THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 2021 10

Olympic swim champ Paltrinieri sidelined with glandular fever before Tokyo Games Sweden scores late to beat Poland at Euro 2020 Claesson’s late strike for Sweden seals top spot with victory over Poland

Two goals from Robert• Lewandowski weren’t enough to save Poland, who fought hard but still go home

AFP | London Winner Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Romanchuk (up) and second-placed Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri react after the final of the Men’s 800m Freestyle iktor Claesson scored Swimming event an injury-time winner as Sweden beat Poland 3-2 AFP | Milan V known as mononucleosis or in Saint Petersburg yesterday to mono. clinch top spot in Group E and lympic swimming cham- “Paltrinieri is a phenomenal knock their opponents out of Opion Gregorio Paltrinieri champion and he’ll fight to the Euro 2020. is suffering from glandular fe- last metre to take the medals struck twice, ver a month before his 1,500m he dreams of in Tokyo. the first coming after just 81 sec- title defence in Tokyo, the Ital- “He has never given up on onds, but ’s ian swimming federation (FIN) anything.” double gave Poland hope of announced. The 26-year-old has cut back qualifying before Claesson’s “Paltrinieri is suffering from on training and will not take late goal sent Sweden through mononucleosis although his part in the Sette Colli Trophy as group winners. symptoms are light,” FIN pres- in Rome starting Friday. Sweden will likely play ident Paolo Barelli said. Paltrinieri, a two-time world Ukraine in the last 16 after pip- “We’ll know the effects champion over 1,500m, took ping Spain to first place, with Poland’s Grzegorz Krychowiak, left, and Sweden’s Emil Forsberg vie for the ball of the infection day by day,” silver over 800m and 1,500m Slovakia exiting alongside Po- added Barelli of the infec - at this year’s European cham- land following a crushing 5-0 wandowski hit the crossbar Lewandowski halved the defi- tious viral illness commonly pionships in Budapest. defeat in Seville. twice in a matter of seconds, cit with a brilliant solo effort on ’s side, safe incredibly failing to convert his 61 minutes, bending into the top in the knowledge they were own rebound from point-blank corner to become his country’s assured of a place in the next range after connecting with Pi- all-time leading scorer at the Tomorrow’s games round before kickoff, made a otr Zielinski’s corner. KNOW WHAT tournament. Copa America dream start as Forsberg scored Zielinski forced Poland had not scored more for the second game in a row, into a pair of flying saves with than once in any of their previ- Bolivia vs Uruguay (00:00, Cuiaba) netting the second-fastest goal shots from distance either side ous 13 matches at the finals, but Chile vs Paraguay (03:00, Brasilia) in European Championship of halftime, with the Sweden Poland had not scored Lewandowski took advantage of history. goalkeper also making a fine more than once in any confusion between Victor Lin- Results The RB Leipzig attacker col- stop from Grzegorz Krychowi- of their previous 13 delof and to EURO 2020 *Scores as of closing lected a loose ball just outside ak’s long-range shot. matches at the finals equalise six minutes from time. the Poland area after Kamil Glik Juventus winger Dejan Ku- As Poland desperately pushed Slovakia 0 5 Spain flattened , riding lusevski came on 10 minutes His driving run and pass set for a winner, Sweden snatched Sweden 3 2 Poland a challenge from Kamil Jozwiak into the second half for his first up Forsberg to curl in Sweden’s all three points right at the before firing into the far corner. appearance after testing posi- second on 59 minutes, but Po- death when Kulusevski played Germany 2 2 Hungary With Poland needing vic - tive for Covid-19 just before the land responded to set up a thrill- in fellow substitute Claesson to Portugal 2 2 France tory to avoid elimination Le- tournament. ing finish. slot beyond Wojciech Szczesny. Modric leads Croatia into Euro 2020 last 16 at Scotland’s expense Scotland’s Euro 2020 dreams dashed as Croatia and Modric turn on the style Just as against the Czechs and net their first major tournament Scotland got England in their opening two goal since 1998. • games, Scotland were made to McGregor pounced on a loose their first goal of the pay for not taking their chances. ball at the edge of the box and, tournament but Luka No one is sure how Roared on by 12,000 fans in- on his weaker right foot, the Modric made the Luka manages that. side Hampden, Che Adams was Celtic midfielder drilled into difference to end the We expect that Luka inches away from connecting the bottom corner to spark ju- will go down, lose his with John McGinn’s dangerous bilant scenes. hosts’ last-16 hopes strength, but he is the cross early on. Scotland went down the tun- nel at half-time with a spring in force that pulls the Chasing shadows AFP | London whole team their step, but the physical ex- Croatia had barely threatened ertions of holding England four cotland’s hopes of reaching CROATIA BOSS ZLATKO DALIC before they went in front on 17 days earlier took their toll as the Sthe knockout stage of a major minutes. energy levels of Clarke’s men tournament for the first time old had shone on his first inter- Perisic headed down a loft- dipped in the second period. were ended in a 3-1 defeat to a national start in the 0-0 draw ed ball into the box and Vlasic Modric’s deft touch final- Luka Modric-inspired Croatia at against England on Friday. found space between three Scot- ly broke Scottish hearts on 62 on Tuesday that Without the Chelsea mid - land defenders to fire low into minutes. took the World Cup runners-up fielder, Scotland lacked anyone the corner. Croatia calmly worked the into the last 16 of Euro 2020. close to the class of Croatia’s Croatia then had Scotland opening at the edge of the box After ending a 23-year wait midfield maestros who even- chasing shadows for a spell as before the Real Madrid mid - just to qualify for a major tour- Croatia’s midfielder Luka Modric (C) shoots to score the seond goal tually ran the hosts into the the midfield trio of Modric, fielder caressed the ball into the nament, another historic feat hour mark restoring Croatia’s salt into Scottish wounds 13 ground with nearly two-thirds of Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo top corner with the outside of was beyond ’s Scot- lead. minutes from time as Croatia possession. Kovacic took control of the his right foot. land side who were undone by a “No one is sure how Luka pipped the Czech Republic to “Overall Croatia were the bet- game. Along with Modric, Perisic moment of magic from Modric. manages that,” Croatia boss Zlat- second place in Group D behind ter team on the night and some- “Modric was incredible,” said has consistently been one of Callum McGregor cancelled ko Dalic said of the 35-year-old. England. times you just have to accept Arsenal defender Kieran Tier- his country’s key performers at out Nikola Vlasic’s early opener “We expect that Luka will go Dalic’s side will face the run- that,” said Clarke. ney. “I think tonight was a big major tournaments for nearly a to give the hosts hope heading down, lose his strength, but he ners-up from Group E, featuring “We’re disappointed we ha- learning curve for us all. decade. into half-time. is the force that pulls the whole Spain, Sweden, Slovakia and Po- ven’t managed to get out the “They’ve been there before, The winger’s But Modric showed the class team. land, in Copenhagen next Mon- group stage. We’ll all sit down, the quality they showed it was flicked header from a Modric that made him the man to break “Anything I would say about day. take stock, look and see what hard for us to get going.” corner dropped in off the inside and Cristiano Ron- Luka would not be sufficient. Scotland’s preparation had we can do better in the future Modric’s blistering drive from of the post for his ninth goal at a aldo’s grip on the Ballon d’Or in I’m very proud to have such a been blighted by the loss of Bil- and make sure it is not 23 years outside the box was brilliantly World Cup or European Cham- 2018, a stunning strike with the player as part of our team.” ly Gilmour to a positive test for before we are at the next tour- tipped over by David Marshall. pionship to end any hope of a outside of his foot just after the Ivan Perisic’s header rubbed coronavirus after the 20-year- nament.” But Scotland bounced back to Scottish revival.