Italy won the UEFA EURO 2020 final after beating England in a penalty shootout at the wembley Stadium in London on Sunday (11th July). England dominated the first half of the play after establishing an early lead in the game. Italy fought back in the second half and scored within 25 minutes. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, with no goals scored in extra time. The winner was decided in a penalty shootout. Italy triumphed 3-2 in a penalty shootout and clinched their second European Championship. The match report of the EURO 2020 final is discussed in this article. EURO 2020 Final Match Report: Italy vs. England Italy won the European football championship for the first time in 53 years. The match finished at 1-1 after 120 minutes of play. Italian players kept their nerve during the penalty shootout and won 3-2 over England on Sunday’s final at the iconic Wembley stadium. Read Read:Racist abuse targets 3 English players who missed penalties Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was the final match's hero, who saved two penalties in the shootout. Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho both missed penalty kicks, while Marcus Rashford's shot struck the post. On the other side, English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saved penalty kicks from Belotti and Jorginho. However, Berardi, Bonucci, and Bernardeschi all scored from the penalty spot and helped Italy to win their second European Championship after 1968. England scored the match's first goal in the second minute. English left-back Luke Shaw became the fifth fastest scorer in European Championship history when he smashed the ball into the back of the net in one minute and 57 seconds. Read:Italy wins Euro 2020, beats England in penalty shootout England performed well for most of the first half even after taking a 1-0 lead early in the game. However, Italy fought back and continued to push the English defense in the second half. Leonardo Bonucci eventually equalized in the 67th minute to cut the lead. The match was thereafter dominated by Italy till the end, including extra time. They came close to scoring the second goal at least twice, but couldn't find another to secure the victory. Clear chances were scarce as the game moved closer to penalties. The referee issued six yellow cards in the EURO 2020 final. Italy had the most yellow cards with five, while England received only one. Read:England, Italy set for thrilling EURO 2020 showdown on Sunday With this victory, Italy have now won 34 games in a row under head coach Roberto Mancini.Italian fans were disappointed when their team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. So, the Euro 2020 victory will be crucial in their football revival. Germany and Spain have won the European Championship thrice out of a total of 16 times. Both Italy and France have won the tournament twice. The one-time champions are the Soviet Union, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Portugal, Denmark, and Greece. Read:Euro 2020 final: Italy holds historical edge over England Bottom Line England and Italy had a really intriguing battle in the EURO 2020 final. Italy's coach Roberto Mancini outsmarts England's Gareth Southgate in the case of a tactical decision and the best team eventually win the championship. The real hero of the final was Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Italy crowned European Champion thanks to his good work in the penalty shootout. Donnarumma became the first goalkeeper to win the player of the tournament award. Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo was named best scorer, while Spain's Pedri was named young player of the tournament. Read Copa America 2021 Final: Di Maria’s Early Strike Sinks Brazil

They are opponents who have long struck fear into the heart of Spanish soccer. The Italians: tough, defensively strong, cynical. Winners by whatever means possible — or so it was widely perceived in Spain anyway. And Luis Enrique knows all about it. Read:Italy advances to semifinals at Euro 2020 The current Spain coach was a member of the national team that was beaten by Italy 1-0 in the 1994 World Cup quarterfinals. As famous as the 88th-minute winning goal by Roberto Baggio was the elbow to Luis Enrique’s face administered by Italy’s hard man in defense, Mauro Tassotti. The violent act went unpunished during the game — Tassotti would later get an eight-match ban — but wasn’t forgotten in Spain. The photo of an anguished Luis Enrique, blood pouring from his broken nose onto a splattered white towel, has gone down in history, and is often brought out whenever the two rivals meet. Like they will at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday in the European Championship semifinals. “We’ve spoken a few times since but that’s in the past, part of footballing history,” Luis Enrique said Monday about the incident with Tassotti. “Both of us, of course, would’ve preferred that had gone differently but there’s nothing more to say.” Actually, Luis Enrique doesn’t appear to hold any grudges toward the Azzurri, his feelings possibly changing after spending a year coaching Italian club Roma in the 2011-12 season. “It’s a country I’m very fond of,” he said. “Whenever I’ve a bit of free time, I always like to visit Italy. It’s lovely to come up against the Azzurri — it’s always very nice.” Many in Spain would disagree. For 88 years, Spain didn’t beat Italy in a competitive match and an inferiority complex naturally grew. A clash of styles — typically attacking Spain against defensive Italy — always went one way. Also read: Euro2020 semi-finalists have been determined Until 2008, that is. That was when a weight was lifted from a nation as Spain defeated Italy in a penalty shootout in Vienna in the European Championship quarterfinals on its way to its first continental title in 44 years. Four years later, Spain would beat Italy again at Euro 2012, this time 4-0 in Kyiv for the most lop-sided score in a final in the tournament’s history. Yet Spain’s title defense was ended in the last 16 five years ago by a limited but tactically superior Italy coached by Antonio Conte, which won 2-0 in Paris. The teams, then, will be meeting in a fourth straight tournament. This match promises to be different, though, purely because of the way Italy’s approach has altered since Roberto Mancini took over as coach in 2018. Sure, the trademark Italian robustness in defense is still there, but the team has an attacking swagger these days and also has become more of a passing team. They’re not in Spain’s league in terms of possession, but then again who is? “We’re leaders in the possession stats, but they too are a side who enjoy playing with the ball. So that’s going to be the first battle to win,” Luis Enrique said. “But they’re also very good without the ball. We need the ball. We want to have it.” Spain has the squad with youngest average age in the tournament — at 24.1 years — and there’s a sense that Luis Enrique feels his players have exceeded expectations by reaching the semifinals. It’s why he was so proud of getting past Switzerland in the quarterfinals, albeit with the need of a penalty shootout. Also read: Italy advances to semifinals at Euro 2020 “It’s impossible to understate this,” he said. “We’re not an experienced national team.” Indeed, when it comes to being streetwise at international level, few can top the Italians. A clip of Italy striker Ciro Immobile falling dramatically in the area and apparently feigning injury during the win over Belgium in the quarterfinals, only for him to instantly spring to his feet moments later after Nicola Barella scored the opening goal, has been spread widely over social media. Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci laughed it off on Monday, saying “the joy and excitement of a goal in matches such as these means you don’t experience any more pain.” But to some it was another classic example of gamesmanship. It’s why players like Champions League winners Cesar Azpilicueta, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba will be so important for Spain to guide the team’s younger players at Wembley. “We’re not an experienced team,” Luis Enrique said, “but it doesn’t mean we don’t have experience of the game. Many of our players have played at a very high level and are used to these games. “I just hope we’re up to the challenge.”

Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, and Brazil’s Neymar are the three most popular footballers in the world right now. They have a massive fan base all around the world because of their footballing talent. Interestingly, none of them have much international success for their respective countries, which is very surprising.However, the success they have achieved internationally is no less important. They all have the capacity to continue playing professional football for a few more years, giving them the chance to better their international records. In this article, we looked at who has gained most international achievements among Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar? Read:Argentina beats Ecuador at Copa, plays Colombia in semifinal Lionel Messi's International Record for Argentina Lionel Messi was born in 1987 and made his international debut for Argentina against Hungary at the age of 18 in 2005. Since then, he has appeared in the most international matches (149) and scored the most goals (76) for Argentina. Lionel Messi has played in five Copa America tournaments and four FIFA World Cup events. Argentina has reached three Copa America finals (2007, 2015, and 2016) and one FIFA World Cup final (2014), but Messi has yet to win a major trophy with his country.Lionel Messi is now competing in his sixth Copa America championship in Brazil, and it is expected that he will finally win a major tournament with the Argentina national team. Despite the fact that he has yet to win a big title with Argentina's senior team, he has some significant success with Argentina's junior teams. In 2005, he won the FIFA U20 World Cup, and in 2008, he earned the Summer Olympic Gold Medal. Lionel Messi’s international stats: Matches: 149* | Goals: 76 | Assists: 55  Read:Euro2020 semi-finalists have been determined Cristiano Ronaldo’s International Record for Portugal Cristiano Ronaldo was born in 1985 and made his international debut for Portugal against Kazakhstan at the age of 18 in 2003. Along with Iran's Ali Daei, he has scored the most international goals (109) and has played the most international matches (179) for Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo has played in five UEFA European Championships and four FIFA World Cups. During this time, Portugal has been in two European Championship finals, the first in 2004 and the second in 2016, winning the latter by defeating France in the decider. Portugal have never qualified for a FIFA World Cup final; their best finish was fourth place in the 2006 edition. Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal national team also won the inaugural edition of the UEFA Nations League in 2019. Cristiano Ronaldo’s international stats: Matches: 179* | Goals: 109 | Assists: 41  Read:Denmark beats Czechs 2-1 to reach Euro 2020 semifinals Neymar’s International Record for Brazil Born in 1992, Neymar made his international debut for Brazil against the United States at the age of 18 in 2010. Since then, he has appeared in 109 international matches for Brazil, scoring 68 goals. He only needs 10 more goals to surpass Pele as the all-time leading scorer for Brazil. Neymar has competed in five Copa America tournaments, winning the most recent one in 2019. He has also competed in two FIFA World Cups (2014 and 2018), with his best performance with the Brazilian national team being a fourth-place finish in the 2014 edition. He also won the Summer Olympic Gold Medal in 2016. Neymar’s international stats: Matches: 109* | Goals: 68| Assists: 46 Read:Brazil beats Chile at Copa America despite 2nd-half red card Bottom Line After evaluating the career achievements of Messi, Ronaldo, and Neymar in the international sphere, it is clear that Cristiano has a better record than the other two. Cristiano Ronaldo has won a UEFA EURO Championship and the Nations League in 2019, while Neymar has won the Copa America in 2019. On the other hand, Lionel Messi has yet to win a major tournament with the national team.

The semi-finalists of the UEFA Euro 2020 have been determined. The final matches of the quarter-finals were held on Saturday. In the quarterfinals, Italy beat Belgium in Munich (2:1), the Spanish national team defeated the Swiss team in St. Petersburg (1:1, 3:1 - on penalties), Denmark in Baku beat Czech Republic (2:1), and England defeated Ukraine in Rome (4:0). Also read: Denmark beats Czechs 2-1 to reach Euro 2020 semifinals The semi-finals will have the matches between Italy - Spain on July 6 and England vs. Denmark on July 7. Both meetings will take place in London at Wembley Stadium. The final will take place in the same arena on July 11. The current European champion is the Portuguese national team, which in 2016 beat the hosts of the tournament, France (1:0). Also read: Italy advances to semifinals at Euro 2020

Prior to the start of Copa America 2021, Brazil were a clear favourites to retain the title. As the tournament progressed, Argentina have shown more consistency and a stronger determination to win their first Copa America championship in 28 years.On the other side, Italy were considered one of the outsiders to lift the UEFA EURO 2020, with many football experts predicting Belgium and France as the favourites.However, Italy have shown more maturity and have played some of the most exciting football in the competition. Argentina and Italy are both keen to end their continental trophy droughts, as discussed in this article. Why Argentina are favourites to win the Copa America 2021? Argentina have always been one of the favorites in the South American Championship, but they haven't won the Copa America since 1993 despite reaching the final four times during this time.This is Lionel Messi's final Copa America tournament, and they should win it in his honor. Argentina's Copa America campaign in 2021 started with a 1-1 draw against Chili, but they went on to win the remainder of their group stage matches and the quarter-final encounter against Ecuador. Read UEFA EURO 2020: Quarter Finals Preview   Argentina will play against Colombia in their semifinal match at EstádioNacionalManéGarrincha in Brasilia on Wednesday. Argentina should easily qualify for the final based on their current form, and we can anticipate them to face Brazil in the championship match. So the question remains, how will this rejuvenated Argentina team perform against the Brazilian side in this year's final? Consistency is one of the most important factors. Argentina have improved and displayed more consistency in the competition. Initially, they were shaky, but Argentina have since played with a lot of confidence. Importantly, this set of players believes they can win the tournament.  Read Copa America 2021: Quarter Finals Preview   On the other hand, Brazil have struggled in their past two matches and would need to re-establish their rhythm before the crucial final. If they can't, Argentina will seize the opportunity to win a record 15th South American Championship. Three important players for Argentina Romero (Defender), Lionel Messi (Forward), Lautaro Martinez (Forward) Probable Playing XI Martinez (GK), Tagilafico, Romero, Molina, Pezzella, Rodríguez, Di María, Paredes, Lionel Messi, Gómez, Lautaro Martinez Read Denmark beats Czechs 2-1 to reach Euro 2020 semifinals Copa America 2021 Semifinal & Final Fixtures Date Match Venue & Time (BST) Semifinal July 6 (Tuesday) Brazil vs Peru Rio de Janeiro (5 AM) July 7 (Wednesday) Argentinavs Colombia Brasília (7 AM) Third place play off July 10 (Saturday) Loser Match 25 vs Loser Match 26 Brasília (6 AM) Final July 11 (Sunday) Winner Match 25 vs Winner Match 26 Rio de Janeiro (6 AM) Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_Copa_Am%C3%A9rica Read Brazil beats Chile at Copa America despite 2nd-half red card   Why Italy are favourites to win the UEFA EURO 2020? Italy haven't won a major trophy since the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and they haven't won the European Championship since 1968. So, Italy will be hoping to win their second UEFA EURO Championship this year. Many experts anticipated that Italy would have a slim chance of winning the tournament, but they have surpassed expectations by playing the most entertaining brand of football in the game. They finished top in the group stage points table but struggled a bit in the Round of 16 match against Austria. However, Italy had demonstrated their true capabilities in the quarter-final match against hot favourites Belgium, winning 2-1 and securing a spot in the semifinal. Read Italy advances to semifinals at Euro 2020   Italy should win against Spain in the semifinal, but they will have to fight hard against England, who are in great form at the moment. While, after defeating Belgium, Italy are full of confidence and will make it difficult for England to win their first European Championship trophy. Argentina and Italy are both confident that they will end their continental trophy droughts with their current form. Three important players for Italy Donnarumma (GK), Chiellini (Defender), Insigne (Forward) Probable Playing XI Donnarumma (GK), Chiellini, Bonucci, Di Lorenzo, Spinazzola, Barella, Jorginho, Chiesa, Verratti, Insigne, Immobile Read Spain beats Switzerland in penalty shootout UEFA EURO 2020 Semifinal & Final Fixtures Date Match Venue & Time (BST) Semifinal July 7 (Wednesday) Italyvs Spain Wembley Stadium, London (1 AM) July 8 (Thursday) Englandvs Denmark Wembley Stadium, London (1 AM) Final July 12 (Monday) Winner Match 49 vs Winner Match 50 Wembley Stadium, London (1 AM) Sources: https://www.uefa.com/ Read BPL, BCL Football matches postponed Verdict After analyzing the qualities of the teams and current form, it is clear that Argentina and Italy are both keen to end their continental trophy droughts. Argentina are the overwhelming favourites to win Copa America 2021. But their most likely final opponent, Brazil will make it difficult for them.On the other hand, England are in excellent condition and will give it their best to win their first European championship. However, Italy are now a strong favourites to win their second UEFA EURO Championship, especially after eliminating Belgium in the quarter-final. Overall, we expect the best teams will win their respective tournaments. Read BPL Football: Dhaka Abahani earn 2-0 victory over Ctg Abahani  

The quarter-final lineups for EURO 2020 were confirmed following the end of the exciting Round of 16 phase on Wednesday. FIFA's no.1 ranked team Belgium are the clear favorite to win the European Championship this year. On the other side, England will be aiming to win their first-ever EURO trophy. Belgium will meet a rejuvenated Italian national team in the quarterfinals, while England will face Ukraine. The match between the Czech Republic and Denmark is likely to be the most thrilling one in the quarter-final phase. Who can qualify for the UEFA EURO 2020 Semi-Finals is discussed in this article. Read:Copa America 2021: Quarter Finals Preview Who are the favorites to advance to the semifinals? 1st Quarter-Final (Switzerlandvs. Spain) Venue: Saint Petersburg | Date: July 2 | Time (BST): 10 pm Verdict: Spain 2-1 Switzerland Spain will be the favorite against Switzerland to qualify to the semifinals following their stunning performance in the Round of 16 encounter against Croatia. But we can't deny that Switzerland stunned the tournament's favorite France in the last round, and they'll do as much as they can to keep the momentum going. Spain’s probable starting XI UnaiSimón (GK), Azpilicueta, Laporte, Eric García, Alba, Busquets, Pedri, Koke, Sarabia, Ferran Torres, Morata. Switzerland’s probable starting XI Sommer (GK), Elvedi, Rodríguez, Akanji, Widmer, Freuler, Zakaria, Zuber, Embolo, Seferović, Shaqiri. Read:UEFA Euro 2020: Meet the Quarter-Finalists 2nd Quarter-Final (Belgium vs. Italy) Venue: Munich | Date: July 3 | Time (BST): 1 am Verdict: Belgium 2-1 Italy (Extra Time) This is, without a doubt, the most eagerly anticipated match of the quarter-finals round. The world no.1 team Belgium will have to work hard to defeat a traditional powerhouse Italy. This Italian team is performing well in this tournament and is ready to eliminate Belgium from the competition. Belgium’s probable starting XI Courtois (GK), Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Vermaelen, Thorgan Hazard, Witsel, Tielemans, Eden Hazard, Meunier, Kevin De Bruyne, Lukaku. Italy’s probable starting XI Donnarumma (GK), Chiellini, Bonucci, Di Lorenzo, Spinazzola, Barella, Jorginho, Chiesa, Verratti, Insigne, Immobile. Read:England beats Germany 2-0 to reach Euro 2020 quarterfinals 3rd Quarter-Final (Czech Republic vs Denmark) Venue: Baku | Date: July 3 | Time (BST): 10 pm Verdict:Czech Republic 2-3Denmark (Extra Time) We can anticipate a fierce battle between the Czech Republic and Denmark in the third quarter-final match. The Czech Republic beat the Netherlands in the previous round, while Denmark crushed Wales 4-0. The confidence of both teams is at its peak now. The team that takes the least pressure during the game will win. Czech Republic’s probable starting XI Vaclik (GK), Boril, Kalas, Coufal, Celustka, Soucek, Holes, Barak, Jankto, Schick, Masopust. Denmark’s probable starting XI Schmeichel (GK), Christensen, Vestergaard, Andersen, Maehle, Højbjerg, Delaney, Larsen, Dolberg, Damsgaard, Braithwaite. Read:Copa America 2021: Teams Qualified For Quarter Finals, Fixtures 4th Quarter-Final (Ukraine vs. England) Venue: Rome | Date: July 4 | Time (BST): 1 am Verdict: Ukraine 0-2 England England have a fantastic opportunity to win the European Football Championship for the first time. They defeated Germany 2-0 in the Round of 16 and will face Ukraine in the quarter-finals. On the other hand, Ukraine defeated Sweden in the previous round and will give it all in this encounter. Ukraine’s probable starting XI Bushchan (GK), Matvienko, Zabarnuyl, Kryvtsov, Karavaev, Stepanenko, Shaparenko, Sydorchuk, Yarmolenko, Zinchenko, Yaremchuk. England’s probable starting XI Jordan Pickford (GK), Maguire, Stones, Trippier, Walker, Grealish, Shaw, Rice, Phillips, Sterling, Kane. Read:Swiss beat France on penalties at Euro 2020 Verdict According to the quarter-finals schedule, Spain and England are the two clear favorites to proceed to the next round of the UEFA EURO 2020. Meanwhile, Belgium will have a slight advantage over their quarter-final opponent. We expect the best teams will advance to the semi-finals. The second elimination round of the tournament will commence on July 2nd (Friday).

The first knockout round of the ongoing EURO 2020 tournament came to an end on Wednesday, June 30th. The Round of 16 featured some thrilling encounters and finally, eight teams have qualified for the quarterfinals of this year European Championship. Hot favorite Belgium knocked out reigning champion Portugal, while Switzerland stunned 2018 World Cup winner France in a penalty shootout. Therefore, we can expect more exciting matches in the quarter-finals stage. The second knockout round of the competition will start on July 2nd (Friday). The teams who qualified for the UEFA EURO 2020 quarterfinals and fixtures has been discussed in this article. UEFA EURO 2020 Quarter-Finalists Eight teams have qualified for the quarterfinals in the 16th edition of the European Football Championship. Let's see who have advanced to the second knock-out round of the tournament. Wales vs. Denmark Result: Denmark win 4-0 There was a lot of expectation from Gareth Bale’s Wales side prior to their Round of 16 clash against Denmark. But Wales were comprehensively outplayed by Denmark in the Amsterdam stadium in the Netherlands, and eventually lost 4-0. The game was fairly one-sided, as Denmark took complete control after taking an early lead. Denmark's top player was Kasper Dolberg, who scored two goals in the 27th and 48th minutes. Read:England beats Germany 2-0 to reach Euro 2020 quarterfinals Italy vs Austria Result: Italy win 2-1(Extra Time) The four-time World Cup champion Italy had a fantastic time in the group stage but labored in their first knockout round encounter against Austria. Italy had to play extra time to qualify for the quarter-finals. Federico Chiesa (95) and Matteo Pessina (105) both scored in the 2-1 victory for Italy over Austria. Read:Copa America 2021: Teams Qualified For Quarter Finals, Fixtures Netherlands vs Czech Republic Result: Czech Republic win 2-0 The Czech Republic upset the Netherlands in the Round of 16 with a 2-0 victory. The Netherlands were expecting a comprehensive victory, but the Czech Republic had other ideas, and they were keen to make a statement in the encounter. However, the Czech Republic had the advantage after Matthijs de Light's red card in the 55th minute. Read Toppers of the DPL T20 2021 Belgium vs Portugal Result: Belgium win 1-0 Belgium midfielder Throgan Hazard's stunning goal rocked the reigning European Champion Portugal and superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Hazard's lone goal in the 42nd minute was enough to knock Portugal out of the competition. Croatia vs Spain Result: Spain win 5-3 (Extra Time) It was one of the most thrilling Round of 16 games. Croatia surprisingly leveled the score in injury time, but ultimately lost the match 5-3 after extra time. The 2010 World Cup champion Spain now seems to have a good chance to reach the final. Read:Swiss beat France on penalties at Euro 2020 France vs Switzerland Result: Switzerland win 5-4 (Penalty shootout) It was the most shocking result in the Round of 16 stage because France were the favorite to win this year's European tournament. First and foremost, scoring three goals against France was a significant accomplishment, and later Switzerland went on to win the match in a penalty shootout. England vs Germany Result: England win 2-0 This English national team is regarded as one of the best in their football history, therefore there is a lot of expectation from the British fans. The 'Three Lions' beat Germany 2-0 in the tournament's first knockout stage, thanks to goals from Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane. Read Messi Reaches Another Milestone as Argentina Win Tough Match at Copa America 2021 Sweden vs Ukraine Result: Ukraine win 2-1 (Extra Time) Ukraine emerged victorious in the final Round of 16 fixtures on Tuesday. They have advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Sweden 2-1 in extra time. Ukraine will face one of the favorites England in the next round. Read Bangladesh’s Test, ODI, T20 Squads Analysis for BAN vs ZIM Series 2021 EURO 2020 Quarter-Final Fixtures Date Match Venue & Time (BST) July 2 (Friday) Switzerland vs Spain St Petersburg (10 PM) July 3 (Saturday) Belgium vs Italy Munich (1 AM) July 3 (Saturday) Czech Republicvs Denmark Baku (10 PM) July 4 (Sunday) Ukraine vs England Rome (1 AM) Sources: https://www.uefa.com/ Read:Belgium edges Portugal, reaches quarterfinals at Euro 2020 Bottom Line We saw several upsets in the UEFA EURO 2020 round of 16, which makes the tournament even more intriguing for everyone. Among the hot favorites, only Belgium and England still remain in the competition. However, we can anticipate the deserving national team to win the trophy in the end.There will not be easy games in the quarterfinals. The teams must give it their all to advance to the semi-finals. Read RIP Milka Singh: One of India's Finest Ever Athlete

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.

The group stage of the ongoing Euro 2020 tournament came to an end on Wednesday. We had seen some thrilling matches in this round and had to wait until the final group stage matchups to find out who would advance to the next round. 16 teams have qualified for the first knockout round at the completion of the first phase of the tournament. All the expected teams have reached the next round.  The first knockout round of the competition will begin on Saturday. The qualified teams and fixtures of the UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 have been covered in this article. Qualified Teams for the Round of 16 The top two teams from each of the six groups, as well as the top four third-place teams across all groups, have qualified for the round of 16 of UEFA Euro 2020. Let's see which teams from each group have advanced to the next round. Group A Italy topped group A with the most points (9), followed by Wales, Switzerland, and Turkey. Wales and Switzerland have also progressed to the next round of the championship. Read:Messi Reaches Another Milestone as Argentina Win Tough Match at Copa America 2021 Group B Hot favorite Belgium won all three matches in group B and finished first in the standings. Denmark, Finland, and Russia all earned three points, but Denmark took second place due to a better goal difference. The Danish national team have qualified for the Round of 16 in the European Championship. Group C The Netherlands finished first in the group stage with 9 points after winning all of their matches. North Macedonia failed to qualify for the knockout stage, while Austria and Ukraine both have advanced for the next round. Group D One of the favorites of the tournament England topped the Group D points table followed by Croatia, the Czech Republic, and Scotland. The Czech Republic and Croatia have advanced to the round of 16 of the European Championship. Read European Football Season 2020-21: Individual Award Winners Group E Sweden claimed the top spot of group E, while Spain had to settle for second place in the points standings. They've both progressed to the next round. Slovakia and Poland were unable to qualify for the knockout stage. Group F Hot favorite France finished top in the group of death with 5 points. Germany and Portugal have both qualified to the next round, but Hungary came in fourth in the points table and did not make it to the last 16. Read:Depay, Wijnaldum score, Netherlands beats NMacedonia 3-0 Fixtures of the Round of 16 Date Match Venue & Time (BST) Jun 26 (Saturday) Wales vs Denmark Amsterdam (10 PM) June 27 (Sunday) Italy vs Austria London (1 AM) June 27 (Sunday) Netherlands vs Czech Republic Budapest (10 PM) June 28 (Monday) Belgium vs Portugal Seville (1 AM) June 28 (Monday) Croatia vs Spain Copenhagen (10 PM) June 29 (Tuesday) France vs Switzerland Bucharest (1 AM) June 29 (Tuesday) England vs Germany London (10 PM) June 30 (Wednesday) Sweden vs Ukraine Glasgow (1 AM) Sources: https://www.uefa.com/ Read:Wembley may have 65,000 fans for Euro 2020 semifinals, final Bottom Line The best national teams in Europe have qualified for the round of 16 stage of the UEFA Euro 2020 competition. So, we can anticipate the deserving team to win the championship in the end.Defending champion Portugal will face hot favorite Belgium in the next round, making it extremely difficult for them to retain the title. Though, no match in the round of sixteen will be easy. The teams must perform at their best to advance to the quarterfinals. Read Copa America 2021: Brazil Win, Argentina Draw With Chile, Messi’s Stunning Goal  

Denmark’s team doctor said Sunday that Christian Eriksen’s heart stopped and that “he was gone” before being resuscitated with a defibrillator at the European Championship. Eriksen collapsed during Denmark’s opening Euro 2020 group game against Finland on Saturday and was given lengthy medical treatment before regaining consciousness. “He was gone. And we did cardiac resuscitation. And it was cardiac arrest,” said team doctor Morten Boesen, who led the work in giving Eriksen treatment on the field. “How close were we? I don’t know. We got him back after one defib. That’s quite fast.” Eriksen was in stable condition at a Copenhagen hospital and had spoken to teammates via video link on Sunday, team officials said. Read:England players booed for taking a knee despite plea by team Boesen said it was still unclear what caused the midfielder’s collapse. “I’m not cardiologist, so the details about why it happened and further, I will leave to the experts,” he said. He also said the 29-year-old Eriksen may not have survived had the game not been played at a major soccer tournament with top-class medical equipment at hand. “That was completely decisive, I think,” Boesen said. “The time from when it happens to when he receives help is the critical factor, and that time was short. That was decisive.” Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand said when he spoke to Eriksen, the Inter Milan midfielder was more concerned about his teammates’ well being than his own. Read:Finland beats Denmark at Euro 2020 after Eriksen's collapse “He said ‘I don’t remember much but I’m more concerned about you guys. How are you doing?’” Hjulmand said. ”That’s typical Christian. … It was good to see him smile.” The Danish players and team staff were being given crisis management assistance as they process the incident. Eriksen fell face-forward to the ground late in the first half and his teammates formed a protective circle around him while the medics gave him treatment. The game was suspended for about 90 minutes before resuming. Finland won 1-0 after scoring in the second half. Denmark canceled a planned training session on Sunday but Hjulmand said they would try to go back to their normal routines on Monday. He insisted the players are determined to finish the tournament, with Denmark playing Belgium next in Group B on Thursday. “(Eriksen) would like for us to play,” Hjulmand said. “We are trying to get back to some normality tomorrow. That is completely in line with what the psychologists are saying, and the way I want to try to lead this group forward.” Read:Eriksen in stable condition, Euro 2020 match resumes The decision to restart the game on Saturday has been heavily criticized by many in Denmark, including former players Peter Schmeichel and Michael Laudrup. UEFA gave Denmark the option to resume the game Sunday at noon but the players opted to finish it Saturday evening instead. A later date was not possible because Finland plays its second group game on Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Russia. Hjulmand said he remained proud of his players for finishing the game, but that he now had second thoughts about not insisting it should have been called off. “In hindsight, I wonder if I could have done something differently,” Hjulmand said. “Because when I look back, I honestly do not think we should have been back on the field. I am so proud that the players were able to mobilize and give it a try. It was a huge effort. But I have a guilty conscience that we were back out there.”