UEFA EURO 2020
Quarterfinals
Match 1 Spain vs Switzerland
Spain 1 – 1 Switzerland (3-1) penalties
Match 2 Belgium vs Italy
Belgium 1 – 2 Italy
Match 3 Denmark vs the Czech Republic
Denmark 2 – 1 Czech Republic
Match 4 England vs Ukraine
England 4 – 0 Ukraine
Semi-Finals
Match 1 Italy vs Spain
Match 2 England vs Denmark
Italy – After failing to qualify for the 2018 world cup, Roberto Mancini’s newly reborn Italian side has gone 32 games unbeaten. After they recently beat the world’s number 1 side Belgium in the quarter-finals, the team confidence is quite high. This Italian side looks quite stable which makes them formidable and definitely one of the favorites to win the Euro 2020.
Spain – Spain have had a really shaky start to this euro cup with draws in their first two group matches but now they have surely hit their stride by scoring 11 goals in their last three matches. Not many gave them a chance to reach this stage but they have surely exceeded expectations. Luis Enrique’s Spain has been enigmatic, to say the least. The tournament is definitely wide open now and Italy must be really wary of the Spanish strike force in the semi-finals. Whatever happens, the game will be a cracking one for sure as this Spanish side will not go down easily.
England – Is football really coming home? England is yet to concede a goal in this tournament. With a solid defense and plenty of attacking options, the English side has crossed leaps and bounds to reach the semis. The 2018 World Cup wouldn’t want to repeat history, which is, losing against the underdogs of the tournament yet again.
Denmark – Just 3 points in the group stage and who would’ve thought that the Danish could come this far? Their key player and captain Christian Eriksen has been sidelined throughout the tournament ever since the incident, but still, the Danes are going all out against the teams that cross their path. Can they do the unthinkable? We will have to wait for that.
COPA AMERICA 2021
QUARTERFINALS – RESULTS
Peru 3 (4) – 3 (3) Paraguay
Brazil 1 – 0 Chile
Uruguay 0 (2) – 0 (4) Columbia
Argentina 3 – Ecuador (0)
SEMIFINALS
Brazil vs Peru
Argentina vs Columbia
Peru – Having started with the tournament with a loss against their semi-final opponents, the team is now more cautious and should know better to handle the footballing giants of the world. Having conceded 10 goals throughout the tournament and keeping only one clean sheet, it would be a huge task for the team to face up the Brazilian’s attack and break their rock-solid defense.
Brazil – The defending champions Brazil have nothing to worry about yet as they go into this semi-final fixture with 100% confidence. They face familiar opponents in Peru whom they have already beaten in the group stages scoring 4 goals against them. Brazil is undoubtedly the team to beat in this edition of Copa America. Although Brazil will be without the services of Gabriel Jesus heading into the semi-finals due to his horror challenge in the quarters. This red card should not affect them much as they march one step closer to glory.
Argentina – Is this the year Lionel Messi finally wins an international trophy? Surely one could say so looking at the form this team is in right now. Scoring 7 goals in the last 2 matches have given them the confidence required in the semis against Columbia. Can the greatest ever lead Argentina into another final? We will find out shortly…
Columbia – Scoring at most 1 goal in a game in this year’s Copa America edition, the Columbians have somehow crawled into the semi-finals, defeating the favorites Uruguay in the previous round. It would be a surmounting task to take on the in-form Argentina. With the pace of Duvan Zapata and Luis Muriel, the Columbians still have a chance to trouble the defense. It is only a matter of time that the key players regain their form. Nonetheless, everything will be decided in the showdown.
