26/04 - 20:00
Spain and Croatia played out the game of Euro 2020 so far today in Copenhagen, with two extra-time goals sending Spain into the quarter-finals despite a Croatia fight back from 3-1 down.
Disaster struck early for Spain when goalkeeper Unai Simon misscontrolled a back pass for a horrifying own goal, but Pablo Sarabia ensured things were level at halftime by slamming home the rebound from a Jose Gaya shot.
Cesar Azpilicueta then wiped out Simon’s mistake with his first Spain goal, before Ferran Torres appeared to put the game to bed with 14 minutes to play.
Luca Modric had other ideas though, causing absolute chaos in the Spanish penalty area before Mislav Orsic needed goal-line technology to confirm his cleared tap-in.
Into stoppage time it was Orsic again, putting a sublime cross onto the head of Mario Palasic to earn a shock extra-time period.
Simon redeemed himself in the final 30 with a stunning save on Andrej Kramaric, before the much-maligned Alvaro Morata collected a Dani Olmo cross with his right foot, before smashing home an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net with his left.
There was time for Croatia to get back into the game but Mikel Oyarzabal made any comeback virtually impossible with Spain’s fifth, and an incredible fingertip save from Simon on Ante Budimir secured his side’s progression to the quarter-finals.
3-5 a.e.t. | ||
Mislav Orsic 85' Mario Pasalic 90' | Pedri González 20' (o.g.) Pablo Sarabia 38' César Azpilicueta 57' Ferrán Torres 76' Álvaro Morata 100' Mikel Oyarzabal 103' |
