Euro 2020 Quarter Final Matches

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

Euro 2020 Quarter Final Matches

July 7, 2020

Serbia 1 France 2

 

France and Serbia both started at a slow pace in the first Euro 2020 Quarter Final, before Kylian Mbappé managed a shot from a tight angle.

 

France could not turn their possession into chances on goal, and as the first half progressed, they fiddled with the ball too much in their attacking third, giving the Serbian defence time to get into position to block or clear. Finally, in the 38th minute, Moussa Sissoko had a ping fly wide of the mark, but only by centimetres.

 

France continued to put pressure on the Serbian defence in the second half, where they worked down the right wing. However, it was the pass into Ngolo Kanté that set up France’s goal, with a pass into Olivier Giroud, who had finally peeled away from his marking man. The striker curled the left footer into the back of the net, around the Serbian goalkeeper.

 

Down a goal, Serbia stepped up a notch and equalised in the 57th minute. Nemanja Radonjić came down the right wing and took an early cross into the head of Aleksandar Mitrović. The striker leapt with ease and popped the header beyond Hugo Lloris, and the match was well and truly alive.

 

Both sides attacked without relent, looking for another goal. The Serbian defence managed to halt any advances through quick tackles and steals. Down the Serbian end, Filip Đuričić also found the head of Mitrović, though this time he needed all his power to lead onto the ball, and had little power left for the header, resulting in an easy Lloris save.

 

Neither side could get a shot on goal, until Serbia gave away another cheap free kick. From there, the French took the quick pass to a running Paul Pogba, who slid in a shot, and won the match for his side in injury time.

 

July 7, 2020

Germany 1 Portugal 0

 

Germany faced Portugal in the second Quarter Final as Timo Werner looked like a formidable force early. His pass into Marco Reus nearly created the opening goal, only for the striker to hit the woodwork.

 

Reus and Werner combined again on the half hour mark, drawing forward the Portuguese defence before Werner was found one-on-one against Rui Patrício. However, the chip shot flew over the bar.

 

As the first half neared its conclusion, Toni Kroos should have scored when he stole the ball off a defender. However, he seemed off balance as his right footer missed to the right of goal.

 

In the second half, Diogo Jota combined with Cristiano Ronaldo, only for the latter to have his shot blocked. Bernardo Silva had a missed ping from outside the box from the resulting corner’s clearance, leaning to the right of goal.

 

The front three of Diogo Jota, Ronaldo and André Silva then combined, but the latter missed in similar fashion to Bernardo Silva’s shot.

 

Instead, a team goal from Germany set the German crowd alight, with Kroos getting his second shot on target this time, making no mistake as he fired from just outside the box into the back of the net.

 

Bernardo Silva had a second attempt on goal, trying to wrestle back any momentum for his side, only for the ball to fly straight to Marc-André ter Stegen.

 

Ronaldo nearly scored when he ran onto a through ball, only to have Player of the Match ter Stegen close him down, and then Bruno Fernandes not able to follow up, with his shot too weak to bypass the German goalkeeper.

 

Three corners down the German end seemed to take minutes off the clock, only for Portugal to attack one last time. It resulted in a free kick, with Serge Gnabry earning a yellow card, as well as substitute Florian Neuhaus for dissent. Unfortunately for Ronaldo, the angle and distance were too great for any kind of wonder goal.

 

From there, Germany held on for the win, and a place in the Semi Finals, taking on France.

 

July 8, 2020

Italy 3 Sweden 4

 

Sweden needed their best game against Italy, who had bounced back into Euro 2020 from their opening group match defeat against Belgium.

 

And in the tenth minute, it seemed like Italy would be leaving at the Quarter Final stage as Marcus Berg was found with a through ball, and he pocketed the opener with his left foot.

 

However, Lorenzo Insigne scored in a mirror image of Berg’s, only he scored with his right foot, to level the match.

 

In the fourteenth minute, Berg went on a solo run, and nearly scored his second, only for Gianluigi Donnarumma to make the diving save. Robin Quaison, however, reached the rebound first, and though Donnarumma got his body on the shot, it was not enough as the ball drifted into the back of the net, and Sweden once again had the lead, with three goals in four minutes.

 

In the 25th minute, Italy found themselves a player down as Ciro Immobile made a wild challenge from behind as Sweden maintained possession along the left wing. However, Italy nearly scored via Federico Bernardeschi, whose shot hit the left-hand post. Insigne also hit the same post when he was found alone with a choice through ball. Italy also made an early change off the bench to counter the red card, with Moise Kean also missing the goals twice, though the latter was from a great distance.

 

Right before the break, Sweden countered and nearly had a third goal, only for Donnarumma to save the shot of Albin Ekdal.

 

After the break, Kean almost set up Jorginho, only for Robin Olsen to make the crucial save. Olsen saved the day again as Kean won the ball in dangerous territory; the goalkeeper managed to close the ball as Kean slid, hoping to edge the ball home.

 

However, the pressure came to nought, as Italy’s need for a back three came unstuck as it had against Belgium, and Sebastian Larsson ran onto a ball from right midfield and pocketed Sweden’s third just before the hour mark.

 

Quaison then found a fourth as Italy went all out attack, only to come unstuck. He was able to wait for the pass alone in the box before shooting with the same power as Larsson.

 

Italy would not give up, with Kean nearly chipping the goalkeeper, only for the ball to be cleared. Insigne needed two shots to bypass Olsen, gaining his second and Italy’s as well, and giving his side a slim hope of a Semi Final berth.

 

Quaison nearly had another goal, only for Donnarumma to parry his shot. Then, in the 77th minute, Kean showed why he was brought on early with a low, slow shot around an advancing Olsen, bringing together a tense and vital last thirteen minutes of the match.

 

Player of the Match Insigne then found Jorginho with a looping pass across the field, only the latter’s shot was from too far out, and easy pickings for Olsen.

 

Sweden then held on at the death and survived the late charge, winning the match 4-3.

 

July 8, 2020

England 2 Switzerland 1

 

Sweden’s opponent became England as they faced against Switzerland in the last Quarter Final.

 

Haris Seferović scored in the second minute as he was found alone with a chipped pass. He chested the ball down, then chipped Jordan Pickford, and no English defender could reach the ball in time before it crossed the line.

 

England sought to level the match again, and Harry Kane started with a header off a corner falling straight to Yann Sommer. Raheem Sterling and Marcus Rashford combined down the right wing where the latter’s shot needed the left foot of Sommer to stop it. Sommer again came to the rescue from Jordan Henderson’s cross to Sterling.

 

Kane seemed injured, falling on his knee and ankle from an earlier aerial challenge. Meanwhile, Rashford’s header off a corner missed the mark. In the 41st minute, Rashford won the ball in a dangerous territory, only for his shot to fire over the crossbar as he attempted to shoot quickly before Sommer could advance on him.

 

After the break, Kane won a free kick on the edge of the box, though his kick flew over the bar. In the 50th minute, he shot and hit the side netting from a tight angle. Then, in the next passage of play, substitute Jack Grealish took a wild shot from long range. The sheer force was too much for Sommer, as the English restored the match at 1-1.

 

Kane then gave England the lead as he held onto the ball in spite of pressure from his marking man and nailed the goal with his right foot from directly in front of goal.

 

Switzerland, out of the match since their early goal, nearly tied the match again. Denis Zakaria ran onto a through ball and tried to chip Pickford, only for the goalkeeper to be alert to the danger.

 

Kane nearly scored again off a free kick, though his shot flew wide.

 

Down the Swiss end, Zakaria gifted a header for substitute Mario Gavranović, only for the shot to fly to the left of goal. However, thanks to Rashford holding possession for long periods at the death, England held on.

 

Now, with the final three matches to be played at Wembley Stadium, England will be a real threat to take the trophy.