in the 44th minute (2-1).
Tariq Kazi of the Kings received a red card in the 87th minute.
On Sunday, former champions Dhaka Abahani will play their arch-rivals Dhaka Mohammedan SC at 5pm at the same venue.
Record-chasing Italy becoming the team to fear at Euro 2020
Italy’s unbeaten streak won’t last forever, and Austria coach Franco Foda is plotting to be the one to stop it.
The Italians have become one of the favorites at the European Championship after winning all three of their games in the group stage, scoring seven goals and conceding none. Those three victories at Euro 2020 extended the team’s unbeaten streak under coach Roberto Mancini to 30 games — matching the previous record set in the 1930s.
Read: UEFA Euro 2020: All you need to know
“Initially it seemed to be an insurmountable and impossible challenge for us, because they haven’t lost for an eternity,” Foda said. “But sooner or later even Mancini’s team will lose.”
Austria, which has reached the round of 16 at the tournament for the first time, will get its chance on Saturday at Wembley Stadium.
“The team achieved something spectacular. We are in the round of 16 and now we want to put everything to take the next step to make it into the quarterfinals,” Foda said Friday. “We have lots of confidence ... we’re focused and prepared very well for this upcoming match against Italy.”
Besides the unbeaten streak, Italy will also be trying to set another record. The team has not conceded a goal in 11 matches, a total of 1,055 minutes. If Austria fails to score, Italy will surpass the record of 1,143 minutes set between 1972 and 1974.
For a team that failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Italy’s recent results are quite remarkable.
Read: Italy opens Euro 2020 with 3-0 win over Turkey
“It’s something that makes us proud, especially considering what they thought of us before the tournament started,” Italy forward Lorenzo Insigne said. “But we have to stay focused, calm and think about ourselves. We haven’t done anything yet. Our objective is to go all the way, it wasn’t just to get through the group stage.”
The 30-year-old Insigne embodies Italy’s transformation under Mancini.
The previous coach, Gian Piero Ventura, lost the squad’s support during a World Cup playoff loss to Sweden when he left Insigne — considered the team’s most talented player — on the bench.
Insigne has formed a strong partnership with Ciro Immobile, who has finally been able to translate his scoring success in Serie A to the international stage.
“It’s the first time that I’ve played in such an important event at this level, in such an important role,” Insigne said. “In the past other coaches have used formations that were less compatible with my style of play, although I have always made myself available.
“Now Mancini is using a system of play that is more suited to me and to other players’ characteristics.”
Insigne already has experience scoring at Wembley, in a 1-1 draw against England in a friendly in 2018.
“It was only a friendly but it was incredible,” Insigne said. “I think it’s everyone’s dream to score in such a stadium. We will try to go to London and give a great performance, as we have always done until now.
“Our strength is that we don’t change our nature ever. Austria runs a lot and creates pressure, we’ll study our opponents but we will prepare for the match thinking about what we have to do.”
Italy has drawn praise for its free-flowing, attacking style of play. But veteran defender Leonardo Bonucci said the team is prepared to forget “the beautiful game” in order to get a result.
“I’ve always said that there are situations in matches where you need to be bad and ugly,” Bonucci said Friday. “And we’ve done that in matches when we needed to defend the result, when we’ve sat deep, when we’ve battled in front of our box.
“There are a whole host of moments in a knockout match and you need to be able to read those correctly just like in tomorrow night’s game.”
Italy is playing with such spirit that the buzzword among the Azzurri players is “fairytale.”
No one embodies that more than Giacomo Raspadori, a 21-year-old Sassuolo forward who hadn’t even played a game for Italy when he was named in the 26-man squad for the tournament.
Raspadori was brought on as a substitute in Italy’s final group match against Wales, making only his second appearance for his country.
“This is all a fairytale, for the team and for me,” Raspadori said. “In four months so many things have changed.
“Those who are now my Italy teammates were who I saw as sporting idols a short while ago.”
The winner of Saturday’s match will head to Munich to face either defending champion Portugal or Belgium in the quarterfinals on July 2.
BPL Football resume Saturday; Bashundhara face Rahmatganj
Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football will resume Saturday at the Bangabandhu National Stadium after one and half months.
The league remained suspended for a long time as the national football team was busy with Group E 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifiers.
Also read: BPL Football: Arambagh KS pull off biggest upset outplaying Sheikh Jamal DC 3-1
League leader and star-studded Bashundhara Kings will play Rahmatganj Muslim Friends Society in the second phase match of the league at 5pm Saturday.
Dhaka Abahani will face arch rival Dhaka Mohammedan Sunday at the same time and venue.
Also read: BPL Football: Baridhara taste 2nd victory crushing Brothers 3-0
Kings comfortably dominated the league as the only unbeaten team, securing 43 points from 15 matches while Dhaka Abahani earned 32 points from as many chances. Rahmatganj remained at the ninth slot with 14 points from 15 matches.
All BPL matches will initially be held in Dhaka due to existing restrictions on movement across the country.
Women's Football: Brahmanbaria beat Suddopuskorini 3-2
FC Brahmanbaria earned a 3-2 victory over Suddopuskorini Jubo Sporting Club SC in the second phase match of the Women's Football League 2020-21 Friday.
The winners dominated the first half by 2-1 at the Kamalapur Stadium.
Also read: Women's Football: Bashundhara hands 20-0 drubbing to Nasrin DA
Sadia Akter struck twice in the 17th and 41st minutes while Selina Khatun netted the other goal for FC Brahmanbaria in the 46th minute.
Soma Akter and Tonni Biswas scored one goal each for Suddopuskorini in the 21st and 85th minutes.
Also read: Women's Football: Ataur Rahman College thump Suddopuskorini 6-0
The day's other league match between Cumilla United Club and Jamalpur Kacharipara Ekadash ended in a goalless draw at the same venue.