Italy's Reserves Beat Wales 1-0 at Euro 2020
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MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 10 Qualifier Samsonova downs Bencic in Berlin to win first WTA title Italy’s reserves beat Wales 1-0 at Euro 2020 Matteo Pessina ensures Italy top group as 10-man Wales finish second Harry Kane and Kieran Trippier AFP | Berlin number one Victoria Azarenka Matteo Pessina in Saturday’s semi-final. • ualifier Liudmila Sam- Despite having her service struck the winner and It’s important that the Qsonova capped her break- broken twice in losing the first Ethan Ampadu was sent identity of the team through week yesterday by set, Samsonova immediately off but Wales did enough remains the same, as winning her first WTA title applied pressure at the start of to seal their last-16 place changing three or four with victory over Belinda the second. Bencic in the final of the Berlin She racing into a 4-0 lead to players shouldn’t make grass court tournament. serve out the set, which she AFP | Rome any difference. They all Samsonova, 22, made a won by blasting down seven know what to do and mockery of her world ranking aces without reply. taly’s reserves really do play the end product doesn’t of 106 to recover from losing Bencic, ranked 12th in the as well as its starters. Or just change the first set to earn a 1-6, 6-1, world, was broken again about. I ROBERTO MANCINI 6-3 victory over Swiss fifth at the start of the deciding Roberto Mancini has been seed Bencic. set and Samsonova applied saying for weeks that all 26 straight under coaching great It was another display of enough pressure at 5-3 up to members of his squad are start- Vittorio Pozzo from 1935-39 power tennis from the Russian convert her second match ers. And after beating Wales 1-0 with a team that won its second who stunned former world point. yesterday despite making eight consecutive World Cup. changes to his starting lineup at It’s been a remarkable turn- the European Championship, Matteo Pessina of Italy controls the ball around for this Italy squad, Today’s games it’s hard to argue with him. which failed to qualify for the Euro 2020 “It’s important that the iden- lead late in the first half by redi- as we qualify we’re happy,” 2018 World Cup. tity of the team remains the recting a free kick from Marco Wales defender Neco Williams “Pozzo won many important Group C: North Macedonia vs Netherlands (19:00, Amsterdam) same, as changing three or four Verratti on a textbook play. said. “In the changing room it trophies, too, so we’re still far Group C: Ukraine vs Austria (19:00, Bucharest) players shouldn’t make any dif- Wales defender Ethan Am- feels like we won the game.” behind that level,” Mancini said. Group B: Russia vs Denmark (22:00, Copenhagen) ference. They all know what to padu was sent off with a ques- Switzerland ended up third in “Anyone who goes through to do and the end product doesn’t tionable straight red card for the group, also with four points, the round of 16 can win the Eu- Group B: Finland vs Belgium (22:00, St Petersburg) change,” Mancini said. stepping on Federico Ber - after beating Turkey 3-1 in Baku, ros, that’s for sure.” “They all proved today that nardeschi 10 minutes into the Azerbaijan. On a warm and humid Tomorrow’s games everyone here is a first-choice second half. Chasing only its second Euro- evening at the Stadio Olimpico, Copa America player,” the coach added. “Win- Italy, which won its open- pean title, Italy will play the sec- Italy controlled from the start ning wasn’t even necessary, ing two matches 3-0, finished ond-place team from Group C and Andrea Belotti and Feder- Uruguay vs Chile (00:00, Cuiaba) which made it difficult in terms Group A with a perfect nine at Wembley Stadium in London ico Chiesa both came close to Argentina vs Paraguay (03:00, Brasilia) of mentality, but we fought for points. Wales came second with next Saturday. Wales will play scoring before Pessina put the the win anyway and that shows four points and qualified for the second-place team from Azzurri ahead. Results so much.” the last 16 at only its second Group B in Amsterdam. Verratti earned a foul that set EURO 2020 *Scores as of closing The victory extended Italy’s European Championship. The The victory also marked Ita- up a free kick on the right flank unbeaten streak to 30 matches Welsh reached the semifinals ly’s 11th straight win and clean and then whipped in a low cross Italy 1 0 Wales — matching a team record. at Euro 2016. sheet. that Pessina flicked into the far Switzerland 3 1 Turkey Matteo Pessina gave Italy the “Our focus today was as long The Azzurri first won 30 corner with his back to the goal. I was expecting more, admits Spain coach Luis Enrique after another draw Humbert stuns Rublev Lewandowski to claim Halle title saves• Poland as Spain’s I was expecting six Morata misses rebound points and zero goals of redemption conceded. But this is the situation. We’re AFP | Madrid coming into the crunch match now and if we uis Enrique admitted he ex- want to progress we Lpected more from Spain at need to win. If we win, Euro 2020 after a 1-1 draw with we’ll go through. If not, Poland on Saturday left his team facing a fight to reach the last 16. we’ll be out. That’s the Gerard Moreno missed a pen- reality alty and Alvaro Morata squan- LUIS ENRIQUE dered the rebound as Spain’s Poland’s Robert Lewandowski scores their equaliser scoring woes struck again, with hopes of progress alive. tempting a delicate chip when Robert Lewandowski’s header “If it was a boxing match we power might have been better, earning Poland a valuable point would have won on points but but Poland were dangerous on France’s Ugo Humbert poses with a trophy as he celebrates after winning the in Seville. Poland could have won too,” the break, Lewandowski tearing final against Russia’s Andrey Rublev After starting with a stale - said Luis Enrique. “They had away after a poor pass by Rodri mate against Sweden, Spain sit chances, they caused us prob- only to be marshalled out by AFP | Halle in which he powered down third in Group E and may well 60 lems.” Jordi Alba. five aces, Humbert converted now have to beat Slovakia in goals have been scored by Luis Enrique had launched Morata’s best moment came his fourth set point in a hard their final game on Wednesday Robert Lewandowski this a passionate and prepared de- in the 25th minute and it could rance’s Ugo Humbert fought game. to avoid an embarrassing early season fence of Morata on Friday as he hardly have been easier, even if a Fpulled off an upset win Rublev made precious few exit. said the team would be “Morata little shuffle put him in the right over fourth seed Andrey Ru- mistakes in the second set until “I was expecting more,” said and 10 others”. position to poke in Moreno’s blev yesterday to claim the big- losing his serve at 5-4 in the Luis Enrique. “I was expecting But he also replaced Ferran shot from the right. gest title of his career in the tie-break, when Humbert held six points and zero goals con- to Morata but with Wojciech Torres in the starting line-up The offside flag went up and final of the Halle grass court his serve to convert his first ceded. But this is the situation. Szczesny committed down to with Moreno, the Villarreal Spain’s players appeared to ex- tournament. match point. “We’re coming into the his right, the goal was open for striker whose 23 goals was sec- pect the cancellation but instead Humbert, ranked 31 in the Humbert had already crunch match now and if we the striker to score his second. ond only to Lionel Messi last the goal stood, prompting Alba world, earned a 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) thrown down a marker earli- want to progress we need to Instead, the whistles that season in La Liga. to fling his arms around Morata, victory over world number er in the week in Halle when win. If we win, we’ll go through. accompanied Morata against who then dashed over to his seven Russia’s Rublev in one he knocked out French Open If not, we’ll be out. That’s the Sweden last week were saved Dangerous Poland coach, a show of thanks for the hour, 24 minutes. semi-finalist Alexander Zverev reality.” for the whole Spanish team at Morata almost gave away faith placed in him. Having won two ATP 250 in the second round. Morata poked in from close the final whistle. an early penalty with an over- Poland came again though and titles in his career, this was the Rublev had been the last re- range to put Spain in front but Poland, meanwhile, formed ly-zealous challenge in the box, twice went close before half- first tournament win at 500 maining seed in the draw from Lewandowski’s 60th goal of the a huddle on the pitch before while Mateusz Klich rippled time, Karol Swiderski hitting level for the 22-year-old, who the quarter-finals onwards season pulled Poland level be- going to over to salute their the top of the net with an effort the post with a curling shot that has won all three finals he has after top players like Roger fore Moreno’s penalty hit the supporters, after the deadly from distance soon after.