January 24, 2025

Euro 2020 live score and updates: Italy and Spain in scoreless battle

Italy #Italy

a crowd of people watching a baseball game: Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal reacts during the Euro 2020 semifinal with Italy. (Justin Tallis/Pool via AP) Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal reacts during the Euro 2020 semifinal with Italy. (Justin Tallis/Pool via AP)

For the fourth straight European Championship, Italy and Spain are meeting in the knockout round — this time with a spot in the final on the line.

The soccer powerhouses, which have claimed four European titles and five World Cup crowns between them, are meeting Tuesday in a Euro 2020 semifinal at Wembley Stadium in London, in front of the biggest crowd of this tournament thus far. The match is scoreless at halftime.

Italy, which beat Belgium, 2-1, in the quarterfinals, is the only team with a perfect record at Euro 2020, having won all five of its matches. Spain went 1-0-2 in the group stage, then needed extra time to oust Croatia in the round of 16 and a shootout to defeat Switzerland in the quarterfinals.

  • The match is available on ESPN and ESPN-Plus, as well as Univision.
  • The winner will face the victor of Wednesday’s semifinal between England and Denmark at Wembley Stadium, with the title game set for 3 p.m. Eastern time Sunday, also at Wembley.
  • A European title would represent redemption for Italy or Spain after the Italians failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and the Spaniards were upset by Russia in that tournament’s round of 16.
  • 3:31 PM: Spain controlling possession in the early going

    a group of baseball players playing a football game: Italy's goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma saves a shot by Spain's Dani Olmo. (Laurence Griffiths/Pool via AP) Italy’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma saves a shot by Spain’s Dani Olmo. (Laurence Griffiths/Pool via AP)

    Spain survived an early Italian scare compliments of an offside call in the opening minutes. La Roja has since controlled the ball, enjoying better than 70 percent of possession, according to ESPN, much to the delight of the Spanish partisans in the crowd.

    Both semifinals as well as Sunday’s final will be opened to more than 60,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in London. The crowds, the largest of this tournament, are arriving even as new cases of coronavirus infections are soaring in Britain.

    By: Glynn A. Hill

    3:03 PM: Emerson replaces the injured Spinazzola for Italy

    Chelsea defender Emerson replaces left back Leonardo Spinazzola in Italy’s lone lineup change from its quarterfinal win over Belgium. Spinazzola ruptured his Achilles’ tendon in the quarterfinal.

    The remaining starting lineup, which includes team assist leaders Marco Verratti and Nicolò Barella, remains intact.

    By: Glynn A. Hill

    2:57 PM: Spain makes three lineup changes after Switzerland win

    Spanish manager Luis Enrique rotated Mikel Oyarzabal and Dani Olmo into his starting front line against Italy, replacing Álvaro Morata and Pablo Sarabia, who started against Switzerland. Central defender Eric García will start in place of Pau Torres.

    Morata, Sarabia and Ferran Torres are the team’s leading scorers (two goals each) in Euro 2020 entering Tuesday’s match. Oyarzabal netted the game-winning penalty kick to defeat Switzerland in the quarterfinal.

    By: Glynn A. Hill

    2:52 PM: UEFA invites Christian Eriksen, paramedics to Euro final

    UEFA invited Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen and the paramedics who helped save his life to attend the Euro 2020 final at London’s Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

    Eriksen suffered cardiac arrest during Denmark’s opening group stage match against Finland before paramedics resuscitated him on the field. He was taken to a hospital and has since been released after undergoing a procedure in which an implantable cardioverter defibrillator — what his doctor called a heart starter ——was placed in his heart. UEFA said Eriksen, his partner and six medics were invited, according to Reuters, although it isn’t clear if he will attend.

    One of the paramedics, Peder Ersgaard, told the Dutch magazine Fagbladet FOA that he anticipated UEFA would send the paramedics a thank-you note or a T-shirt after it requested his email and address. Instead, he received an invitation to attend the game. “I’m excited, like a child on Christmas Eve,” he said, according to Reuters.

    Denmark has a chance to play in that final if it defeats England on Wednesday.

    By: Glynn A. Hill

    2:35 PM: Spain vies for return to European Championship final

    a group of people playing football on a field: Spain celebrates its win over Switzerland on penalties in the quarterfinal round. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters) Spain celebrates its win over Switzerland on penalties in the quarterfinal round. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)

    Spain needed penalties to advance past Switzerland in the quarterfinals despite plenty of opportunities in a 1-1 draw. Sergio Busquets missed the opening shot during the penalties, but the Swiss failed to convert their final three attempts, clearing Spain’s passage to the semifinals against favored Italy.

    Spain’s path has been rockier than that of its opponent. After surrendering a pair of late goals to Croatia in the round of 16, Spain scored twice in extra time to finish off a wild 5-3 win.

    La Roja drew with Sweden (0-0) and Poland (1-1) in its first two group stages games, then hammered Slovakia, 5-0, in the third.

    The team is looking for its first major final since winning the 2012 European Championship. That capped a four-year span in which Spain also won the 2008 European title and the 2010 World Cup.

    By: Glynn A. Hill

    2:24 PM: Italy looks to continue impressive form against Spain

    Italy, the tournament’s only team with five wins in five matches, has arguably been the most impressive side in this European Championship.

    It triumphed over Belgium, 2-1, in the quarterfinal round, extending its recent run of form and further narrowing the window of opportunity for the Belgians’ so-called golden generation. The Azzurri previously outlasted Austria in extra time in the round of 16 after defeating Turkey, Switzerland and Wales by a combined 7-0 margin in the group stage.

    Italy suffered a 4-0 defeat to Spain in Kyiv in 2012 when the two powerhouses last played in a European Championship final.

    Italy will play Tuesday’s semifinal without left back Leonardo Spinazzola, who ruptured his Achilles tendon against Belgium.

    By: Glynn A. Hill

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