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sports Diabierna 2 Juli 2021

Belgium takes on Italy for spot in Euro 2020 semifinals

(AP) — Belgium’s lead- they’ve got quality players all in ourselves,” Italy midfield-
ing scorer at the Euro- over the pitch.” er Jorginho said. “The most
pean Championship is no serious mistake would be to
stranger to Italy’s veteran Belgium, which is trying think that we’ve already done
defenders. to win its first major soccer something great.”
tournament three years af-
They all play in Serie A. ter a third-place finish at the Neither De Bruyne nor Eden
World Cup, hasn’t lost in 13 Hazard’s injury worries are
Romelu Lukaku will likely games and is the top-ranked new. De Bruyne fractured his
be the main attacking threat team in the world. The Ital- nose and eye socket in a col-
when Belgium takes on It- ians haven’t been beaten in lision with Chelsea defender
aly in Munich on Friday in a national team record 31 Antonio Rüdiger while play-
the Euro 2020 quarterfinals. matches, though they were ing for Manchester City in
The Inter Milan forward taken to extra time by Austria the Champions League fi-
has scored three goals in his in the round of 16. nal, but the latest issue is a
team’s four victories so far. ligament problem in his left
“It’s a nice challenge to beat ankle sustained after a tackle a decision on their availabil- Italy coach Roberto Mancini
And with Kevin De Bruyne them after a run of 31 un- from Portugal midfielder ity against Italy will only be said Thursday his team will
and Eden Hazard both beaten games. I estimate the João Palhinha in the round made before the game. play as it has so far.
doubtful for the game, Italy odds 50-50,” said Belgium of 16.
captain Giorgio Chiellini and midfielder Thorgan Haz- “We all know that we are “We could tweak a few things
teammate Leonardo Bonucci ard, Eden’s younger brother “I don’t know if De Bruyne fighting against time,” said as the game wears on, if
— both defenders at Juven- and the scorer of the only will play in the game, but Martínez, adding if they can’t things don’t go according to
tus — will know just who to goal in the team’s 1-0 vic- he’s definitely a player who make Friday’s game, the goal plan, but we have a certain
focus on. tory over Portugal in the last makes the difference, with a is to “get them fit for the next style of play. Belgium do, too,
round. “It’s an advantage that higher-than-average football few games.” and I’m sure that it will be a
“We’ve got a lot of respect we didn’t have to play extra intelligence,” said Jorginho, wonderful game of football. I
for Lukaku because he had time.” a Chelsea midfielder who Belgium has only beaten Italy think that’s ultimately what
a great season for Inter, and plays against De Bruyne in once before in a competitive matters,” Mancini said. “And
all campaign long we’ve wit- Both teams won all three of the Premier League. game — in the 1972 Euro- the winner will be the team
nessed just what a match- their group matches, and pean Championship quarter- that commits fewer errors
winner and a big player he’s with France, Portugal, the The injury-prone Haz- finals. because in fixtures such as
become,” Chiellini said of Netherlands and Germany ard was also taken off early these, one mistake can settle
Belgium’s record scorer on all eliminated from Euro against Portugal with a soft “It’s a quarterfinal. It will be the game.”
Thursday. “I think it would 2020, the winner in Munich tissue injury in his leg. Bel- decided on small details,”
be doing a disservice to Bel- will certainly be among the gium coach Roberto Mar- Belgium midfielder Youri The winner will play either
gium if we were simply to say favorites for the title. tínez said Thursday that both Tielemans said. “It’s going to Spain or Switzerland in the
that Belgium was all about players still hadn’t trained be very, very tough, very, very semifinals at Wembley Sta-
Romelu Lukaku because “We must continue to believe with the rest of the group and physical.” dium in London.

Pedri indispensable as Spain bids to make semis at Euro 2020

(AP) — Spain is on the evitable — and maybe justi- side of Spain’s ball-hogging failed to control the ball and against Switzerland, which
charge at a major soccer fied — and will only become central-midfield three, is only succeeded in deflecting will be missing captain Gra-
tournament with a cre- more widespread if Pedri playing in his first major it into the goal. nit Xhaka because of suspen-
ative and technically gift- leads Spain to the European tournament — he only made sion.
ed Barcelona player call- Championship title in the his senior international debut It is the longest own-goal in
ing the shots from central coming days, just as Xavi and in March — and is tied for the tournament’s history — Xhaka was selected as UE-
midfield. Iniesta did in 2008 and 2012 first place for most chances at 45 meters out — yet Pedri FA’s man of the match after
amid a golden era for the created (10) and has more shrugged off that misfortune Switzerland beat France in a
Sound familiar? country. passes in the opposition half to produce a dominant per- penalty shootout — follow-
(233) than any other player. formance against a highly re- ing a 3-3 draw through extra
Only 18 and already seeming- Certainly Switzerland needs garded Croatia midfield led time — to advance to its first
ly indispensable for the na- to be on top of Spanish soc- The youngest Spaniard to by veteran Luka Modric. quarterfinal match at a major
tional team, Pedri González cer’s new midfield conductor play at a European Cham- tournament since the 1954
has been given the keys to a in the first quarterfinal match pionship, Pedri also became Pedri’s technique, vision and World Cup.
midfield that was once the at Euro 2020 in St. Peters- the youngest ever player in a ability to maneuver himself
domain of two modern-day burg on Friday. knockout-stage game at the into space and find team- Denis Zakaria, a defen-
greats in Xavi Hernandez and tournament — at 18 years, mates with his astute pass- sive midfielder for Borussia
Andres Iniesta. That’s easier said than done. 215 days — against Croatia in ing is astonishing given his Mönchengladbach, would be
the round of 16. age. He is coming off his first the most likely replacement
The comparisons are in- Pedri, who plays on the left year at Barcelona, which he for Xhaka, but coach Vladi-
Perhaps most impressively, joined from Las Palmas in mir Petkovic was giving little
he is one of only two outfield the offseason, and has already away on Thursday.
players in Spain’s squad to played 60 games for his club
have played every minute of and his country this season. Still, Switzerland faces the
their team’s games at Euro tough task of avoiding a nat-
2020. He has also been picked to ural comedown after one of
play for Spain at the soc- the biggest wins in its history.
Another European Cham- cer tournament at the Tokyo
pionship record he holds Olympics. Spain’s win over Croatia
comes with less distinction. came on the same evening,
After 20 minutes of the 5-3 Don’t expect Luis Enrique to but Enrique has the advan-
extra-time win over Croatia, save Pedri’s legs for that. tage of calling on a deeper
Pedri sent a back-pass from squad for a match taking
near the halfway line to Spain Midfield will be an area Spain place four days later.
goalkeeper Unai Simon, who will look to take charge of