SWITZERLAND 1-1 SPAIN (Spain win 3-1 on penalties after extra time)
- Goal: Xherdan Shaqiri (€7.6m)
- Assist: Remo Freuler (€5.5m)
- Own goal: Denis Zakaria (€4.9m)
- Red card: Freuler
While Fantasy managers will be relieved that Spain have made it through, a second consecutive 120-minute outing could have Luis Enqriue’s line-up in flux.
To emphasise that point, neither Pablo Sarabia (€6.9m) nor Alvaro Morata (€9.1m) made the 60-minute mark against a ten-man Switzerland.
Dani Olmo (€7.2m) impressed again on his introduction, having taken Sarabia’s left-wing spot at half time.
And Morata did not last much longer, with Gerard Moreno (€6.9m) brought on up front after 55 minutes.
“It’s pretty clear what Morata and Gerard [Moreno] have been through here. They are both my players and I absolutely adore them both.” – Luis Enrique
Ferran Torres did last the 90 minutes but was subbed off for extra time, with the eventual winning penalty taker Mikel Oyarzabal (€7.6m) brought on.
Jordi Alba (€6.3m) fortuitously opened the scoring for Spain after eight minutes. A Koke (€7.4m) corner flew over the head of Aymeric Laporte (€6.3m) in the box, with Alba then striking a half-volley from outside the area.
His shot, while on target, appeared to be relatively harmless. But a block attempt from Denis Zakaria (€4.9m) sent the ball in the opposite direction, straight past a helpless Yan Sommer (€5.0m).
Despite initially awarding the goal to Alba, UEFA subsequently changed it to a Zakaria own goal with the Spain left-back earning an assist.
After 67 minutes, a mix-up between centre-backs Laporte and Pau Torres (€4.9m) allowed Remo Freuler (€5.5m) space in the area. He played a simple square pass to Xherdan Shaqiri (€7.6m), who found the bottom corner to equalise.
Freuler saw red after 77 minutes, with the rest of the match of a game of attack versus defence. Spain were unable to break the Swiss down in normal time and extra time, with Olmo the most dangerous Spanish attacker in the latter period of the tie.
“We faced Switzerland knowing their level and their capacity. The opponents didn’t press us as high as they might have. The game went into a dangerous phase at 1-0, and they were building good breaks. But from the red card the game changed around completely – we dominated, were dangerous and created chances.” – Luis Enrique
Switzerland XI (3-4-1-2): Sommer; Rodriguez, Akanji, Elvedi; Zuber (Fassnacht 90+1′), Freuler, Zakaria (Schar 101′), Widmer (Mbabu 100′); Shaqiri (Sow 80′); Embolo, Seferovic (Gavranovic 81′).
Spain XI (4-3-3): Simon; Alba, P Torres (Thiago 112′), Laporte, Azpilicueta; Pedri (Rodri 118′), Busquets, Koke (M Llorente 90′); Sarabia (Olmo 45′), Morata (Moreno 54′), F Torres (Oyarzabal 91′).
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Moreno and Olmo ended level on total attempts (6) following their introductions, with the striker guilty of missing two big chances. Olmo, meanwhile, only landed one effort on target.
“We’ll resolve our various errors by working on the training ground. You make a mistake and the test is being mentally strong. Right now I feel a ‘liberation’ that we’ve won. If not, I think the misses would have played on my mind.” – Gerard Moreno
Olmo also managed the most final-third touches of any player on show, just ahead of Pedri (€6.1m) and Alba. The midfielder, owned by just 2% of Fantasy managers, could earn some Fantasy interest for the semi-final stage.
BELGIUM 1-2 ITALY
- Goals: Romelu Lukaku (€11.4m) | Nicolo Barella (€7.3m), Lorenzo Insigne (€8.6m)
- Assist: Marco Verratti (€6.8m)
Romelu Lukaku (€11.4m) grabbed a return for his huge 58% ownership but could not stop Belgium crashing out of EURO 2020.
A Nicolo Barella (€7.3m) goal and a Lorenzo Insigne (€8.6m) wonder strike were enough to see Italy through to the semi-finals, where they meet Spain on Tuesday.
Lukaku had a golden opportunity to double his tally – having scored a first-half penalty – after 60 minutes, when Jeremy Doku (€7.0m) went on a mazy run before finding Kevin De Bruyne (€10.6m) moving into the area.
De Bruyne’s left-footed cross found Lukaku at the back post, where Leonardo Spinazzola (€5.6m) somehow managed to get his body in the way of the striker’s goal-bound effort.
Not too long after, the Italy left-back unfortunately pulled up during a sprint attempt and was stretchered from the pitch in a state of distress.
It seems likely that his tournament is over, with a serious Achilles injury being reported.
Italy capitalised on a Jan Vertonghen (€5.6m) error to open the scoring after 30 minutes.
After a ball into the Belgium box, the ex-Spurs man attempted to play out from the back but found Marco Verratti (€6.8m) with an errant pass.
The midfielder found his partner Barella inside the area, with the Inter Milan player finding the inside of Thibaut Courtois‘ (€6.3m) net under pressure from three Belgium defenders.
Insigne added a stunning second on 44 minutes, curling a superb shot past the outstretched left arm of Courtois into the side of the goal.
On the stroke of half time, Doku won a penalty after a rash foul on the winger by Giovanni Di Lorenzo (€5.2m).
Having already made good saves from De Bruyne and Lukaku, Gianluigi Donnarumma (€5.8m) conceded to the Inter Milan striker’s spot-kick just before the interval.
Spinazzola almost got on the scoresheet in the 66th minute, playing it up the line to Insigne before marauding into the box. The winger’s pass over the top found the defender, who put a left-footed volley just wide.
Substitute Nacer Chadli (€6.0m) then saw his semi-blocked cross spin just over Lukaku’s head and beyond Thorgan Hazard (€8.2m) at the back post, as Italy held on for the win but lost Spinazzola to injury in the process.
Belgium XI (3-4-2-1): Courtois; Vertonghen, Vermaelen, Alderweireld; T Hazard, Witsel, Tielemans (Mertens 68′), Meunier (Chadli 69′, Praet 73′); Doku, De Bruyne; Lukaku.
Italy XI (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Spinazzola (Emerson 79′), Chiellinil, Bonucci, Di Lorenzo; Verratti (Cristante 73′), Jorginho, Barella; Insigne, Immobile (Belotti 73′), Chiesa (Toloi 90′).
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Federico Chiesa (€7.2m) was shooting for fun against the Belgians, racking up five attempts – though the winger, who almost managed the full game, failed to find the target with any of his efforts.
