Sunday, July 4, 2021 15 Insigne stunner sends Italy into semi-final clash with Spain MUNICH: A stunning strike by fired defeat means more European Championship quarter- Spinazzola injury Italy into the semi-finals of Euro 2020 on Friday as a final heartbreak for Belgium, who exited at the same Italy’s win came at a cost, with left-back Leonardo 2-1 win over Belgium sent them through to a last-four stage in 2016 after defeat by Wales. Belgium sorely Spinazzola out of the tournament with a leg injury. meeting with Spain. Nicolo Barella struck the opening missed their captain Eden Hazard, ruled out by a ham- “Leonardo had a great European championship. Now goal of the quarter-final in Munich before Insigne string injury, even as Kevin De Bruyne won his race to whoever replaces him will do the same,” said Italy curled in Italy’s second in an action-packed first half. shake off an ankle injury. defender . Italy had the ball in the net on 13 minutes when Bonucci chested it past Thibaut Courtois from a free- kick, but the goal was disallowed by VAR for an offside against captain . and Youri Tielemans both earned yellow cards for midfield tussles involving the pair. Verratti was booked for holding Tielemans in a tackle, while the Belgian picked up a yellow card moments later for clattering into the Italian. Italy broke MUNICH: Italy’s defender is stretchered the deadlock with 31 minutes played. When Belgium off the pitch injured during the Euro 2020 quarter-final foot- failed to clear, Verratti played the ball into Barella, who ball match between Belgium and Italy at the Allianz Arena in stayed on his feet, squeezed past two defenders and Munich on Friday. — AFP drilled across Courtois. A piece of brilliance on 44 minutes saw Napoli’s Insigne double the Italy lead when he was allowed to dribble to the edge of the area and then curl his shot Italy aiming to honor inside the post. However, Belgium got back into the game when a rush of blood saw injured Spinazzola concede a penalty for using his elbow to brush off Jeremy Doku, filling in for Hazard. Lukaku stepped up and rifled in the resulting spot- with Euro 2020 glory kick to halve the deficit. With an hour gone, Belgium MUNICH: Italy’s players celebrate victory after the Euro 2020 quarter-final football match between Belgium and Italy at the had the best chance of the second half, coming agoniz- MUNICH: Lorenzo Insigne says Italy are gunning for Allianz Arena in Munich on Friday. — AFP ingly close to an equalizer, when De Bruyne’s cross led Euro 2020 glory in honor of left-back Leonardo to Lukaku having his shot blocked by the thigh of Spinazzola, who is out of a tournament he has lit up Spinazzola. after injuring his Achilles tendon in the Azzurri’s Belgium grabbed a lifeline just before the break The Manchester City playmaker showed why the Martinez brought on fresh legs up front with Dries thrilling quarter-final win over Belgium. when Romelu Lukaku converted a penalty, but medical staff worked around the clock to get him fit Mertens and Nacer Chadli for the final 20 minutes. Spinazzola, 28, was stretchered off after 79 minutes Roberto Martinez’s side ultimately fell short against a by regularly causing Italy problems, but Romelu There was an almost instant impact when Mertens fed and is expected to be sidelined for several months. “It’s disciplined Italian defense. “We scored two and we Lukaku twice was denied by . Chadli, whose cross-cum-shot was deflected by Di a great loss for us. We are now trying to go very far — could have scored more,” said Italy coach Roberto “It was a miracle that I played, because there was Lorenzo just out of the reach of Lukaku and Thorgan for him. He was so important for this team,” said Mancini. “I think the victory is fully deserved. Spain definitely damage to my ankle,” said De Bruyne. “We Hazard. With time running out, Doku fired over after Insigne, who scored the stunning second goal in are next but the more you go forward the most difficult tried everything to win that match. Getting eliminat- beating three defenders, while a last-gasp De Bruyne Friday’s 2-1 win in Munich. it becomes.” ed is always a disappointment. Too bad I couldn’t do free-kick also failed to beat the Italy defense as the “We’ll try to do everything we can to make it to the While Italy face Spain at Wembley on Tuesday, more.” Azzurri clung on. — AFP final for him,” he added ahead of Tuesday’s semi-final against Spain at Wembley. A video of the Italian team wildly cheering Spinazzola on the plane ride out of Munich went viral on social media. “We’re very sorry Germany’s Kroos for ‘Spina’, he didn’t deserve that,” said Italy coach . “He has played brilliantly, one of the retires from best players at the Euro. It’s such a shame, we wish him all the best.” Italy deserved the win in Bavaria as Nicolo Barella int’l football gave them the lead in the 31st minute before Insigne added the crucial second with a superb curling strike from outside the area. Belgium grabbed a lifeline when BERLIN: Germany Toni Kroos said Romelu Lukaku converted a penalty just before half- Friday he was retiring from international football, time, but the Red Devils could not break the disci- days after the team was knocked out of Euro 2020 plined Italian defense after the break. by England. “I have played 106 times for Germany. Azzurri fans are now dreaming of seeing four-time There will not be another time,” the 31-year-old World Cup winners Italy claim the European Real Madrid star wrote on Twitter. Championship for the first time since 1968, with Spain “I had already made the decision to retire after standing in their way in the last four. “Now we contin- this tournament,” he added, referring to the ue to dream, but with our feet on the ground,” said European championships which ended for the defender Leonardo Bonucci. “We started the Germans when they lost 2-0 to England in the last European Championship with a dream in the drawer, 16 on Tuesday at Wembley. “It had been clear to me let’s leave it there. We have a match against Spain, a for a while that I will not be available for the World national team that didn’t look like going all the way, but Cup 2022 in Qatar.” got back up. It will be a great match.”—AFP Kroos said he planned in the next years to place his “full concentration” on Real Madrid. “I would also like to be there more as husband and father for my wife and children,” he wrote. “Due to the (inter- Petkovic proud national) breaks that I will get in the future, I believe that I can recharge my battery better,” he added. Thanking supporters and critics alike, Kroos also of Swiss ‘heroes’ had special words for Joachim Loew, who bowed SAINT PETERSBURG: Spain’s goalkeeper Unai Simon saves a kick by Switzerland’s defender Manuel Akanji during a penal- out as national coach on Tuesday following 15 years ty shoot-out at the end of the Euro 2020 quarter-final football match between Switzerland and Spain at the Saint despite loss in the job. “He made me a national team player and a Petersburg Stadium in Saint Petersburg on Friday. — AFP world champion. He trusted me. We wrote a success story together.” SAINT PETERSBURG: Switzerland coach Vladimir Loew first picked Kroos for a friendly against performances which saw Spain draw their first two Petkovic hailed his players as “heroes” on Friday after Argentina in 2010. He went on to play a bit-part in Simon saves lift group games against Sweden and Poland. But the they fell just short of reaching a first major tournament that year’s World Cup campaign in South Africa 2008 and 2012 winners had made a dream start to semi-final with defeat by Spain on penalties at Euro when the Germans finished third. Four years later he this quarter-final, taking the lead in fortunate cir- 2020. The Swiss, playing in their first major quarter- was a key component, playing every minute of Spain past Swiss cumstances in only the eighth minute. final since 1954, saw Remo Freuler sent off in the 77th every game and scoring twice in the 7-1 semi-final A corner was cleared only as far as Jordi Alba, minute but hung on to force spot-kicks after a 1-1 draw demolition of hosts Brazil, as Loew’s side lifted the to reach semis whose left-footed volley was diverted past Sommer in Saint Petersburg, only to lose 3-1. World Cup trophy. by Switzerland midfielder Zakaria, only playing in “My players are the heroes of the night,” said Kroos said he had considered retiring after place of Xhaka. It was the 10th own goal of Euro Petkovic, whose side had beaten world champions Germany’s disastrous 2018 World Cup campaign in SAINT PETERSBURG: Goalkeeper Unai Simon 2020, more than the other 15 editions combined. France on penalties in a thrilling last-16 tie. “We would Russia, when they finished last in their group, but was the hero as Spain edged past 10-man Alvaro Morata wasted an excellent opportunity have deserved to go through. I have mixed feelings. A Loew talked him out of it. “The trainer had to call Switzerland 3-1 on penalties on Friday to set up a by heading too close to Sommer when unmarked, lot of pride, because we gave everything and we leave more than once,” Kroos told German daily Bild, Euro 2020 semi-final against Italy. After a 1-1 draw but then Switzerland started to grow into the game. here with our heads held high. On the other hand, we revealing that Loew’s replacement Hansi Flick had in Saint Petersburg which saw the Swiss play for 43 Switzerland had a brilliant chance for a leveler in the were so close to the semi-final, and that doesn’t hap- wanted Kroos to stay on after Euro 2020. minutes a man down, Simon made two saves in the 64th minute, as Shaqiri sparked a quick counter- pen every year.” Kroos says he would have “loved” to have seen shoot-out to help keep Spain’s bid for a record attack which ended with Simon reacting well to Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer was unfortunate to Germany go on to reach the Euro 2020 final and fourth European crown alive. keep out Steven Zuber’s stabbed effort at his near be on the losing side after making eight saves in extra win “this one big title”. “It was a great honor for me “Football was just there. We are deserved win- post. time and keeping out a penalty in the shoot-out. But to wear this jersey for such a long time. I did it with ners,” said Simon, who made an embarrassing error his opposite number Unai Simon saved twice, with pride and passion,” he added. in the 5-3 last-16 win over Croatia. “Just like we had Shaqiri strikes both teams also missing the target once. “Yann There had been calls to drop Kroos during Euro to erase the memory of that mistake in the last But the underdogs found the equalizer they (Sommer) — he’s a hero,” added Petkovic. “He didn’t 2020 after below-par performances in the group match, it’s time to quickly forget this triumph deserved four minutes later, as Freuler latched onto have that bit of luck in the penalty shoot-out.” — AFP stages. Yet the midfielder said the doubters only because we face a tough rival in the next match.” a loose ball after a mix-up in the Spanish defense spurred him on, “thanks to all the critics for their It was heartbreak for Switzerland, who were bid- and squared for Shaqiri to slot into the far corner extra motivation,” he wrote. — AFP ding for reach the semi-finals of a major tournament and score his third goal of the tournament. The pat- for the first time in their history. Spain forged ahead tern of the game changed in the 77th minute early on when Denis Zakaria put through his own though, when referee Michael Oliver gave Freuler net, but Switzerland were the better side for long his marching orders for a sliding challenge on periods and Xherdan Shaqiri, standing in for the Spanish substitute Moreno. suspended Granit Xhaka as captain, equalized in the Switzerland managed to keep Spain at bay until 68th minute. the end of normal time with relative ease, but in the The Swiss were reduced to 10 men with 13 min- third minute of the additional half an hour Moreno utes remaining, though, when midfielder Remo should have put Spain back in front, only to miskick Freuler was controversially dismissed for a tackle on Alba’s cross wide from close range. Switzerland Gerard Moreno. Switzerland goalkeeper Yann were perhaps lucky not to have another man sent Sommer, the hero of the penalty shoot-out win over off shortly afterwards, when Silvan Widmer escaped world champions France in the last 16, made a string a second yellow card for a cynical foul on Dani of fine saves in extra time. Olmo. But Simon saved from Fabian Schaer and Manuel Moreno somehow passed up another golden Akanji, while Ruben Vargas blazed over in a tense opportunity, denied at point-blank range by finale as Spain snuck through, with Mikel Oyarzabal Sommer, before the Borussia Moenchengladbach SAINT PETERSBURG: Switzerland’s coach Vladimir Petkovic smashing home the winning spot-kick. “We have to stopper made an excellent diving save from SAINT PETERSBURG: Switzerland’s coach Vladimir Petkovic speaks to his players before penalty shoot-outs during the go into the semi-final fresh, confident and with our Oyarzabal. Sommer made eight saves in extra time speaks to his players before penalty shoot-outs during the Euro 2020 quarter-final football match between Switzerland heads high. We have to win the Euro now,” added alone, but his one in the shoot-out from Rodri was Euro 2020 quarter-final football match between Switzerland and Spain at the Saint Petersburg Stadium in Saint Athletic Bilbao’s Simon. not enough, despite Sergio Busquets also hitting the and Spain at the Saint Petersburg Stadium in Saint Petersburg on Friday. — AFP After scoring 10 goals in their previous two post, as Switzerland missed three of their four Petersburg on Friday. — AFP matches, this was a return to the type of profligate penalties. — AFP