* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Italy
Roberto Mancini’s exhilarating Italy side blazed their way to the semi finals via a chaotic and crafty 2-1 win over Belgium. Nicolo Barella opened the scoring before Lorenzo Insigne’s sublime effort made it two. Romelu Lukaku converted a penalty in first half injury time, but The Red Devils couldn’t find a leveller as Italy pulled out every trick in the book to see them over the line in the second half.
Austria took The Azzurri to extra time in the last 16, but Mancini’s men got it done 2-0 within the additional 30 minutes. That tie with Austria was set up thanks to their perfect Group A record of three wins from three games over Switzerland, Turkey and Wales.
Spain
It’s been a strange tournament for Spain, who have gone from being completely toothless to unstoppable goal machines and back again. They secured their semi-final date with Italy via a fairly shambolic penalty shootout win over Switzerland in the quarters.
A bonkers 5-3 extra time win over Croatia saw them, just about, make it through their last 16 clash which was set up by their 2nd-placed finish in Group E. They finished behind Sweden after failing to win their first two games, drawing both, and then crushing a sorry Slovenia 5-0 on the final match day to ensure progression.
Denmark
Needless to say, it’s been a truly emotional journey for the Danes since the simply unbelievable incident involving Christian Eriksen in their opening game with Finland. After a delay of a few hours, good news on Eriksen’s condition started to filter through, so the game was restarted and Denmark fell to a completely understandable loss to their Scandinavian neighbours. Following that, Kasper Schmeichel and Co put up a brilliant showing in a 2-1 defeat to world ranked number one side Belgium, leaving their hopes of progression hanging by a thread heading into their final Group B game with Russia.
Denmark earned their own much deserved luck though, and battered Russia 4-1 in a remarkable night of football at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen to advance to the last 16. There they met the challenge of Wales head on, bowling Rob Page’s side out the tournament by again scoring four goals. The good times then keep rolling for Kasper Hjulmand’s outfit as first half goals from Thomas Delaney and Kasper Dolberg were enough to see off Czech Republic 2-1 in the quarter finals and keep their hopes of emulating the heroes of Euro 92 very much alive.
England
Is it coming home you ask? It might just be for the first time since 1966 for the England national team as their progress through the competition has been as clear as their clean sheet record. Gareth Southgate’s charges put their World Cup 2018 ghosts to bed quickly in their opening contest, as they beat Croatia 1-0 at Wembley thanks to a second half strike from Raheem Sterling. Scotland were next on the chopping block and they dug out a 0-0 draw to leave pundits second guessing the hopes of The Three Lions and after England defeated Czech Republic in their final Group D match, those questions grew louder as it led them to a last 16 meeting with Germany.
We won’t bore you with the entire history of England v Germany in knockout football, but let’s just say there was a lot of pain on the English side of the equation. But, yet again, this England team were up to the task of smacking history in the mouth and goals from Sterling and captain Harry Kane ended the reign of Joachim Löw as Germany manager. Their finest football was yet come as Southgate’s men smashed Ukraine 4-0 in the quarter final in Rome to make a second major semi-final in-a-row.
* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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