ROME, ITALY – With what has been an exciting and thrilling EURO 2020 tournament, one half of the semifinals came in crystal clear view thanks to two thrilling matches featuring Italy-Belgium and Spain-Switzerland.
Italy 2 Belgium 1: Thanks to two goals from midfielder Nicolo Barella (31’) and another on a magnificent strike from Lorenzo Insigne (44’), Italy advanced past a stubborn Belgian Red Devil side that was as good as advertised.
In a game that was built up as perhaps the match of the entire tournament, Italy and Belgium lived up to the hype thanks to spectacular moments such as Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s save on a strike from Belgian midfielder Kevin de Bruyne.
Belgium would tally on a goal from Romelu Lukaku (45’ + 2’) on a penalty kick right before the end of the first half. The game would take an ugly turn when Italian left-back Leonardo Spinazzola ruptured his Achilles in the 79th minute and would have to be stretchered off the field.
Per media reports, the Roma standout is expected to miss several months.
Spain 1 Switzerland 1 (Spain wins on penalty kicks, 3-1): Thanks to an exciting and thrilling shootout in penalties, Spain advanced to the EURO semifinals over 10-man Switzerland, 3-1 on penalties. Thanks to an own goal by Spain’s Denis Zakaria (8’) and a Swiss goal from Xheridan Shaqiri (68’), the game was tired at 1-1 before going to penalties.
Following a critical miss by Ruben Vargas in penalties, Mikel Oyarzabal’s clinching penalty helped La Furia Roja advance to the EURO semifinals.