Euro 2020 roundup
A reminder of events in Georgia earlier:
And here’s a chat with man-of-the-moment Joshua King:
As for reports that Henrik Larsson is set to take over at Southend United, an email from Helsingborg. “Living in Sweden, the Southend/Larsson connection is rather big news,” begins Julian Menz. “A staple here is the ”räkmacka”. An open sandwich with shrimps smothered in mayo, you see where I’m going with this, but will throw in a curve-ball. Henke has form with SE coastal clubs, and I’d be a bit concerned if I were a Roots Hall Shrimper ... ”
What do those results mean? Well, Italy have secured their place at Euro 2020, while that ice-cool penalty by Joshua King means Norway’s quest to reach the tournament next summer lives on. Spain can no longer secure a clean sweep of qualifying victories, after being denied a seventh successive win in Oslo. King, a vastly underrated player, rolled home his penalty for Norway, who have not lost on home soil for three years. It was a bumpy evening in Rome but Italy are the first host nation of Euro 2020 to qualify for the tournament. After a gloomy period in the wilderness, Italy are very much back with a bang under Roberto Mancini.
Updated
Full-time results
Italy 2-0 Greece
Norway 1-1 Spain
Malta 0-4 Sweden
Liechtenstein 1-1 Armenia
GOAL! Norway 1-1 Spain (King, 90+4 pen)
Joshua King beats Kepa Arrizabalaga from the spot.
Updated
90 min: Into stoppage-time we go ...
Updated
86 min: Insigne almost puts the gloss on a good evening for Italy – but the Greece goalkeeper Paschalakis makes a shrewd stop at his near post. Meanwhile, Mancini throws on Roma’s Zaniolo in place of Inter’s Barella.
80 min: Spain are soldiering on in Norway, with the Manchester City midfielder Rodri introduced for the closing stages. He replaces Mikel Oyarzabal.
GOAL! Italy 2-0 Greece (Bernadeschi, 78)
That surely confirms their spot at Euro 2020. Federico Bernardeschi fires in from outside the box, with a helping hand from a deflection. And that allows Roberto Mancini to freshen things up, with Andrea Belotti replacing the largely ineffective Immobile.
Updated
77 min: Big news in Malta: Michael Mifsud is on for his 142nd cap.
74 min: Greece spurn a golden opportunity to level things up! Greece work the ball back to Anastasios Bakasetas, who is unmarked inside the box. But the striker slices his volley at goal and it ends up looping into the grateful arms of Gianluigi Donnarumma. Italy get away with one. Again.
Updated
72 min: Talking of Sweden ... the Southend Echo are reporting that the former Celtic striker Henrik Larsson is set to take charge of Southend United, with ex-Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt as his assistant manager. Watch this space.
GOAL! Malta 0-4 Sweden (Larsson, 71)
Seb Larsson with his second dispatch from 12 yards puts Sweden out of sight. They might as well put their feet up. Liechtenstein, meanwhile, have equalised at home to Armenia.
Updated
68 min: Santi Cazorla, just on for Dani Ceballos, tries his luck from the angle but the Norway goalkeeper Rune Jarstein is equal to it. Spain are hunting down a second goal ...
67 min: Fabián Ruiz rattles the crossbar for Spain! It was a delicious left-footed effort from outside the box. The Napoli midfielder is having some year, having helped his country to the Euro Under-21 glory in Italy this summer; his left boot is majestic.
GOAL! Malta 0-3 Sweden (Forsberg, 66)
Sweden are cruising to three vital points in Group F.
GOAL! Italy 1-0 Greece (Jorginho, 63 pen)
The Chelsea midfielder sends Paschalakis the wrong way.
62 min: Penalty for Italy! ... Insigne takes aim and Andreas Bouchalakis moves his left arm down to block a goalbound strike. He’s booked for his efforts.
Updated
60 min: Koulouris hits the side netting! Limnios drills a wonderful inviting ball across the six-yard box but another golden opportunity goes gaping. He should have buried it. Greece are giving Italy are real run for their money. In Oslo, surprise, surprise: Sergio Busquets has been booked.
Updated
GOAL! Malta 0-2 Sweden (Larsson, 58)
Sebastian Larsson doubles Sweden’s lead from the penalty spot.
55 min: This is Bonucci’s 92nd Italy cap, overtaking Alessandro Del Piero in 10th position in the all-time appearances ranking. Top, top player. But it is up the other end where Italy are having joy now, with Paschalakis alert to make a decent save from a Ciro Immobile header. Both teams are digging their heels in.
Updated
53 min: Spain, tails up, are enjoying themselves now. Down in Rome Italy are making of meal of things. They fail to break through the middle and Greece buy a foul out of Bonucci, who is lured upfield and into the challenge.
GOAL! Norway 0-1 Spain (Saúl Ñíguez, 47)
Exquisite strike after the hosts fail to clear their lines. Norway made a mess of clearing a Bernat cross from the left and Saúl takes a neat touch on his left foot to steady himself before thrashing the ball at goal with his right. Beautiful, dipping effort.
Updated
46 min: Here we go, then! We’re back under way in Rome, Oslo, Liechtenstein and Malta. We have been starved of goals, so maybe there will be a second-half slew.
Essential half-time reading:
The Wales captain Gareth Bale has said he would love to “get one over” on his Croatia counterpart and Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric at the fourth time of asking when the pair duel on Sunday. Bale has described the meeting in Cardiff as a humongous match with Ryan Giggs’s side fourth in Group E, six points behind leaders Croatia with three Euro 2020 qualifiers to play.
Half-time scores
Italy 0-0 Greece
Liechtenstein 0-1 Armenia
Malta 0-1 Sweden
Norway 0-0 Spain
Updated
45 min: Kristoffer Ajer nods a free header wide for Norway!
44 min: Spain scramble the ball to safety after Norway recycle a corner! Hovland is clattered in the box but Michael Oliver is having none of it and, as Norway play on, they almost work the ball goalwards before Albiol hacks clear. First-half stoppage-time looms around the grounds. There will be at least two minutes in Oslo.
Updated
41 min: In Rome Spinazzola speeds past his man, gets towards the byline and crosses low for Ciro Immobile ... but Greece stand firm. That was the first real sniff of goal for the Italy frontman but the opposition made life difficult, with Chatzidiakos quick on the scene to get a smart block in and extinguish the danger.
38 min: Big chance drops for Norway and Omar Elabdellaoui! The Norway full-back finds himself in an unfamiliar position, a few yards out after latching on to a dinked pass but the Olympiakos defender dallies on it and, before he makes up his mind as to what to do with it, the opportunity has been and gone. King was crying out for it in the centre but Spain survive. They get away with one.
34 min: Armenia lead Liechtenstein in Group J! The goal was scored by Tigran Barseghyan, a free agent, according to Wikipedia. That strike will surely get the wheels in motion. And if things stay that way, Armenia will pile the pressure on Finland, who were battered by Bosnia earlier on. An unbeaten Italy side, who are in action against Greece as we speak, remain very much top of that group.
30 min: Stefan Johansen is late on Jesus Navas, yet the Fulham midfielder is quick to tell Michael Oliver that the unorthodox Spain full-back was trying to deceive the referee. Still, Johansen gets away with a ticking off and that’s that. Moments earlier, Norway were forced into a change with Hovland replacing Nordtveit.
27 min: A quick referee-watch: in Oslo, Northumberland’s finest, Michael Oliver, is the man in the middle. On a serious note, Oliver is arguably the best referee in the Premier League these days, isn’t he? Any other contenders?
23 min: Joshua King has a tame header saved by Kepa! Spain go up the other end but Saúl Ñíguez’s daisy-cutter doesn’t truly trouble the Norway back line. In Rome, Italy are plugging away and earn another free-kick. Bonucci tries to flick the ball on but no one else gambles. Italy are yet to test the Greece goalkeeper Paschalakis on only his second international appearance.
20 min: “Have Malta ever won a European qualifier!?” asks Joey R. Sweden, who unveiled a statue of king Zlatan in Malmo this week, may well by cruising but Malta are no mugs. They have, indeed, won a qualifier, and beat the Faroe Islands as recently as March, though they will do well to go savour victory tonight. The Swedes are enjoying themselves at the Ta’Qali stadium, where Danielsson’s goal remains the difference. And, believe it or not, former Coventry City striker Michael Mifsud, now 38, is again on the bench for Malta. These days Mifsud is playing for Maltese outfit Birkirkara.
Updated
16 min: Spain go close! Jesus Navas does brilliantly, raiding down the right after latching on to a devilishly cute flick by Fabian Ruiz – a standout player at the Under-21 Euros in the summer – but Rodrigo is too slow to react and no one in a white shirt is there to prod home. Nordtveit takes a whack on the back of that attack but he seems OK to soldier on. Encouraging stuff for the visitors nonetheless. Can Norway weather the storm?
Updated
12 min: Back in Rome, Donnarumma is forced into a fine save! He repels a smart effort by Limnios after D’Ambrosio’s error. That goal for Sweden primes them for second in Group F, behind leaders Spain, who are in action in Norway.
GOAL! Malta 0-1 Sweden (Danielsson, 11)
The defender Marcus Danielson puts the visitors ahead.
Updated
9 min: Federico Chiesa is busy making a nuisance of himself for Italy, but Stafylidis is alert to the danger. D’Ambrosio is limping after picking up an impact injury after colliding with Koulouris but he looks OK to carry on. “The Italians are successfully rebuilding and I believe they will have a comfortable win tonight,” emails James. Elsewhere, standby for news of a goal ...
6 min: “The Italians are looking good and my tip to win the Euros next year,” emails James Roe. They are quietly going about their business against Greece, with Jorginho and co knocking the ball around for fun. At the back, Leonardo Bonucci, the only Juventus player in the starting XI, is fast closing in on 100 caps.
2 min: Rune Jarstein is called into action early on in Oslo, with Mikel Oyarzabal flashing a ball across goal after probing by Rodrigo. Encouraging stuff in Rome, too, where Roberto Mancini is stood, arms folded, looking very relaxed.
Peeeeeeeeeep!
And we’re off around the grounds.
“That stadium in the picture looks a bit run down,” emails Simon McMahon. “Maybe if it was rebranded as, say, the Emirates Colosseum, with an official beer partner and all that, I’m sure attendances might increase?” Don’t go giving anyone any ideas. On a serious note, keep the emails flooding in.
“Would you be able to tell me if the Denmark victory over Switzerland is good or bad for Ireland?” emails J.R. “I’m too lazy to try to figure it out for myself.” Well, here are a few permutations: if Switzerland and Ireland draw in Geneva on Tuesday, Denmark will qualify with a win over Gibraltar. If Ireland win in Switzerland, they have qualified and Switzerland will be sent packing. If Switzerland beat Ireland, they then qualify if they beat Georgia and Gibraltar. “It might all hinge on the Denmark game at home who knows but let’s take try and take care of Switzerland first,” said Mick McCarthy earlier. Clear as mud, right?
Euro 2020 qualifier results
Group J
Bosnia 4-1 Finland
Group D
Denmark 1-0 Switzerland
Georgia 0-0 Republic of Ireland
Group F
Faroe Islands 0-3 Romania
Joshua King is only eight goals away from Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s goalscoring tally of 23 goals in a Norway shirt. The Bournemouth striker has been in fine form this season and is a man Spain will need to keep in check this evening. Of the teenage sensation Erling Braut Haaland, King said it was an exciting time for the country:
I think Erling will go very far because of his mindset. You can just see his hunger. He’s a young kid and I feel like the Norwegian media put a lot of pressure on the young players that come through; Martin Ødegaard for example. Finally now you can see what he’s starting to become but he’s still young [20 years old]
Updated
There’s an almighty game in Cardiff on Sunday:
Team news!
Italy v Greece
Italy: Donnarumma; D’Ambrosio, Bonucci, Acerbi, Spinazzola; Barella, Jorginho, Verratti; Chiesa, Immobile, Insigne
Subs: Sirigu, Biraghi, Cristante, Izzo, Belotti, Grifo, Meret, Romagnoli, Zaniolo, Bernadeschi, El Shaarawy, G Mancini
Greece: Paschalakis; Bakakis, Chatzidiakos, Siovas, Stafylidis; Zeca, Kourbelis, Bouchalakis; Bakasetas; Limnios, Koulouris
Subs: Vlachodimos, Lambropoulos, Siopis, Fetfatzidis, Donis, Dioudis, Galanopoulos, Pavlidis, Vrousai, Mantalos, Giannoulis, Koutris
Norway v Spain
Norway: Jarstein; Elabdellaoui, Nordtveit, Ajer, Aleesami; Johansen, Berge, Henriksen, Selnaes; Odegaard, King
Subs: Rosted, Hovland, Sorloth, T Elyounoussi, M Elyounoussi, Nyland, Midtsjo, Svensson, Meling, Johnson, Rossbach, Normann
Spain: Kepa; Navas, Albiol, Ramos, Bernat; Ceballos, Busquets, Saúl; Oyarzabal, Rodrigo, Ruíz
Subs: De Gea, Carvajal, Martinez, Sarabia, Moreno, Alcantara, Alberto, Llorente, Diego Llorente, Rodrigo, Reguilon, Cazorla, Lopez
Updated
Preamble
Here we go, then. After the stirring excitement of England getting turned over by Czech Republic and the Republic of Ireland eking out a stalemate in Tblisi, we have the small matter of heavyweights Italy and Spain, plus Sweden, being in red-hot Euro 2020 qualifier action to get stuck into. Mick McCarthy’s Ireland stumbled to a 0-0 draw, with the substitute Aaron Connolly having a late shot saved before Shane Duffy had a header repelled. Elsewhere, Bosnia cruised to victory over Finland and Denmark and Switzerland have also been in action. Italy take on Greece in Rome, while Spain travel to Oslo. Then there is Malta against Sweden and Liechtenstein at home to Armenia. What are we waiting for?
Kick-off: 7.45pm (BST)
Updated
