Euro 2024 Data Dive: England scrape through after late drama, Spain make statement

By Sports Desk June 30, 2024

It was another dramatic day in the Euro 2024 knockout rounds, as two more teams booked their places in the quarter-finals.

England fought back from the jaws of defeat as they secured an extra-time win over Slovakia to set up a meeting with Switzerland in the last eight.

Meanwhile, Spain broke Georgia hearts with their comeback victory, and will play Germany in an eye-catching last-eight tie.

Here, we round up the best Opta statistics from the second day of the last 16.

England 2-1 Slovakia (aet): Bellingham, Kane prove late heroes

It looked like England were going to make an embarrassing early exit from the tournament, until Jude Bellingham stepped up with a spectacular overhead kick in stoppage time before Harry Kane netted the winner.

Timed at 94 minutes and 34 seconds, Bellingham's goal was the latest ever for England in normal time at the Euros, coming from the Three Lions' first shot on target after a largely toothless performance.

Kane, on his record-breaking 79th competitive appearance for England, got the timing right too, heading home just 50 seconds into extra time for the fastest goal scored in that period in the competition's history.

The England captain has now scored 14 goals at major tournaments (World Cup and Euros), with only four European players netting more than him – Cristiano Ronaldo (22), Miroslav Klose (19), Gerd Muller (18) and Jurgen Klinsmann (16).

It marked the fourth game that England have won from a losing position at the European Championships as well, after losing their first six such matches.

Only France (five) have ever won more matches when conceding first in the competition, and that late, late show left Slovakia stunned after being just moments from a famous victory in Gelsenkirchen.

Ivan Schranz's third goal at this Euros seemed set to take the headlines, with only Robert Vittek (four) at the 2010 World Cup ever scoring more at a single major tournament for Slovakia, but the forward will not get a chance to equal that record.

Spain 4-1 Georgia: La Roja march on with comeback win

Spain are the only team in the tournament to win all of their games so far, and survived an early scare to come out on top in Cologne thanks to second-half goals from Fabian Ruiz, Nico Williams and Dani Olmo.

Robin Le Normand's 18th-minute own goal saw Luis de la Fuente's side concede for the first time at Euro 2024, only for Spain to rally to the biggest margin of victory by a team that conceded first in the competition.

Spain amassed 17 shots on goal in the first half but only Rodri's first major tournament goal hit the net. It is the most on record (since 1980) by a team in the opening half of a European Championship knockout game.

Indeed, La Roja's 35 shots overall were their most in a single match at either the World Cup (since 1966) or the Euros.

It was the youngsters who stole the spotlight once more as Lamine Yamal got his second assist at the Euros, with Cristiano Ronaldo the last teenager to tee up multiple goals at a single edition (Euro 2004 when he helped Portugal reach the final).

Williams, meanwhile, became the first player on record at the European Championships (since 1980) to score a goal, assist another and complete 100% of his passes (46/46) in a game he started.

Georgia's fairytale was ended by a familiar, formidable foe as they have now lost all seven of their competitive meetings with Spain, conceding 23 goals and netting just four of their own.

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    Philadelphia Union head coach Jim Curtin is looking to find solutions to the small-margin failures when they travel to Chicago Fire in MLS.

    The Union have not won any of their last seven matches in the league and are hoping to snap a four-game losing streak.

    Their recent poor run has seen them drop to 12th in the Eastern Conference, and they are four points off a playoff place, but Curtin admits they have not been doing the little things right in recent weeks.

    "The small margins are real and when things aren't going well you get exposed," he said. "It's a very fine line.

    "The way things are going right now, it's never enough. We haven't been able to defend well as a team. Strange goals have gone in, and we've let ourselves down.

    "It hurts. We have to find a way to turn things more in our favour. We've come up short in that area and, as coach, I take responsibility."

    Chicago have now slumped to two consecutive defeats after a four-match unbeaten run and sit bottom of the table.

    A home win could move them back up the table, and head coach Frank Klopas is using his full squad as he aims to get back to winning ways.

    "We have three games in one week, we have to rotate some of our guys," Klopas said. "Those who missed out [against Seattle Sounders], there was nothing in there.

    "We want to keep our players fresh so we can get the best results."

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    Chicago Fire – Maren Haile-Selassie

    Maren Haile-Selassie has scored in each of his last three matches. He is the second Fire player with such a streak this season (Hugo Cuypers – four straight).

    Only Luka Stojanovic (three straight in 2021) had found the net in three straight games for the Fire over the previous three seasons (2021-23).

    Philadelphia Union – Andrew Rick

    Dominik Yankov scored CF Montreal's winner in the 89th minute against the Union on Saturday, the fourth time this season the Union have allowed a match-winning goal at 89' or later, tied with San Jose Earthquakes for the most such goals conceded this season.

    Andrew Rick will be determined to avoid doing the same again in Chicago as Philadelphia aim to get back to winning ways.

    MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

    Chicago have lost only two of their last 12 home matches against the Union (W6 D4) dating back to the start of the 2014 season. The Fire have more home wins over the Union (six) than they have against any other opponent since 2014.

    The Fire conceded twice from the penalty spot in their loss to Seattle on Saturday, the fourth time since the start of last season that they have allowed two goals from the spot in a match. Chicago had conceded multiple penalty goals in a match three times in the club’s first 25 MLS seasons.

    Meanwhile, the Union have equaled the longest single-season regular-season losing streak in club history at four (fourth time). Philadelphia have won one of their last 14 matches (D5 L8) dating back to mid-April.

    OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

    Chicago Fire – 35.5%

    Draw – 26%

    Philadelphia Union – 38.5%

  • Sane looking to replicate Yamal, Williams impact when Germany face Spain Sane looking to replicate Yamal, Williams impact when Germany face Spain

    Leroy Sane is hoping he can replicate the impact of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams when Euro 2024 hosts Germany face Spain in a huge quarter-final tussle on Friday.

    Germany will face La Roja for a spot in the last four in Stuttgart after overcoming Denmark 2-0 in the last 16, while Luis de la Fuente's side beat Georgia 4-1 after falling behind.

    Spain have arguably been the standout team at the tournament thus far, with the impact of their young wing duo Yamal and Williams turning heads.

    Sixteen-year-old Yamal assisted as he became the youngest player to feature in a Euros match against Croatia in the group stage, also teeing up Fabian Ruiz against Georgia to become the first teenager with multiple assists at the Euros since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2004 (also two).

    Williams, meanwhile, netted a fine solo goal on Sunday, becoming the first player on record at the Euros (since 1980) to score, assist and complete 100% of his passes (46/46) in a game he started.

    Yamal (11) and Williams (nine) rank joint-third and joint-seventh for dribbles completed at Euro 2024, with the former also fifth for the total distance he has carried the ball upfield (556.8 metres).

    Having replaced Florian Wirtz in Germany's starting lineup against Denmark, Bayern Munich man Sane is desperate to match his fellow wingers.

    "Especially when they win possession, they instantly look to play forward. They now have an added weapon with their two very quick wingers," Sane said of Spain.

    "What happened in the past against Spain, we cannot change that. Our goal is to get to the next round and we will do everything we can to achieve that."

    Sane endured a stop-start season with Bayern, with a groin problem he sustained during the Bundesliga run-in threatening his place at Germany's home tournament.

    Reflecting on his disrupted preparations, Sane added: "I didn't know how long the injury would last and if I would make the tournament.

    "At the end of the day I am here and happy that it worked out and that I could recover and be here for the Euros.

    "It is not yet completely gone but it is much, much better than before. I have no pain any longer and that is very good. 

    "Before when I had a game I needed five or six days for the pain to subside. I don't have that anymore."

  • United States 0-1 Uruguay: Copa America hosts crash out as La Celeste reach last eight United States 0-1 Uruguay: Copa America hosts crash out as La Celeste reach last eight

    The United States crashed out of the Copa America following a 1-0 defeat by Uruguay, who advanced to the quarter-finals as Group C winners.

    The defeat at Arrowsmith Stadium – coupled with Panama's 3-1 victory over bottom side Bolivia – culminated in the Stars and Stripes falling at the first hurdle in their home tournament.

    Though both sides were generally lacking a creative spark in the final third, Mathias Olivera's 66th-minute strike was enough to seal the hosts' fate.

    Meanwhile, Uruguay ensured a 100% record as they marched into the last eight, where a showdown with the Group D runners-up, likely to be Brazil or Colombia, awaits them in Las Vegas on Saturday.

    Each side lost a player to injury during a disjointed first half in Kansas City. 

    Uruguay's Maximiliano Araujo was stretchered off with suspected concussion following an aerial collision with Tim Ream in the 27th minute, while Folarin Balogun limped off for the hosts four minutes before the break.

    The closest either team came to breaking the deadlock was when a quickly taken Uruguay free-kick released Nahitan Nandez, whose clipped effort was cleared away by Ream.

    Just after the hour mark, news filtered through from Orlando that Bolivia had equalised against Panama to move Gregg Berhalter's side back up to second place in Group C. 

    However, the joy was short-lived as a Uruguay free-kick saw Matt Turner parry Ronald Araujo's fierce header straight to Olivera, who just about stayed onside to tuck home the rebound from close range.

    Panama regained their lead soon after to leave the Stars and Stripes needing two goals to stand any chance of progressing.

    Christian Pulisic and Haji Wright both saw deflected efforts blocked on the line, but that was as close as the tournament hosts came to finding a route back into the contest, as their stubborn opponents held out to inflict the defeat that ended hopes of home glory. 

    Unblemished Uruguay make Copa America history

    When it comes to the Copa America, you write Uruguay off at your peril.

    After all, La Celeste have won the competition 15 times – the most recent of these triumphs coming in 2011. It is a tally only matched by reigning champions Argentina. They have also only failed to progress beyond the group stages once in the last 25 years (2016).

    And for the first time in their history, Uruguay have now registered a 100% record in a single group stage, while they have also started a single campaign with three straight wins for the first time since 1959.

    Marcelo Bielsa was serving a touchline ban, but will return to the dugout for the quarter-finals. Having led Argentina to the final of this competition in 2004, he would love to go the extra step with La Celeste two decades on and get his hands on this trophy.

    Unwanted history for departing host nation

    For the first time at an international tournament, the USA have failed to advance from the group stage after winning their opening match, having progressed in each of the 23 previous instances.

    Despite the defeat against Panama last time out, Berhalter stuck with continuity as his only change was an enforced one with Munus replacing the suspended Timothy Weah.

    It meant 10 players had started all three group games for the Stars and Stripes in a major competition for only the fourth time (the feat also occurring at the 1950 World Cup, 1994 World Cup and 2016 Copa America).

    Previously unbeaten against Uruguay, they had won their final group match at each of their last six tournaments.

    However, their xG of 0.58 demonstrated the lacking of a clinical edge in the final third, with just three shots on target throughout the entire contest.

    And despite the best efforts of the Kansas City crowd to rally the players, the hosts just could not get going, and you could not see a route back for them once they fell behind. That proved to be the case.

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