EURO 2020
London/Amsterdam
Italy needed extra time to see off battling Austria at Wembley and set up a Euro 2020 quarter-final against Belgium or Portugal. Austria marked their first appearance in the knockout stage of the European Championship with a tireless performance to give their much-fancied opponents a scare.
Marko Arnautovic had a headed goal disallowed after a VAR check for offside in normal time when the game was goalless before goals from substitutes Federico Chiesa and Matteo Pessina sent Italy through.
Chiesa showed terrific technique to bring the ball down and beat Daniel Bachmann from an angle while Pessina, who scored in the group game against Wales, doubled the score from close range.
Austria pulled a goal back through Sasa Kalajdzic’s brave header, the first goal Italy have conceded in 12 games, but the Azzurri’s 31st match without defeat – a new national record – sees them march on. Italy had the best of the first-half chances as Nicolo Barella was denied by Austria’s Watford keeper before Ciro Immobile struck the post from 25 yards.
Austria produced a terrific defensive display to frustrate the four-time world champions, while creating opportunities of their own. Arnautovic put one chance over the bar and, with another, fired straight at the keeper, while David Alaba went close from a free-kick before the disallowed goal.
Italy will meet the winners of Sunday’s last-16 game between Belgium, the top-ranked side in the world, and holders Portugal in the quarter-finals in Munich on 2 July.
Denmark beat Wales 4-0 to become the first team to progress to the quarterfinals of the 2021 European Championships.
Goals from Kasper Dolberg, Joakim Mæhle and Martin Braithwaite propelled a commanding Denmark side into the EURO 2020 quarter-finals.
Heavily involved in the early exchanges, Gareth Bale threatened during a positive start by Wales. The captain drilled wide twice in the space of a couple of minutes, before a clutch of white shirts rebuffed a close-range Aaron Ramsey volley.
However, the turning point came when Dolberg converted the Danes’ first real chance before the half-hour, latching onto Mikkel Damsgaard’s defence-splitting ball to curl exquisitely inside Danny Ward’s left upright.
To nullify Welsh danger men Ramsey and Bale, Kasper Hjulmand’s side switched to a back four and consolidated their foothold in this last-16 tie.
As half-time loomed, Joakim Mæhle’s snapshot was repelled by Ward, but De Rød-Hvide were in control regardless – getting in behind and setting the tempo.
Dolberg duly pounced again shortly after the restart: Neco Williams’s panicked clearance fell kindly for the striker to take a touch and drive home his second of the evening in Amsterdam.
Wales continued to probe, but the Welsh counterattack proved no match for the unwavering Danish defensive block. To cap a super display, Mæhle cut inside and shot high into the net for Denmark’s third, before Martin Braithwaite thumped home the stoppage-time fourth. Co-hosts Denmark, beaten in their first two games of this EURO, are the first team into the quarter-finals.s
