Italy are Euro 2020 champions, beat England on 3-2 penalties – Newstrends
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Italy are Euro 2020 champions, beat England on 3-2 penalties

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4 years ago

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Italy on Sunday sealed their second Euro triumph after beating England 3-2 in the final on penalties.

Italy won the European Championship for the first time since 1968. Gianluigi Donnarumma saved two England penalties and ended the encounter with a 3-2 shootout win after the teams had fought out a 1-1 extra-time draw at a raucous Wembley on Sunday.

The giant keeper saved from Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka after Marcus Rashford hit a post, as Federico Bernardeschi, Leonardo Bonucci and Domenico Berardi all scored for the Italians.

Luke Shaw had given England a dream start with a superb goal after two minutes but Italy, who offered almost nothing in response in the first half, gradually took command as the hosts sat back and levelled through Bonucci after 67 minutes.

It was the first final to be decided on penalties since Czechoslovakia beat West Germany in 1976 and will be wildly celebrated in Italy after they lost in the final in 2000 and 2012.

They made most of the running after halftime and in extra time and England can have few complaints after their early promise faded away.

It was nevertheless heartbreaking for most of the 67,000 Wembley crowd as England came up short in their first major final since they won the World Cup 55 years ago.

It had all started so well when Harry Kane spread the ball wide to Kieran Trippier and he instantly repaid coach Gareth Southgate’s faith in recalling him by sending over a curling deep cross that the fast-arriving Shaw met on the half volley to hammer inside the post for his first international goal.

England had taken an early lead in their 2018 World Cup semi-final against Croatia before eventually being outplayed and beaten in extra time, but they did not look like giving up the initiative on home soil, playing on the front foot, though failing to threaten Donnarumma.

England keeper Jordan Pickford was similarly untroubled as Federico Chiesa’s crisp shot went just wide and Ciro Immobile’s blocked effort were all Italy had to show for a disjointed half.

England’s well-drilled defence, which had conceded just one goal, via a Danish free kick, in their six previous tournament games, held them at arm’s length and Italian frustration was summed up by centre back Bonucci letting fly wildly from 35 metres with the last kick of the half – much to the disgust of his team mates.

Pickford was called into action after 57 minutes, blocking a Lorenzo Insigne shot and then getting down to palm away from Chiesa as Italy began to apply pressure, pinning England back.

It paid dividends when Bonucci pounced from close range after Pickford had turned Andrea Belotti’s header onto a post.

England could have no complaints, having virtually invited their opponents on and offered almost nothing in attack, and they would have been somewhat relieved to go into extra time.

It was a similar story in the first additional 15 minutes, though England did briefly force their way back into the game in the second period, albeit without either side creating anything to reward the crowd for their waves of noise.

So it went to penalties, where England’s young guns failed and Italy took the glory.

With the victory, Italy have won their sixth major tournament title (4 World Cup, 2 EUROs); among European nations, only Germany (7) have won more.

England have won just 22% (2/9) of their major tournament shootouts (World Cup/EUROs), the lowest ratio of any European nation to have been involved in three or more.

-Additional report by Supersport

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Maguire, Yoro set for Man United return

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17 hours ago

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April 1, 2025

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Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro

Maguire, Yoro set for Man United return

Manchester United manager, Ruben Amorim has confirmed that defenders, Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro are available to play against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Tuesday.

The Red Devils boss issued fitness updates on the injured players in the squad including England left-back Luke Shaw, who Amorim says he has returned to training but is still building his fitness before a return to first-team action.

Leny Yoro has suffered repeated injuries this season after arriving at the club from Lille in the summer.

The 19-year-old has been out since March 9 when he picked up a foot injury during United’s draw with Arsenal.

Maguire has been unavailable with a calf injury since the end of February.

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Amorin confirmed that Luke Shaw returned to training on Friday but also noted that the left-back is still working on his fitness before a return to first-team action.

“Luke [Shaw] is not ready yet. We are starting to do some drills with the team but we are building Luke,” Amorim said.

The Red Devils manager also issued injury updates on Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo, Johnny Evans, and Lisandro Martinez.

“Mason Mount is feeling better but he was on the bench in the last game, Kobbie [Mainoo] is almost ready, Jonny [Evans] is recovering, [Lisandro Martínez] is out. [Harry] Maguire is also ready to go to the game and [Leny] Yoro, yes,” Amorim added.

 

Maguire, Yoro set for Man United return

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Saka ready for Arsenal return after three months injury layoff

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1 day ago

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March 31, 2025

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Bukayo Saka

Saka ready for Arsenal return after three months injury layoff

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that winger Bukayo Saka is fit again and ready to return to action after a three-month layoff due to a hamstring injury.

The winger had surgery on a hamstring problem suffered last December and would likely feature in Arsenal’s next Premier League game against Fulham at Emirates Stadium.

“Bukayo Saka is ready to go,” said Arteta.

“All the careful things are already done. Now it’s about putting him on the grass at the right moment but he’s pushing because he really wants to. We have respected the timeline and we have done everything.

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“Bukayo is a massive weapon that we have. We know the impact he has in the team and how important his role and contribution is to our success.”

Saka has scored nine goals and contributed 10 assists in 24 games in all competitions for Arsenal this season and an imminent return is surely a good one to bolster The Gunners’ attack.

Meanwhile, defender Riccardo Calafiori faces a spell on the sidelines with a knee injury sustained on international duty for Italy against Germany on 20 March.

“It could have been much worse,” said Arteta. “Hopefully it’s going to be a matter of weeks, but we have to see how the injury evolves.”

Arsenal are second in the Premier League, 12 points behind leaders Liverpool with nine games remaining.

Saka ready for Arsenal return after three months injury layoff

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Man City secure comeback win at Bournemouth to reach FA Cup semi-finals

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2 days ago

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March 31, 2025

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Erling Haaland

Man City secure comeback win at Bournemouth to reach FA Cup semi-finals

Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush kept Manchester City in with a chance of salvaging a trophy from this season as they came from behind to beat Bournemouth 2-1 and reach the FA Cup semi-finals.

Pep Guardiola’s side were trailing to Evanilson’s goal at half-time, after Haaland was guilty of an extraordinary six-minute hat-trick of misses, with Bournemouth looking set for a first appearance in the last four in their history.

But Haaland hauled the visitors level after the break and then, after he departed through injury, his replacement Marmoush tucked away the winner to book a Wembley date with Nottingham Forest.

So for all the talk of a new – or at least new-ish – name on the cup this year, the prospect of City winning it again looms large.

In truth they should have been three up after 16 minutes but for an astonishing treble, of sorts, from Haaland.

The Norway striker wasted his first glorious chance when he met a Matheus Nunes cross with a free header, six yards out, and put it wide.

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Worse was to come for Haaland after Tyler Adams was penalised for handball in the penalty area.

The 24-year-old stepped up to take the spot-kick, but Cherries keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga guessed right and made a fine save low to his left.

And Haaland could do nothing other than offer a wry grin when he completed a his quickfire triple-whammy, bursting clear of down the left only to lift his shot over Kepa and the crossbar.

Bournemouth made him pay in the 21st minute when Nunes gave the ball away to Lewis Cook.

The Cherries skipper fed David Brooks, who swung in a cross which Justin Kluivert, sliding in at the far post, hooked goalwards with Evanilson sticking out a toe to prod it home.

Bournemouth, enjoying such an impressive campaign under Andoni Iraloa, had their tails up while the City midfield of Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan, which looked old on paper, was looking even older on the pitch.

The hosts almost doubled their lead when a Brooks free-kick eluded everybody in the area and bounced inches wide of Ederson’s far post.

But while it was 1-0 City always had a chance, and De Bruyne curled over in first-half stoppage time while Phil Foden briefly flickered into life at the start of the second with a shot held by Kepa.

Plus Haaland was not going to keep missing forever, and just four minutes after the restart he slid in at the far post to convert substitute Nico O’Reilly inviting cross.

It was Haaland’s 30th goal of the season, but he would not be adding any more on the south coast after a challenge with Cook, leading to a close encounter with an advertising hoarding, forced him out injured.

No matter, as his replacement Marmoush immediately fired them ahead, finishing under Kepa after O’Reilly cleverly flicked him in behind.

Marmoush almost doubled the lead but his header from Nunes’ cross was cleared off the line by Marcos Senesi.

But Bournemouth looked spent, a long season of punching above their weight perhaps finally catching up with them, and City saw out seven minutes of stoppage time before celebrating a record seventh consecutive FA Cup semi-final.

Man City secure comeback win at Bournemouth to reach FA Cup semi-finals

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