Day 11 gave us the final round of action from both Group B and Group D. Yesterday’s unexpected results can potentially set-up some juicy Round of 16 encounters.
Group B saw Spain ease past Albania with a heavily-rotated side to finish their group stage with a 100% record, while Italy’s late equaliser against Croatia meant the Azzurri secured qualification at the expense of their opponents.
Group D, on the other hand, saw Robert Lewandowski-led Poland hold France to a 1-1 draw, while Austria’s exciting 3-2 win over the Netherlands saw them top the group and throw a spanner in the Netherlands and France’s aspirations.
Let’s break down all the action from Day 11 of UEFA Euro 2024.
Spain beat Albania 1-0 to complete their group stage with a 100% record, with one of the third-placed teams awaiting them in the Round of 16s before a potential juicy encounter with either Germany or Denmark in the quarter-finals.
A 13th-minute goal from Ferran Torres and goalkeeper David Raya’s stoppage-time save from Armando Broja ensured Spain completed the group stage without conceding a goal.
Spain got the job done, but this 1-0 win was far less convincing than their victory by the same margin over Italy in their last game. With ten changes made to the starting XI, defender Aymeric Laporte was the only player to start both games.
A 98th-minute equaliser from Mattia Zaccagni secured Italy’s place in the knockout stages at the expense of their opponents.
For long spells in the second half, it looked like Italy did not have the answers when faced with adversity against Croatia. However, Zaccagni’s dramatic goal in the dying moments of the match cancelled out Luka Modric’s goal for Croatia in the 55th minute—seconds after the midfielder’s penalty was saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
On his 178th appearance for Croatia, at the age of 38 years and 289 days, Modric became the oldest-ever goal-scorer in European Championship history.
At the end of 90 minutes, Italy qualified in second place from Group B and will play Switzerland in the Round of 16, while Croatia are left with a very slim chance of making it to the last 16. They can advance as one of the four best third-placed teams, but that requires results elsewhere going heavily in their favour.
A Kylian Mbappé penalty was cancelled out by Robert Lewandowski’s spot kick as the already-eliminated Poland held France to a nervy 1-1 draw in Dortmund, resulting in the French finishing second in Group D.
Mbappé broke the deadlock in the 56th minute with his first Euros goal when he calmly slotted home a penalty given for Jakub Kiwior’s clumsy challenge on Ousmane Dembélé. However, in the 79th minute, Lewandowski levelled from the spot after his first effort was saved by Mike Maignan, who was adjudged to have advanced off his line too early.
The result means France go into the tougher side of the bracket alongside heavyweights Germany, Spain, and Portugal.
Also Watch: Will Germany win Euro 2024? Breaking down Germany’s opener v Scotland
Over the years, the Netherlands have matched up well against Austria. In the previous seven matches between the two sides, the Dutch had come out on top. In fact, the last time Austria beat them was in May 1990.
However, the 36th anniversary of their 1988 European triumph didn’t exactly go to plan. Indeed it was a magical night, but it was Austria who came out on top in this Euros classic. An 80th-minute Marcel Sabitzer strike decided the tie and resulted in Austria coming out as the surprise Group D winners, while the Netherlands are currently placed as one of the best third-place teams but are guaranteed to go through to the next round.
Winning the group means Ralf Rangnick’s team will most likely face Belgium in the quarter-finals if there are no upsets in the Round of 16s, while one of England or Italy will await them in the semis. The Dutch, on the other hand, are staring at a potentially high-profile Round of 16 encounter against either England or Spain.
| Group B | Group D | ||||||
| Teams | Played | GD | Points | Teams | Played | GD | Points |
| Spain | 3 | +5 | 9 | Austria | 3 | +2 | 6 |
| Italy | 3 | 0 | 4 | France | 3 | +1 | 5 |
| Croatia | 3 | -3 | 2 | Netherlands | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Albania | 3 | -2 | 1 | Poland | 3 | -3 | 1 |
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