Euro 2020 Round of 16, Knockout Stages - Sweden vs Ukraine 1-2

 In the last match in round of 16, Sweden faced Ukraine, as clear favourites, given the history of their football, having won against Poland & Slovakia in the Group stages. On the other hand, Ukraine had emerged as one of the 3rd team with a facile win over North Macedonia in the Group stages. However, as said earlier, its the presence in the moment that creates results in such tournaments, & in a moment of madness, when centre back Marcus Danielson of Sweden was sent off for a red card tackle on Artem Besedin in the extra time, plotting the victory for unfancied Ukraine 2-1, moments before end of play. 

The match started on a lively note, as Ukraine got the first whiff of a chance - Yaremchuk fired in a volley from inside the Swedish box, but keeper Olsen brought in a great reflex save, pushing the ball wide of the post. Sweden too had their chances, as the game opened up, but it was Ukraine who went ahead on the 27th minute, as Yarmolenko received the ball midfield in the right wing & curled a superb cross into the box where Zinchenko rifled in a brilliant half volley into the top corner of the net past Olsen. Minutes later Larsson's brilliant effort from a curling free kick is pushed out by the keeper Bushchan in time to deny Sweden an equaliser. However, their pressing efforts are rewarded just before half time, as Emil Forsberg fired in a rocket from about 25 yards & the ball takes a deflection off defender Zabarnyi & swerves past the keeper into the bottom left corner, as score level at 1-1. 

In the 2nd half, Sydorchuk hit the post after a superb effort to unleash & the Frosberg twice muffled chances to go up, as the game gradually opened up. Alexander Isak missed another sitter, with only the keeper to beat, as Sweden rued their missed chances through the most of this half, as the game is drawn into extra time. 

9 minutes into extra time & in a moment of madness, Danielson is sent off for a late challenge on Besedin, which gives Ukraine the extra man advantage. With the match in the last gap seconds, Zinchenko whipped in a brilliant cross into the box for Artem Dovbyk to head in past Olsen for a super Ukraine victory. They now face England in the quarter finals at Rome over the weekend. It will be a tough match for the Ukrainians, having reached the last eight of a major tournament for only the second time in their history. For now, they can savour a fully deserved victory over Sweden. 

Euro 2020 Round of 16, Knockout Stages - England vs Germany 2-0

 A battle between the fiercest of the rivals in football, England vs Germany at Wembley, giving England the crucial home support & advantage. After a treat of exhilarating two matches yesterday, this was poised to be a humdinger, where there are no clear favourites - its the team which soak the pressure on the day & make good of half chances are likely to end winners. However, the match did not reach great heights, as Germany mostly looked a spent force. After 75 minutes of predictable & cagey play, where both sides were seemingly wary of conceding first, England broke through & went onto win 2-0

The 1st half started with Germany getting the better of exchanges  & chances, but it was England who had at least two gilt edged chances go abegging, the best being when Harry Kane could not go past a brilliant last ditch sliding clearance by Mats Hummels, in the injury time. Sterling & Maguire too missed opportunities to put England ahead, as both teams head towards the tunnel at the break. 

2nd half started with Germany showing some purpose & controlled good possession, & their best chance came, when around the 50th minute of the game, Havertz collected a loose ball just outside the English box & let loose a wicked left footed piledriver which seemed to rocket into the top end of the net, but England keeper Pickford flew instinctively & tipped the ball over the bar, as the crowd gasped in relief. England grew in confidence from there on, showing more determination & zeal, as their opponents seem to strangely fade out. With around 20 minutes left in the game, both the coaches make interesting substitution in the game - Southgate brought in Jack Grealish for livewire Bukayo Saka, while Joachim Low took out Timo Werner to introduce Gnabry - both these changes prove decisive in the game ahead, as Grealish settled into the groove well to provide better cohesion, while Gnabry was a sad whimper, taking away the sting in attack that Werner was providing for the Germans till then. With 15 minutes left, Sterling powered past Rudiger to tap into Kane, who in turn pushed the ball to Grealish, who passed onto the overlapping Shaw, & the left wing back slammed a beauty across the face of the goal for Sterling to slide in a low right footer past German keeper Neuer into the net - a fabulous combination to score, that erupted the Wembley stadium in delirious celebrations. Raheem Sterling's third goal of the tournament, as England go  up 1-0. Almost immediately after that Sterling nearly went from hero to zero, as he needlessly lost possession & Havertz took the opportunity to beat the defenders & slot the ball to Thomas Muller, who dodging past an indecisive Stones, & with just goalkeeper Pickford to beat, pushes the ball inches past & out of the post - a golden, gilt edged chance to equalise wasted by the veteran, as Sterling looked the most relieved in the ground. The miss proved fatal, as minutes later, the shaky German defence lost the ball to Shaw, who controlled midfield & squared ahead to Grealish who moved ahead on the left flank with ease & crossed across the face of the goal, as England skipper Harry Kane lunged to head past a diving Neuer into the German goal, as Wembley broke into a riotous, rapturous roar. England up 2-0, progressing into the last eight with a memorable win over their fiercest rivals - The Three Lions had not defeated Die Mannschaft in a major tournament since 1996. Current coach, Southgate had missed the decisive penalty that day, to enable a German win - ghosts of which he eclipsed today !! They now await the winners of Sweden vs Ukraine in quarterfinals. 

Strangely, the Germans lacked the killer instinct, that has been their hallmark for years at crucial stages. Barring Havertz &Werner upfront & Hummels & Gosens in the back, the team lacked self belief, cohesion, & often looked jaded & out of sorts, barring few moments of individual brilliance. Interestingly, all the three teams, France, Portugal & Germany, - all potential & past Champions who qualified from the Group F, deemed as the Group of Death, have perished in the round of 16. Quirky twist of Fate, eh ??? 

Euro 2020 Round of 16, Knockout Stages, - France vs Switzerland 3-3 (4-5 in Penalties)

 In the biggest upset of the tournament, minnows Switzerland at Bucharest, overwhelmed Star Studded, World Champions & tournament favourites France in a pressure tight penalty shoot out, 5-4, after both teams were locked even at the end of extra time. This becomes all the more spectacular, when we see that France have been unbeaten in their last seven games against Switzerland, & have not lost any game for the last two years of international football - they boast the best line up possible with stars in almost all positions & were clear favourites to lift the Euro Cup tihs time. 

Against a large contingent of roaring Blue White French support, the Swiss started tentatively, conceding a corner within 2 minutes of the game, & Varane missed a scoring chance by nodding over a good floater from Griezmann, but overall, it was the Swiss discipline that came into play soon. The underdogs went on to take an early lead in the 15th min, when Zuber floated a cross & Seferovic craned in a fantastic header, past Lloris, into the right corner of the French goal. Suddenly the World Champions looked vulnerable & out of ideas, as the very disciplined Swiss played precision football, well within their means to keep control midfield & not allow the mercurial French forwards like Mbappe, Griezmann, Benzema & Pogba any width. At half time, the French stars were struggling to combine & looked out of ideas, while the Swiss were tidy & disciplined & also an important goal ahead. 

After the break, the game flipped on its head, in a few minutes of madness. Zuber steamed into the French box as Pavard brings him down with a sliding tackle, which looks innocuous initially, but after a VAR check, its ruled as a Penalty & Switzerland have a glorious chance to double the lead. Ricardo Rodriguez steps in for the shot, but appears tentative & his low shot is easily parried by Lloris, neutralising the Swiss advantage. This spurned the vaunted French attacking line into life & they scorched the Swiss box with pressing runs, as Benzema controlled a Mbappe pass with a great touch even though the ball was behind him & in another second, flicked the ball past Sommer into the goal. France had drawn level at 1-1. Even before the crowd had settled down on this incredible scoring display, Griezmann intercepts a pass & shoots into the goal which is somehow deflected by Sommer & Benzema, lurking in the bow, jumped up to head home. All of this in matter of 4-5 minutes, as France wrested lead & control of the game. While the Swiss were trying to regain composure, out of nowhere, Paul Pogba produced probably the 'goal of the tournament' till now, with a superb curling shot from outside the box, as the ball dipped inch perfect inside the top corner of the net, past the flailing arms of Sommer - dreams are made of such goals. France looked in complete control with score reading 3-1, as the fans waved in appreciation, as Coach Didier Deschamps, started to smile for the first time on the sidelines. It looked all over in the game, but there was late drama to follow. The Swiss discipline & precision came back with more conviction, & Seferovic pulled back one with a vicious header off a Mbabu whipped cross to make it 3-2, in the 81st minute & minutes later the Swiss were denied a goal to level for a marginal offside. The game had suddenly become tense, as the Men in Blue seem to lose control, & Swiss Capt Xhaka's defence splitting pass is intercepted by Mario Gavranovic in the box & his brutal shot smashed past Lloris into the French net - score 3-3. In the dying seconds of play, Kingley Coman, connected a Sissoko cross & rushed into the Swiss box, but his shot ended nicking the top end of the bar & go out of play, as the referee blow the long whistle to end the play. Phew, what a breathless 2nd half it was, pulsating football at both ends, & some superb goals to boot. 

In extra time, despite plenty of drama, the scoresheet remained unchanged, as tired legs, cramps, & exhaustion seem to take over. Benzema, Griezmann, Koman all substituted for France, while Seferovic, Rodriguez got replaced for Switzerland. It was time for the Penalty Kicks now. 

Surprisingly, the Swiss seemed more in control & confidence, as they decided to start the proceedings after toss up. Both teams, had their first four shots on target without any hassle, & then Admir Mehmadi scored a convincing 5th for the Swiss, while Mbappe looking visibly tensed, came in to the take the last shot, which was saved by Sommer & Switzerland had secured the biggest upset of the tournament, by packing France off. Surely the longest & arguably the best game of this Euro 2020 till now, a stunning, dream come true performance, which included taking an early lead, missing a penalty shot, going down by two goals, only to recover & draw level, & then managing to stay in control thru a tense extra time to eventually prevail in the penalty shoot outs. Truly deserving Switzerland, now move into the quarterfinals, where they face Spain - what an in credible game to look forward to. 

Euro 2020 Round of 16, Knockout Stages - Croatia vs Spain 3-5

 After two massive exits yesterday in Netherlands & Portugal, the attention turned towards another intriguing match between former Champions, Spain & World Cup runners up Croatia at Copenhagen. Both teams are in a rebuilding phase currently with a mix of youth & experience, but Croatia certainly missed their mercurial midfielder Ivan Perisic, who is out having tested positive to Covid !! A huge blow to their attacking third, as it eventually panned out to be. Spain prevailed in the end in an unbelievable game, which involved, horrific own goal, dramatic come backs & extra time winner. Football was the winner truly. 

The game started in frenetic fashion, as the Spanish Armada swarmed into the Croatian half, creating chances after chances, that seem to fluff at the last moment, as Livakovic under the bar made some fascinating saves. The game looked rather one sided, when suddenly out of nowhere, Pedri in possession around the midfield, backpassed towards his keeper Unai Simon, who made a disastrous mess of controlling, & the ball ricocheted off his shin to glide into his own goal. A horror of a goal, really, as Croatia went up 1-0 & suddenly Spain lost possession of their beautiful possession game, & the beefy Croats started to find their physical presence, as the game opened up at both ends. However, Spain gained control back after a period of wilderness, & in the 38th minute, Gaya took a cracking shot at the goal which was blocked by Livakovic, but the ball fell at the eager feet of a lurking Sarabia, & he made no mistake in firing into the top corner of the net for the much needed equaliser. Game 1-1 at half time. 

If the 1st half had bizarre drama of an own goal, 2nd half turned out to be what dreams are made of. The game really opened up, as Spain got the early lead in the 57th minute, as Ferran Torres floated a beautiful cross into the box & Azpilicueta jumped past Gvardiol to head past the hapless goalkeeper, for his first international goal, 2-1. Croatia, tried hard, & their midfield led by Modric made some ambling runs into the Spanish box, but Unai Simon was firm under the post to deprive any scoring opportunities. The game, seem to be running out of the Croatians, as in the 76th minute, Torres picked a wonderful cross field pass from the ever conjuring Pedri, & sidestepped Gvardiol to slot past Livakovic, as the score read 3-1. With the game slipping out of their hands, Croatia rose like a phoenix in the last 5 minutes of the game & in a goal mouth melee, Modric pulls back the ball from goal line to pass in & Kramaric poked the ball towards the goal only to cleared by Azpilicueta, but Mislav Orsic drills the ball past the goal line (checked by goal line technology), & the scoreline reads 3-2, promising for some more late drama. True to the Croatian grit of never giving up, in the injury added time, around the 93rd minute, Mario Pasalic ghosted into the box to head home a superb floater from Orsic, levelling the score at 3-3, as Spain looked completely flummoxed by this sudden surge  by their opponents. 

Into extra time, Croatia, riding the momentum, almost surged ahead, as Kramaric whipped a menacing cross into the box, which Brozovic brings down for Osric, but his curling shot went inches above the post. Once again, Orsic drilled another cross into the box, & amidst a host of Spanish defenders, Kramaric volleyed hard, but Unai Simon made a superb save. Spain settled into their customary rhythm slowly, & Olmo swung a great cross over a Croatian defender, & Morata lurking behind, controlled the ball down with a superb first touch & smashed a left footer into the top corner of the net to make it 4-3. Moments, later, Olmo, once again found Oyarzabal onside, with acres of space, & the winger snucked a left footer into the bottom corner, as Spain gained ascendancy 5-3. Croatia tried hard yet again, as Budimir got between a couple of defenders to hit hard, but Spanish keeper Simon gets down in time to push it wide past the goal line with his fingertips. From then on for the last 8-9 minutes, Spain played well within their control of short passes, as the tired legs & spirits of Croatia gave in. They should be proud of their performance today, but Spain were the superior team, all round & deserved the winner's tag. 

A fantastic match with 8 goals on display, probably the best till now in the competition, in terms of skills & tenacity - money's worth for all spectators, both on the field & millions over TV. Spain move into the quarter finals & await the winner of France vs Switzerland. Another fascinating contest in the offing 

Euro 2020 Round of 16, Knockout Stages - Belgium vs Portugal 1-0

 Billed as one of the mouth watering, exciting clashes of this knockout round, the game lived upto its expectations, as both teams put in their heart & soul in a slugfest football, that at times became ugly but endearing. Eventually, current world No1 Belgium pipped the defending Champions Portugal 1-0, to move into the quarterfinals. 

Despite heavyweights like Lukaku, De Bruyne, Hazard brothers, Meunier in the forward line, Belgium were caught defending in the early parts of the game, as Portugal came up with all cylinders firing. Diogo Jota had the first look at the Belgian goal, as his left footed shot went wide from the edge of the box, after a superb pass from the tireless Renato Sanches, who snatched the ball mid park & powered into the opposition D. Midway into the 1st half, Ronaldo got a free kick just outside the box & his right footed piledriver was superbly parried away by the Belgian keeper Courtois & a rebound header by Palhinha was too weak to cause any damage. It was only around the 37th minute that Belgium had a real crack at the Portugal goal, when Meunier exchanged a one-two-one with De Bruyne & shot hard, but the ball sailed over the goalpost. Minutes later, in a brilliant combination in the Portugal half, the every dangerous & bulging Lukaku controlled & passed to De Bruyne, who found stiff resistance & moved the ball to the left flank, as Thorgan Hazard deftly controlled the ball, turned inside & conjured a ferocious right footed strike that swerved past the outstretched hands of the Portugal keeper Rui Patricio, who looked surprised & wrong footed & ended in the right hand corner of the net. The Red Devils had broken the deadlock to go up 1-0. It was one of the best goals of this tournament till date, as the Belgian supporters erupted in joy. 

2nd half  started with a huge worry for Belgium, as De Bruyne limped off early to be substituted by Mertens, as the Portugal brought in Joao Felix to strengthen the attack in search of an equaliser. Renato Sanches worked tirelessly in the midfield, pouncing & wriggling past Belgian players, creating opportunities for his forwards, as Belgian goal scrambled, & fought tenaciously to thwart attacks - Courtois conjuring some splendid, reflex saves, to frustrate Ronaldo & Co time & again. The game continued, mostly in the Belgian half, as Ronaldo, Felix, Dias, Guerreiro, Fernandes, et all tried their best, but could not get past the towering Courtois under the bar & the defending champions crashed out of Euro 2020. The last 20 minutes of the game was breathlessly a slugfest, at times getting heated amongst rival players, as Portugal threw everything forward for a well deserved equaliser, while, the Belgians defended grittily. This was Belgium's 1st win against Portugal since 1989 !!, as an exhausted Ronaldo looked forlorn & crestfallen. Having equaled Ali Daei's 109 goals in International football earlier in the tournament, CR7's dream of going past remained unfulfilled here - we hope to see him in the upcoming World Cup in 2022 at Qatar, though this would seem his last appearance for the Euros. 

Belgium sail into the quarterfinals where they will take on the might of the Azzure Blue Italy - what a fabulous encounter to look forward to ahead. However, injury scare to key playmakers, De Bruyne & Eden Hazard today, might be a huge worry for them ahead. 

Euro 2020 Round of 16, Knockout Stages - Netherlands vs Czech Republic 0-2

 In the first of the giant slayer match of the tournament, unfancied Czech Republic blew away one of the title contender Netherlands, in an emphatic 2-0 win at the Ferenc Puskas stadium, Budapest. A high octane game, fizzled out for the Oranje, as they failed to make good of their chances, & allowed the Czechs to absorb the pressures & wait for the kill, as defender de Ligt got red carded in the 55 mins to give the men in white territorial as well as number advantage & wrap up a shock, but a deserving win. 

The first half started as expected with the men in orange, sweeping across the Czech half looking for an early goal, but the defense held well & composed with Vaclik under the bar looking in control. Despite a lively surge by the Dutch forwards & midfield, it was actually Czech midfielder Barak, who had the best opportunity to score from a counter attack, but de Ligt managed to deflect the shot over the post. The match looked promising & enterprising ahead. 

However, early in the second half, the Dutch had a great opportunity, as forward Donyell Malen raced past two defenders into the Czech box, but with only keeper Vaclik to beat, he tried to cheekily go past & was denied by the goalkeeper - huge chance gone waste. In an immediate counter attack, Patrik Schick ran into the Dutch box & de Ligt, in an failed attempt, deliberately hand balled to deny a scoring opportunity. Initially shown a yellow card & given a free kick, VAR intervened & the decision was changed to a red card & the defender shown out, as Netherlands were down to 10 men on the field. The Czech, now having the extra man advantage, piled pressure on the Dutch defense & almost got a Penalty from a corner kick, only to be denied by VAR - however, the shift in the game was already becoming obvious, as Kalas headed from a corner into a melee & Tomas Holes headed home into the far post. Czech 1-0 up, & Nethelands looking deflated. With 10 minutes to go, Holes snatched the ball from Wijlandum deep inside the Dutch half, raced into the penalty area & squared the ball to Schick, who gleefully fired into the left corner of the net, for his fourth goal of the tournament, with scoreline reading 2-0. 

The Dutch had only themselves to blame, failing get get past the gritty Czech, who played within their limitations & strength, to strengthen the defense & go on counter attacks. The red card on de Ligt was a telling blow, but the Dutch forwards Depay, Malen & Wijlandum & others should've made good of their chances - it was quite surprising to see a tired, insipid display, that extra effort missing. They continue to enthrall the crowds with their brilliant pressing football, but remain the perennial underachievers in the big stage. My predictions of a Dutch victory went abegging, proving that, even the best line up can falter, if they take things for granted.

The Czech, now meet Denmark in the quarters, which promises to be a fascinating contest of speed vs perseverance. 

 

Euro 2020 Round of 16, Knockout Stages - Italy vs Austria 2-1

 As was expected, Austria doggedly battled the more fancied Italy through the whole of 90 minutes, with fair chances to go ahead, but eventually succumbed in extra time to a 2-1 scoreline. The Red & White outfit, led by David Alaba, put up a fabulous performance, much beyond the expectations of most football experts, who had predicted a easy sweep for the Italians. 

It was a great contest, as both teams played with flair & optimism trying to create an early advantage & hold on the game. There were acrobatic saves at both ends of the goal, & half chances fluffed, as the 1st half ended in stalemate. Italy had more of the chances, as their efforts flew past, kissing the crossbar, & on another occasion, Austrian keeper, Bachmann saved well with his feet.                                            Early in the 2nd half Alaba should've taken the lead for Austria, but his freekick from the edge of the box, sailed over the bar. Around 60 minutes into the match, with tense supporters on both sides egging for a lead, Arnautovic teamed up with Alaba to put the ball into the Italian net, to start the celebrations, but the goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review. A while later, the red & white outfit appealed for a penalty, when Stefan Lainer was brought down in the box by Pessina, but again, this was disallowed for an offside after a VAR review - these were probably the best moments Austrians had in the match. Lady Luck stayed away from Austria tantalizingly, as the match headed into extra time. 

The more experienced Azzuri, finally broke the deadlock in extra time, as Chiesa picked up a cross from Spinazzola to smash in a left footed shot into the Austrian goal. With spring on their wheels now, the Italians were all over the Austrian half & scored the 2nd goal, as Insigne's shot deflected into the path of Pessina in a crowded defense, who fired into the far corner of the net, as the stadium erupted in Blue white cheers. However, just when it seemed all over the bar shouting, Sasa Kalajdzic lunged in between three Italian defenders to head in from the neat post for Austria to narrow the lead to 2-1, as the Red & White Austrian supporters came to life & the match opened up at both ends.                          Italy, having finally conceded a goal after 1,168 minutes of  a clean sheet in the tournament, created a new World record & eventually prevailed over the Austrians with gritty defensive character. Leonardo Spinazzola was certainly the Man of Match with his incredible & tireless presence across the field, through the game - it was finally his pass to Chiesa, that created the 1st goal to pip Italy ahead, at a time, when they looked quite out of sorts. 

It was a real tight game, which could've gone either ways - a narrow slippery escape for Italy, who now reach the quarter finals & await the winner of Belgium vs Portugal - another humdinger in the making. WOW 

Euro 2020 Round of 16, Knockout Stages - Wales vs Denmark 0-4

 Denmark have coasted through to the quarter finals, defeating Wales 4-0 in Amsterdam. The match was a hard fought game, as expected, as both teams started in earnest, testing the rival backline with long rangers. Gareth Bale almost got the lead for the Wales early on, but his pile driver from outside the box went just over the bar. Danes looked more sprightly through the game & better composed, with Braithwaite & Maehle creating some chances, as Kasper Dolberg got onto the score board in the 27th minute, with a good right footed shot that curled into the far corner of the Welsh goal. Maehle almost doubled the lead, but the Welsh goalkeeper Ward managed to parry the shot for a corner. At half time, with Denmark leading by one goal, the game looked open & competitive.

After the lemon break, Bale & Ramsey tried their best to pry open, but the Danish defense led by captain Simon Kjaer held on with good anticipation, as on the other side, Dolberg scored again, with a cool finish, as the Welsh defense faltered. Braithwaite, Maehle, Dolberg, Andersen kept the pressure on the Welsh backline, & towards the end of the game, Braithwaite & Andersen missed a sitter off a corner. However, Maehle, playing tirelessly through the game, scored the 3rd goal with a fabulous left footer into the top end of the net, to bury the game completely. In the injury time Braithwaite too, opened his account with a hard hit left footer, making the score a very impressive 4-0. Initially the goal was turned down as offside, but VAR, ruled it correct after a long evaluation. 

Wales, were truly outplayed, & to add salt to their wounds, Harry Wilson got red carded for a stupid tackle on Maehle towards the end of the game, as the Wales imploded in the last 6-7 minutes of the game, to let in two goals. They had reached the semis in the last edition in 2016, but this time, they have to pack back home in the round of 16. Probably the last Euro for Gareth Bale, given his age & injuries, - a fine forward, who enthralled the football lovers with his dash down the line & scoring abilities.  

Denmark, look like getting into their stride, a pressing game, that is their hallmark. They now await the winner of Netherlands vs Czech Republic.  

Euro 2020 - The Knockout stages

 The 2020 Euro has now reached the business end of the tournament - its here that the top 16 Nations are going to slug it out for the coveted Henri Delaunay Trophy. 

1) Wales vs Denmark : In the first of the knockout stage matches, 1992 Champions Denmark take on the unpredictable Wales. The teams seem evenly matched on paper, both playing tough physical games, with long balls into the opposition half. Despite Erikson ruled out out with the unfortunate medical issue in the first game, they still have enough depth in Damsgaard & Braithwaite upfront & Delaney, Christiansen & Schmeichel back defending - the Danes are known for their sudden pace & pressing game, though they have not particularly lit up the tournament as yet. Meanwhile Wales are led by the mercurial Gareth Bale, with proven players like Ramsey, Moore & James, who can tear apart any defense on their day. Its going to be a hard fought, but largely a boring physical game, I think, & Denmark may just pip the Wales finally. 

2) Italy vs Austria : Italy would certainly be the favourites to cross this hurdle, as they have been in sweeping form till now in the tournament, having won all the three group matches with relative ease, & not conceding a single goal to the boot. Austria, on the other hand qualified from group C, winning a tough match against Ukraine. I dont think they would cause much concern for the Azzurri, as Mancini's team look all set to wrap up this encounter. However, some experts are expecting a possible surprise result. 

3) Netherlands vs Czech Republic : The 1988 Champions, popularly known as Oranje team have displayed all the prowess to maraud their opponents, having won their Group matches quite easily. The team boasts of  a galaxy of stars in Memphis Depay, Winaldum, Frankie DeJong, deLigt, Dumfries, & many many more - known for their attacking flair, I think they will zoom past the Czech, who came through as one of the top 3 in Group Stages. The Czech have a real threat in Patrik Schick upfront, & have players who can defend, but, against the quality of Dutch, they would be lucky not to get mauled. 

4) Belgium vs Portugal : This will be a mouth watering contest, & I believe the game will go to the wire. The defending Champions Portugal have been quite unpredictable in the Group stages, winning a hard fought game against Hungary & then losing heavily to Germany, before managing a draw with the tournament favourites, France to sneak in. Ronaldo, as usual leads the goal scoring with five under his belt already & seems hungry for more. The team is not prolific, but has immense quality to spring a surprise, & Belgium will be well aware of that. The current World no1 team, Belgium is heavily stacked with classy players like Lukaku, Hazard, deBruyne, capable of scoring from all ends, & in Courtois arguably the best goalkeeper in Europe - a very strong team indeed, & we are looking at one of the best matches of the tournament. Hard to predict, as my heart goes for Portugal & head says Belgium. 

5) Croatia vs Spain : Another humdinger of a match, as Spain seems to have hit the goal scoring patch finally, after a slow start to the tournament. The team has some real stars of tomorrow in Pedri, Torres, Llorente, Garcia, along with seasoned players like Busquets, Alba, Koke & others. The team has good potential to go past Croatia, who are shepherded by Modric along with Perisic, Lovren, Kovacic, Vlasic in the ranks - the team looks a bit aging, but has the capabilities to spring a surprise. I belive, Spain will prevail a hard fought battle. 

6) France vs Switzerland : Tournament favourites, France have everything going for them on paper, with the likes of Benzema, Mbappe, Griezmann, Giroud, Kante, Pogba, & Lloris under the bar - its the best team team & lauded by almost all as the tournament winners this time & against the Swiss, they should steamroll. However, the Swiss have Shaqiri, who can cause trouble to the blue defense, but, winning seems almost impossible. 

7) Germany vs England : Another humdinger to look forward to, as its always an epic battle between these two fiercest rivals of all times in Europe. Germany are always a force to reckon with, though this time around they are struggling a bit. However, they are the big stage team & always excel in knockout stages. England on the other hand have a well knit team, & are playing in front of a home crowd, but have struggled to score in the Group stages, & may hit a barrier here. I see a Germany run past this English side, just on big game presence. 

8) Ukraine vs Sweden : In the match of the minnows, Sweden seem more likely to go beyond Ukraine, given their fine performance against Spain in the Group stages. Ukraine, on the other hand scraped through till here, & would be proud enough, if they can put up a decent fight. 

Looking forward to some exciting football over the next two weeks, through late nights - it should be worth the efforts.