But some of the rest could be more excitingPARIS: A showdown between old rivals England and Germany at Wembley is the standout tie going into the last 16 of Euro 2020 after Joachim Loew’s side scraped through on a dramatic final night of group-stage action.
Germany needed a late goal from Leon Goretzka to draw 2-2 with Hungary in Munich on Wednesday and advance to the knockout phase in second place in Group F.
Now they could be galvanised heading to Wembley next Tuesday for the latest instalment in their long-running rivalry with the English.
“Yes!!!!!!!! Wembley calling!” wrote Bayern Munich midfielder Goretzka on Twitter after coming off the bench to score the equaliser against Hungary.
Spread Love ?️? Yes!!!!!!!! Wembley calling! ??@DFB_Team @euro2020 #gerhun #EURO2020 ?? https://t.co/XRGUZKVJMx— Leon Goretzka (@leongoretzka_) 1624483613000The match — overshadowed beforehand by UEFA’s refusal to allow the Allianz Arena to be lit up in rainbow colours — was watched by a television audience of close to 26 million Germans who might now be confident their team can once again get one over on England despite their recent struggles.
“We know that if we play to our potential we’ll be strong,” insisted Loew, who will step down after the tournament.
The tie brings back memories of the 1966 World Cup final at the same venue which England won 4-2 after extra time.
However it also leads inevitably to mentions of Euro 96 when Germany beat England on penalties at Wembley in the semi-finals before going on to lift the trophy in the final against the Czech Republic.
Indeed, since 1966, Germany have prevailed in all three meetings of the countries in the knockout stages, most recently with a 4-1 win in the last 16 at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
“Oh No Not The Germans Again” said the headline in the Daily Mail in England, summing up the feeling of fans there at the prospect of this latest meeting between the nations.
Belgium vs PortugalPortugal scraped through after a 2-2 draw with France in Budapest on Wednesday but the holders could scarcely have asked for a tougher tie than a meeting with Belgium, the top-ranked team in the world.
Portugal, who only went through as one of the best third placed sides, will have had two days fewer rest than the Belgians before the game in Seville on Sunday.
“Forty-eight hours difference, in temperatures of over 30 degrees, of course it makes a difference, but we are not going to go looking for a handicap,” said Portugal coach Fernando Santos.
“It is a good game on paper and I hope it will be a great game for Portugal.” Read AlsoEuro 2020: Round of 16 line-up and scheduleThe Euro 2020 group stage is over and the knockouts will begin on Saturday.Croatia vs SpainSpain have a spring in their step too after thumping Slovakia 5-0 in Seville to make the knockout phase, ensuring that all of Europe’s biggest nations remain in the competition.
But coach Zlatko Dalic was not thrilled to learn that Croatia would face Spain and not Sweden, who clinched top spot in Group E thanks to a stoppage-time goal in a 3-2 win over Poland.
Read AlsoUEFA EURO 2020 Points Table and StandingsUEFA EURO runs from June 11 to July 11, 2021, with 11 host cities staging the 51 fixtures and a total of 24 countries will vie for the coveted trophy.
It is the 16th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial football championship of Europe organised by the Union of European Football Associations”We’re up against one of the strongest teams left in the tournament who are pacy and full of energy, having showed their class against Slovakia,” said Dalic.
The Croatians beat Spain 3-2 at home in the 2018-2019 Nations League after being hammered 6-0 in the reverse fixture, while they also prevailed 2-1 in the group stage at Euro 2016.
The winners will take on either world champions France or Switzerland in the quarterfinals in St Petersburg.
Euro 2020: England’s showdown with Germany tops last-16 billing
