 |
|
01.07.2021 » Spain aiming to make Swiss cheese of Euro 2020 rivals
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal won't be participating in the Euro 2020 quarter-finals, following their agonising defeat against Belgium in the Round of 16. However, the 36-year-old departs having set the benchmark for goals at the tournament, scoring 5 goals in 4 appearances. That impressive tally could be difficult to beat, with Patrik Schick the nearest rival on 4 goals in 4 games for the Czech Republic, who eliminated the Netherlands to book their place in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile, a former CR7 colleague at Real Madrid is also heading home, after 3-goal Karim Benzema fell by the wayside against Switzerland. Interestingly, the Swiss are hoping that striker Haris Seferovic will continue his form in front of goal, having netted 3 times at the tournament so far. Nevertheless, they face another almighty challenge in the quarter-finals. Valued as 9/2 underdogs in the latest betting on Switzerland v Spain, the Alpine minnows will be reliant upon the 29-year-old target man once again.
If someone asks you why you love football, just show them this Switzerland fan... pic.twitter.com/fyNy2h5e72
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 28, 2021
Cristiano Ronaldo - End of the EURO 2020:
Spain are gaining momentum...
Meanwhile, the Spaniards have finally managed to find their shooting boots, scoring ten goals in their last two games at Euro 2020. After making a slow start in Group E, the side led by Luis Enrique was held 0-0 by Sweden, then 1-1 by Poland. That led to plenty of criticism for the team before confidence was fully restored, as La Roja thrashed Slovakia 5-0 in Seville.
Finishing second in Group E and booking their passage to the Round of 16, the next obstacle came in the shape of Croatia, as the side featuring veteran midfield maestro, Luka Modric became more than a handful. Despite an almost overwhelming level of dominance, Spain fell behind after a disastrous backpass by Pedri, which goalie Unai Simon couldn't prevent from rolling into the back of his own net.
Spain had to rediscover their composure and thanks to Pablo Sarabia, they went into the interval on level terms. Cesar Azpilicueta extended the lead early in the second half before Ferran Torres appeared to put the game out of reach at 3-1 with 13 minutes left on the clock. Then everything fell apart for Spain, who looked weak and indecisive at the back.
WHAT DRAMA!
— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) June 28, 2021
🇪🇸 Morata + Oyarzabal = Spain heroes! 👏#EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/VUrZyzghbE
Can Switzerland shock Europe again?
Mislav Orsic narrowed the deficit and inspired Croatia to keep chasing the game, then Mario Pasalic tied the game at 3-3 deep into stoppage time. Although they had wasted the opportunity to kill the game inside 90 minutes, Spain once again found their shooting boots in extra time. Alvaro Morata quickly made it 4-3 in the first period, before Mikel Oyarzabal struck the killer fifth goal.
Inevitably, while Spain has shown they are now more than capable of scoring goals, doubts remain about their defensive frailties. For their part, the backline of Switzerland has been compared to the famous cheese of their country, full of holes that have led to conceding too many goals.
That said, the Swiss resolve should never be underestimated, especially after they eliminated tournament favourites France. Tied 3-3 after 90 minutes and extra time, Kylian Mbappe missed the last spot-kick and much to the surprise of everyone, Switzerland went through. Spain cannot afford to take anything for granted, otherwise, they face suffering a similar fate.
Cristiano Ronaldo next game for Juventus is on August 1, against an unknown opponent. You can watch Juventus vs, Belgium vs Italy, Switzerland vs Spain, Ukraine vs England, Brazil vs Chile, and Czech Republic vs Denmark, all matches provided from our football streaming game pages.
Juventus next game:
Juventus vs ? kick-off time (01-08-2021):
Beijing (China) | UTC/GMT+8: 03:00
Jakarta (Indonesia) | UTC/GMT+7: 02:00
India (New Delhi) | UTC/GMT+5.30: 00:30
Italy (Turin) | UTC/GMT+2: 21:00
Spain (Madrid) | UTC/GMT+2: 21:00
Portugal and England (Lisbon/London) | UTC/GMT+1: 20:00
Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | UTC/GMT-3: 16:00
New York (United States) | UTC/GMT-4: 15:00
Los Angeles (United States) | UTC/GMT-7: 12:00
Sources: ronaldo7.net / uefa.com / bbc.com
