Euro 2020 Matches 29 and 30: Croatia v Russia and Switzerland v Wales

The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2020.

Euro 2020 Matches 29 and 30: Croatia v Russia and Switzerland v Wales

Wales and Russia Through After Record Fifth and Sixth Draws in Group

June 24, 2020

Croatia 2 Russia 2

 

Wales and Russia find scoring goals and not receiving cards the difference in progressing to the Euro 2020 Round of 16 in a group with a record six draws from six matches.

 

Four draws in Group B saw every team on the same number of points, with three of the matches having a side come back from two-nil down.

 

Croatia and Russia faced off at the same time as Switzerland and Wales, with victory paramount in the outcome of advancing to the Round of 16.

 

Russia worked down the left wing for the opening seven minutes, using Yuri Zhirkov as their main catalyst. He was able to get the first shot on target, though it was easy for Simon Sluga to stop.

 

Artem Dzyuba had an attempt from the semi-circle, only for Sluga to close him down. Instead, in the sixteenth minute, Dzyuba caught a cross coming from the right wing this time, and he adjusted the power and parabolic nature that it sailed into the back of the net.

 

Dzyuba tried for a second eight minutes later, with the through ball from Zhirkov, only the shot was weak and too easy for Sluga.

 

However, it was Zhirkov who scored the second goal, where Player of the Match Aleksandr Golovin worked down the right wing, again the Croatian arch nemesis, and Zhirkov ran onto the cross and fired into the goal.

 

Alexei Ionov tried to make it three goals as he attacked, then stole the ball off a defender. Sluga was up to the challenge, though.

 

Right as additional time kept up, Russia gave away a penalty. Georgiy Dzhikiya tackled Luka Modrić and brought him to ground in the box. Surprisingly, right back Domagoj Vida took the penalty, and he punted it straight down the middle, scoring back one goal for his side.

 

Could Croatia come back from being two goals down? Ivan Perišić thought so as he shot on goal soon after the break and hit the post. His second effort chipped the Russian goalkeeper, only to miss to the right of goal.

 

Down Russia’s end, Ionov looked dangerous as he took on his marking man. Luckily for Croatia, Sluga was able to stop the shot.

 

Coatia tried down the left wing again, where the ball ended up at the feet of Marcelo Brozović, who shot from outside the box and missed to the right of goal. Ante Rebić then fired straight at the goalkeeper for an easy save.

 

Instead, the two substitutes combined with their first touches to equalise. Mislav Oršić from the left wing chipped the ball to Andrej Kramarić, who made no mistake.

 

The match, now all square, meant that Russia could still progress as they had scored more goals. Croatia had to win, but it was both sides who attacked, only for the defence to hold firm. Rebić then worked down the right wing and crossed perfectly to Oršić, who ran onto the ball and headed with intent. However, the ball hit the post and flew to relative safety.

 

Rebić had his own attempt late in the game, but the tight angle did not help as the ball was saved and cleared. That was the end of the match, and once again, a side came from behind to gain a result of 2-2.

 

Switzerland 3 Wales 3

 

Switzerland came out attacking early in their match, but it was Wales who scored the early goal. Daniel James reached a cross from the right wing first and curled his foot around the ball, sending it in the direction of the gap between Yann Sommer and the post.

 

With a goal in their favour, Wales knew a win would gift them a place in the Round of 16. However, the Swiss had other ideas, and Remo Freuler closed a poor defensive clearance. Pushing the ball deep into the box, he fired, and had no troubles levelling the match.

 

Freuler continued to look dangerous, and his efforts resulted in a corner. From the kick, Denis Zakaria rose above the rest and gave Switzerland the lead, with only sixteen minutes played.

 

Down in the Welsh attacking zone, Ethan Ampadu had a swing from long range, but missed over the bar. Instead, Zakaria and Edimilson Fernandes combined down the left wing, before Zakaria’s cut-inside pass sent Fernandes in behind the defensive line, and the midfielder pocketed Switzerland’s third.

 

Hans Seferović nearly made it four goals as the half hour mark neared; his chip over the Welsh goalkeeper missed to the right of goal.

 

Down the Welsh end, James had a ping with his left foot after being found without a marker. However, the shot flew across the face of goal. The next was a poor pass out of defence, though this time, it was Sommer’s foot that stopped the striker from scoring. Aaron Ramsey’s shot from well outside the box also missed over the top.

 

After the break, Wales, needing at least two goals to draw even, had little chances that the Swiss defence were able to clear. Gareth Bale did cross into Ampadu, though the header was at an angle and it flew straight to Sommer.

 

Down the Swiss end, Freuler tried twice from long range, only to be parried away the first time and miss over the top on the second.

 

In frustration, Wales tried working down the right wing, only to come away with a yellow card to Connor Roberts.

 

That frustration worked as Kieffer Moore battled hard for the ball one-on-one. Then, as the referee played advantage to the shirt tugging, he entered the box. Twisting back, he passed into the path of Bale, whose left curled around Sommer and into the back of the net. Manuel Akanji was given a yellow card for the tugging.

 

The game was alive again, with the chance of a fifth time a side would come from two goals down in the group, as results were coming in from the other match, classed at 2-2.

 

However, Zakaria had other ideas, and brought down a chip pass with his chest, before firing off target. The left midfielder had another chance, but basically dribbled the ball into the safe hands of Danny Ward.

 

Bale, this time, crossed to Moore in the hope of the striker scoring with ten minutes left. However, it was not meant to be as the ball trickled across the face of goal. Substitute Jonathan Williams had an attempt from outside the box that bounded straight to Sommer.

 

Instead, it was defender Chris Mepham who equalised in the 89th minute, his header at the front post from a Player of the Match Bale corner sending the Welsh bench into delirium.

 

A 3-3 draw could not have been scripted, but it was that.

 

Wales came out on top because they scored the most goals. On countback, Russia and Switzerland had the same number of goals scored, and so it came back to the number of yellow cards. Akanji’s yellow card proved the difference, as Russia was yet to attain any cards. Thus, Wales and Russia advances to the Round of 16, and Switzerland must await results in other groups to determine if they have a place as well. Meanwhile, Croatia misses out altogether due scoring one less goal than Russia or Switzerland.

 

 

	Group B	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	Wales	3	0	3	0	3	0
2	Russia	3	0	3	0	3	0
3	Switzerland	3	0	3	0	3	0
4	Croatia	3	0	3	0	3	0

 

Wales now face one of the third-place sides, while Russia plays Italy who yesterday overcame Serbia to claim second place as well.