Spain advances to Euro knockout round on own goal by Italy’s Riccardo Calafiori

Spain advanced to the round of 16 at Euro 2024 after a 1-0 win against defending champion Italy on Thursday in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

A 55th-minute own goal by Italy’s Riccardo Calafiori handed victory to Spain in the first clash of international heavyweights at this European Championship.

Three-time winner Spain totally dominated the Group B game at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, with 16-year-old winger Lamine Yamal further enhancing his reputation as one of soccer’s most exciting young stars with an outstanding performance.

Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma kept the score down with a string of fine saves until inadvertently pushing the ball into the legs of Calafiori, who couldn’t prevent it from ricocheting into his own goal.

It was a statement performance from Spain in a meeting of two giants of international soccer, having won 10 combined major titles.

Having failed to dominate possession for the first time in 136 competitive games in its win against Croatia, Spain was back to its old ways in starving Italy of the ball and dictating play in a largely lopsided game.

Chances came thick and fast in the first half, with Donnarumma pulling off a string of saves to keep Spain at bay.

For all of Spain’s dominance, it took Calafiori’s own goal to break the deadlock after halftime.

Donnarumma pushed Alvaro Morata’s glancing header into the legs of Calafiori, who could only watch as the ball ricocheted into the back of the net.

Nico Williams was millimeters away from extending the lead with a curling shot that hit crossbar.

England 1, Denmark 1

England was far from convincing, even if it likely ensured advancing to the Round of 16.

Harry Kane gave England another fast start at Euro 2024, scoring it the 18th minute, but the captain was substituted off in the second half as the team faded. England coach Gareth Southgate removed his forward line in a triple substitution with 25 minutes to play.

Denmark levelled in the 34th when Morten Hjulmand fired in a powerful low shot from long distance, after Kane gave away the ball in defence.

The Danes made England look ragged in the second half, attacking the end from where English fans’ anxiety and jeers increased late in the game.

England has four points from two games, after edging past Serbia 1-0 in its first match. That points tally always has been enough to advance in the 24-team Euros format.

Still, England can finish in any position from first to third in the Group C standings after playing unbeaten Slovenia next Tuesday.

Southgate had defended his players from what seemed like unfair criticism for the nervy nature of the win against Serbia, ceding some control after Jude Bellingham’s early goal.

Bellingham was subdued Thursday and Southgate removed the stellar strike trio of Kane, Phil Foden and Bukayo Saka in one sweep. Jarrod Bowen, Eberechi Eze, Ollie Watkins came on and within two minutes Watkins almost scored with a shot after a darting run.

Southgate looked flat-out furious in the 85th after England repeatedly gave away the ball and surrendered a series chances to Denmark.

The England coach barked at his players from the dugout with both index fingers pointing to his temples, urging them to think.

England seized the lead on sleepiness in the Denmark defence. Hesitation by Victor Kristiansen let right-back Kyle Walker surge past him to steal the ball for a pass across the goalmouth.

When the ball reached Kane he poked home a left-footed shot for a record extending 64th England goal for the captain.

Kane had his part in Denmark’s leveler. His unwise pass out of defense soon went to Hjulmand, who strode forward to fire a low shot past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and in the net off his right-hand post.

The game was played beneath a closed stadium roof on slippery turf that cut up after steady rain this week.

The teams had royal watchers from the stands with the king of Denmark, Frederik X, and future king of England, Prince William, at the game.

Slovenia 1, Serbia 1

A late strike denied Slovenia a first-ever win in a European Championship as Serbia snatched a 1-1 draw in Munich.

Zan Karnicnik’s  69th-minute goal put Slovenia on the brink of an historic win until substitute Luka Joviç levelled deep in stoppage time.

The goal sent the Serbia fans into raucous joy but also saw them throw flares and other objects onto the field.

The equalizer was virtually the last action as the referee blew full-time immediately after the players restarted. The Slovenia players collapsed to the ground in disappointment.

It also would have been their first win in a major tournament since victory over Algeria in the 2010 World Cup.

Slovenia plays England in its final group match on Tuesday, when Serbia faces Denmark. Serbia lost to England in their opener.

With both teams needing a win to boost their chances of progressing, the match started at a fast pace and Serbia goalkeeper Predrag Rajkoviç had to make two early saves.

Those two shots on target in the first eight minutes were as many as Slovenia had in total in its drew with Denmark.

Fabulous corner

Serbia withstood the waves of Slovenia attacks and had its first chance in the 27th minute but Duían Vlahoviç’s header was straight at goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

Serbia went even closer moments later when Duían Tadiç whipped in a fabulous corner to the far post but Aleksandar Mitroviç, who scored in his previous two matches against Slovenia, couldn’t get a proper touch.

The best chance of the half fell to Slovenia in somewhat fortunate circumstances. Timi Elínik tried to pass to a teammate but the ball came off a Serbia defender and fell kindly back to him for a thunderous effort which crashed off the right post. Benjamin áeíko fired the rebound woefully over.

Serbia started the second half with three great chances to break the deadlock inside the first five minutes, including Slovenia defender Jake Bijol almost scoring an own goal.

This tournament has seen plenty of stunning long-range goals and there was almost another in the 58th but Rajkoviç did well to push áeíko’s strike over the bar.

Slovenia eventually broke the deadlock with a move started and finished by Karnicnik. The defender won the ball deep inside his own half and ran some 40 yards before picking out Elínik on the left and racing into the box to collect the cross and tap home at the back post.

Serbia almost levelled immediately but Elínik hit the crossbar.

Serbia threw everything at Slovenia in the final stages. Even Rajkoviç came up for the final corner but it was Joviç who leapt highest to head it past Oblak in the fifth minute of added time.