Ward’s Wales Reach EURO Knockout Stages Despite Italy Reverse
Danny Ward #DannyWard
Danny Ward featured for the third UEFA European Championships match in a row on Sunday as Wales’ qualification into the next stage was confirmed.
– Danny Ward started again as Wales were beaten 1-0 by Italy at Stadio Olimpico- The Dragons still reach the UEFA EURO 2020 Round of 16 stage despite the reverse- Çağlar Söyüncü also featured for Turkey against Switzerland in Group A- A 3-1 defeat confirmed the Crescent-Stars’ departure from the competition
Leicester City shot-stopper Ward, who impressed greatly as the Dragons secured four points from clashes with Switzerland and Turkey, was in goal once again as Rob Page’s men tackled one-time EURO winners Italy at Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
Despite a typically spirited showing from Wales in the Italian capital, Matteo Pessina’s neat finish on his Azzurri debut put Roberto Mancini’s hosts in a commanding position. In the second half, meanwhile, Chelsea youngster Ethan Ampadu was shown a red card for the Welsh.
Ward was impressive, too, and made several saves, including one from Bryan Cristante in added time. His side’s earlier exploits mean they finish second in Group A and will meet the runners-up in Group B – a pool which includes Belgium, Russia, Finland and Demmark – on Saturday in Amsterdam.
Çağlar Söyüncü
Elsewhere, Foxes defender Çağlar Söyüncü also made his third consecutive start at the tournament, but his Turkey side were on the losing side as Switzerland secured a 3-1 success in Baku.
Xherdan Shaqiri hit a brace and Haris Seferović found the net once for the Swiss and, although İrfan Can Kahveci briefly gave the Crescent-Stars hope, it wasn’t to be for Söyüncü and his team-mates, who finish fourth in Group A.
On Monday, Belgium (Youri Tielemans and Dennis Praet) tackle Finland in St Petersburg, while Denmark (Kasper Schmeichel) come up against Russia in Copenhagen as Group B comes to its conclusion. Make sure to check back to LCFC.com to find out how that Foxes contingent fare.