Spain survive Swiss scare to book Euro 2020 semi-final spot after shootout drama in St. Petersburg
A toothless Spain overcame an almighty scare from a stubborn Switzerland to seal a Euro 2020 semi-final spot after a dramatic penalty shootout victory in St. Petersburg.
With the scores level at 1-1 after a first-half own goal from Swiss defender Denis Zakaria and a second-half equalizer from the livewire Xherdan Shaqiri, Switzerland found themselves reduced to 10 men following a dubious red card to midfielder Remo Freuler in the 77th minute.
Undeterred, the Swiss produced a rearguard action to frustrate a blunt Spain who regressed to the listless football that characterized their opening two games in this tournament.
Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer, the shootout hero in the last round against France, was again inspired as he repelled shot after shot in extra time, at one stage saving at point-blank range from a particularly profligate Gerard Moreno.
But it was Spain who prevailed in the penalty lottery, winning 3-1 in the shootout after Mikel Oyarzabal scored the decisive effort to send his team into a semi-final date with either Italy or Belgium at Wembley.
Spain manager Luis Enrique had suggested before the game that his team had been the best at this summer’s tournament thus far, but on this showing the remaining competition will not be fearful of an outfit that stuttered and struggled to break down a stubborn Switzerland, who themselves went down fighting in their nation’s biggest game since 1954.
After hitting 10 goals in the their previous two games, Spain ended with 28 shots and 10 on target against the Swiss but Enrique will be concerned by the misfiring Alvaro Morata and his replacement Moreno.
In the end they sneaked through thanks to a Swiss team who missed three of their four penalties and were ultimately unable to match the magic of their historic win against France.
POSSESSION BUT NO PENETRATION
In the late evening sunshine in St. Petersburg, Spain had settled into their metronomic passing rhythm early on, reducing play to almost pedestrian levels as the Swiss lacked any initial urgency.
The only Swiss sights on goal came when Shaqiri pinched the ball off Sergio Busquets before being crowded out, while Silvan Widmer and Breel Embolo raided down the right flank, but each time the rare forays came to nothing.
Spain continued to impose their intricate passing, but when the goal did arrive in the eighth minute there was a healthy slice of luck involved.
Sending the ball goalwards on the half-volley after it dropped to him from a corner, Jordi Alba saw his effort take a heavy deflection off Zakaria to send it past a wrong-footed Sommer.
The hero against the French was helpless here, and the strike was chalked up as the 10th own goal of the tournament – more than in the previous 15 editions of the Euros combined.
10 - Denis Zakaria's own goal is the tenth we've seen at #EURO2020, which is now one more than were scored at each of the previous 15 editions of the European Championships combined (9). Dubious. pic.twitter.com/odGEGutwDK
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 2, 2021
Switzerland were staggering and Spain threatened to double their lead when Atletico Madrid maestro Koke whipped a free-kick just over the bar, while Aymeric Laporte also should have done better when he headed straight at Sommer.
The Swiss suffered another blow after 23 minutes when they lost Embolo to injury following a tangle with Pau Torres, with Ruben Vargas the man to come on.
In keeping with their pass-hungry tournament stats, Spain enjoyed three-quarters of the possession in the opening 25 minutes, threatening to stifle their opponents into submission.
Ploughing a lone furrow up front for the Swiss, Haris Seferovic saw an effort deflected out for a corner, and Akanji subsequently flashed a header over the bar from Shaqiri’s delivery.
The Liverpool star’s whipped left-footed delivery again caused a problem when Widmer headed over from another Swiss corner, with set-pieces seeming the most likely source of a Switzerland goal.
Attempting to make up for his first-half mishap, Zakaria headed just wide of the upright from a corner 10 minutes into the second half as Switzerland enjoyed their best spell of sustained pressure.
Spain manager Enrique introduced Moreno for Morata on 55 minutes, but for all their continued possession La Roja looked mostly blunt after the restart.
Unai Simon was forced into a save at his near post when Zuber broke clear following good work from substitute Vargas down the left – a warning shot that failed to rouse the Spanish as they were caught out soon after to much more costly effect.
A defensive mix-up between Aymeric Laporte and partner Pau Torres saw the ball fall for Freuler, and he squared for the waiting Shaqiri to sweep past Simon. Deputizing as captain for the suspended Granit Xhaka, Shaqiri had come up clutch again with his 26th goal for his country.
After slumbering in the St. Petersburg afternoon sunshine, the sparse-looking crowd was suddenly jolted back to life – and any neutrals became fervently in favor of the Swiss underdogs.
The drama continued in the 77th minute in a pivotal moment for the match.
Catching Moreno with the follow-through from a sliding challenge, Swiss midfielder Freuler was shown a straight red card by referee Michael Oliver.
Freuler was perplexed – along with many online – but there was no VAR suggestion for Oliver to reverse his decision, and Switzerland would be forced to do it the hard way if they were to stand any chance of reaching the last four.
Shaqiri was sacrificed for Djibril Sow in the aftermath of the dismissal, while Seferovic was swapped for Mario Gavranovic.
Spain looked to capitalize on the extra man, but Moreno sent a tame shot into the arms of Sommer from the edge of the box and the Swiss rearguard action held firm until the end of normal time.
It would be another set of extra time for both teams after being taken the distance in the previous round.
Moreno – wasteful again – passed up the best chance of the initial exchanges as he could only send his shot wide from a Alba cross. Sommer then tipped over an Alba effort from range as Spain camped themselves in the Swiss half.
It was grueling going for Switzerland, and Sommer was called on again to save from point-blank range from a Moreno volley.
Sommer continued his heroics with a one-handed stop from Oyarzabal before punching a corner clear, but the Swiss goalkeeper wasn’t the only hero in a red shirt as Ricardo Rodriguez pulled off a sliding block to deny Marcos Llorente.
The chances were coming thick and fast for Spain, but they couldn’t put them – and the Swiss – away, and a semi-final spot would be decided from the spot.
This time fortune favored Spain despite misses from Sergio Busquets and Rodri, as Swiss trio Fabian Schar, Manuel Akanji and Ruben Vargas all missed their efforts.
It was a cruel denouement for the Swiss after such a gutsy performance, but Vladimir Petkovic's team will no doubt return home to a hero's welcome after their history-making run.
Meanwhile, on the three previous occasions they have progressed beyond the quarter-finals at the Euros, Spain have gone on to win the title each time.
But to make that four from four, they will likely need a big improvement for the challenges that lie in wait at Wembley.
