The Spanish footballers defeated Switzerland 3: 1 in a penalty shootout and are the first semifinalists of the European Championship. After 90 minutes and extra time, the game was played 1: 1 in St. Petersburg.
Coach Luis Enrique’s charges took the lead in the eighth minute thanks to Denis Zakaria’s own shot. An hour later, Xherdan Shaqiri leveled. From the 77th minute, the Swiss played without the elimination Rem Freuler. The second match of both teams in the elimination phase also reached extra time. The Spaniards had the upper hand in it, but despite great pressure they did not decide.
In the penalty shootout, Olmo, Moreno, Oyarzabal won for “La Roja” and only Gavranovic won for the Swiss. They did not transform the Spaniards Busquets and Rodri and on the other hand Schär, Akanji and Vargas. Thus, unlike the eight-final shootout with the reigning world champions, Switzerland failed.
The Spaniards are among the four best teams in the European Championship after nine years. Each time they won the quarterfinals, they dominated the tournament (1964, 2008 and 2012). With three triumphs, together with Germany, they are the most successful country on the Euro.
The team from the Iberian Peninsula, which defeated Croatia 5: 3 after extra time at the beginning of the elimination phase, will play in the final in London on July 6 with the best of the pair Belgium – Italy. This match is scheduled for today from 21:00.
The Swiss presented themselves in the quarterfinals of the big tournament for the first time since the domestic World Championships in 1954 and at the fifth start on the Euro for the first time. But he has to wait for the premiere semi-final participation in the international event.
“La Roja” opened the scoring in the eighth minute, when Alby’s shot from behind the penalty area was directed by Zakaria’s midfielder for Sommer’s goalkeeper. It was already the tenth own goal in this year’s tournament, while in the previous fifteen European championships from 1960 to 2016, a total of nine were scored.
The Spaniards tried to increase the lead. But Koke knocked the corner kick to Azpilicueta who whipped a low drive in off the far post.
In the 64th minute, Zuber did not mature from the angle of the goalkeeper Simón, but four minutes later Switzerland survived. After a misunderstanding of the Spanish stoppers Pau Torres and Laporte, the ball bounced off to Freuler, who presented it to the finishing Shaqiri, who replaced the kicked Xhak in the role of captain.
Freuler made a nice rush in the 77 minute, but was eventually stopped by Oliver. The match was extended and the Spaniards dominated it from the beginning, but Sommer took all their chances. But they were then more lucky in the shootout, even though Captain Busquets opened it with a shot into the bar. The Swiss did not repeat the penalty sovereignty from the previous match, after Gavranovic’s success, three shooters in a row were burned and Oyarzabal decided.
Spain has stretched a series of invincibility to 13 matches and confirmed that it is doing well against Switzerland. She lost only once in 23 matches.
European Football Championship – Quarterfinals (St. Petersburg):
Switzerland – Spain 1: 1 (1: 1, 0: 1) after extra time, on penalties 1: 3
Goals: 68. Shaqiri – 8th own Zakaria. The penalty was changed by: Olmo, Moreno, Oyarzabal – Gavranovic. The penalty was not changed: Busquets, Rodri – Schär, Akanji, Vargas. Judges: Oliver – Burt, Bennett – Kavanagh (video, all English). ZK: Widmer, Gavranovic – Laporte. ČK: 77. Freuler (Switzerland). Spectators: 24,764 (limited number).
Switzerland: Sommer – Elvedi, Akanji, Rodriguez – Widmer (100th Mbabu), Zakaria (101st Schär), Freuler, Zuber (90th + 2 barrel nights) – Shaqiri (81st Sow), Embolo (23rd Vargas) – Seferovic (82nd year) . Gavranovic). Trenér: Petkovic.
Spain: Simón – Azpilicueta, P. Torres (113. Alcantara), Laporte, Alba – Koke (90. + 1 Llorente), Busquets, Pedri (119. Rodri) – F. Torres (91. Oyarzabal), Morata (54. Moreno) , Sarabia (46. Olmo). Trenér: Enrique.
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