November 23, 2024

Italy pushed to extra time at Euro 2020, beats Austria 2-1

Austria #Austria

LONDON (AP) — Substitutes Federico Chiesa and Matteo Pessina both scored in extra time Saturday to give Italy a 2-1 victory over Austria and a spot in the European Championship quarterfinals.

An unmarked Chiesa brought down Leonardo Spinazzola’s high cross with his head, controlled the bouncing ball with his right boot and then used his other foot to shoot low into the net in the fifth minute of extra time.

Pessina, who came on midway through the second half, sent the ball into the far corner of the net in the 115th minute.

With the win at Euro 2020, Italy set national team records with its 12th straight victory and 31st straight match unbeaten.

Italy also set a world record for minutes played without conceding a goal in international soccer. The previous record was also Italy’s and was set with goalkeeper Dino Zoff in the team. The Italians went 1,143 minutes between 1972 and 1974 without allowing a goal.

But Italy soon conceded for the first time in 1,168 minutes, from a set piece in the 114th minute when Sasa Kalajdzic headed the ball in from a corner.

Italy will next play either defending champion Portugal or Belgium in the quarterfinals in Munich on Friday.

DENMARK 4, WALES 0

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Kasper Dolberg scored two goals in his old stadium to help Denmark beat Wales 4-0 and give the team a spot in the European Championship quarterfinals exactly two weeks after Christian Eriksen collapsed on the field during the team’s opening match.

Eriksen had to be resuscitated with a defibrillator and spent several days in the hospital before returning home last week.

Both Eriksen and Dolberg played for Ajax, the team that plays its home matches at the Johan Cruyff Arena. Much of the crowd of 16,000 was cheering on the Danes.

Dolberg, who was given his first start of the tournament by Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand, scored a goal in each half. Joakim Maehle scored the third in the 88th minute and Martin Braithwaite added the fourth in injury time.

It was the second match in a row that Denmark scored four times, after beating Russia 4-1 to qualify for the round of 16 after losing its first two matches. Denmark is the first nation to score four or more goals in consecutive matches in the history of the European Championship.

The Danes will next play either the Netherlands or the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals in Baku on Saturday.

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