BERLIN: Switzerland dumped reigning champions Italy out of Euro 2024 with a stunning 2-0 victory on Saturday to reach the quarter-finals for the second time in their history.
Murat Yakin’s supremely well-drilled side outplayed the flat two-time winners in the last 16 clash in Berlin and will face England or Slovakia in the next round.
Ruben Vargas teed up Remo Freuler for Switzerland’s 37th minute opener before curling home superbly himself right at the start of the second half to deservedly double their lead.
A new-look Italy, short on star power and without many of the key figures that led them to Euro 2020 glory, offered little in response to Switzerland’s energetic display.
Former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka, arriving at the Euros after a stunning season with German champions Bayer Leverkusen, pulled the strings as the Swiss rarely looked like letting the lead slip away.
Italy coach Luciano Spalletti dropped Jorginho after his worrying group stage performances, bringing in Nicolo Fagioli in defensive midfield among a hefty six changes which failed to bring the Azzurri to life.
The 23-year-old started a major tournament match for the first time, having missed most of the season with Juventus after a seven-month ban for gambling on football matches.
Italy scraped through the first phase thanks to Mattia Zaccagni’s last-gasp strike in the 1-1 draw with Croatia and Spalletti said his team had no alternative but to improve in the knock-out rounds.
However it was Switzerland who grew in confidence and pulled off their best display yet, making a bright start at the Olympiastadion in a sweltering Berlin, where a far more impressive Italy won the 2006 World Cup.
Former goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, now Italy’s delegation head, has been regaling the squad with stories from that triumph but it did not inspire a convincing performance — apart from by his modern day counterpart, Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper, key in Italy’s Euro 2020 conquest, made a fine save to thwart Breel Embolo midway through the first half as Switzerland created the first real chance by playing him through.
Donnarumma could not stop Freuler from firing Switzerland ahead after 37 minutes when the midfielder controlled Vargas’ low cross and drilled home at the near post.
Switzerland kept the ball for well over a minute in the build-up, stringing together 33 passes before Freuler, who plays for Serie A side Bologna, applied the finishing touch.
Donnarumma produced a fine save to tip Fabian Rieder’s free-kick on to the post before the break as the Swiss sought to equal their best ever Euros performance by reaching the last eight.
Hosts Germany needed a late leveller to avoid defeat against the Swiss in the group phase, while at the previous Euros they knocked out much fancied France in the last 16, so Italy cannot say they were not warned.
Spalletti hooked Stephan El Shaarawy at half-time for Zaccagni, but Italy gave the ball away from the kick-off and Switzerland doubled their lead just 27 seconds into the second period.
Augsburg midfielder Vargas, who started in place of the suspended Silvan Widmer but on the left of the attack, broke into the area and arced a superb curling shot over Donnarumma.
The closest Italy came to scoring in the first hour was when Swiss defender Fabian Schar misjudged a header and hit the frame of his own goal.
Substitute Mateo Retegui produced Italy’s first shot on target as the clock ticked down and the near-invisible Gianluca Scamacca hit the post from close range, but appeared to be offside.
The sides drew twice in World Cup 2022 qualification with the Azzurri failing to make the tournament but went one better in Germany, securing their first win against Italy since 1993, after 11 without victory.
Switzerland stun holders Italy to reach Euro 2024 quarters
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Switzerland stun holders Italy to reach Euro 2024 quarters
- Murat Yakin’s supremely well-drilled side outplayed the flat two-time winners in the last 16 clash in Berlin and will face England or Slovakia in the next round
- Former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka pulled the strings as the Swiss rarely looked like letting the lead slip away
Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the 2034 World Cup has received the highest-ever rating: FIFA
- Last October, a FIFA delegation arrived in the Kingdom to review the details of the bid and inspect the facilities to be used in the games
- As stated in the bid, games will be played in 15 stadiums distributed across Riyadh, Jeddah, Alkhobar, Abha, and Neom, plus ten other hosting sites
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup™ 2034 has received a rating of 419.8 out of 500, the highest technical rating ever given by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) to a file submitted to host the event, the federation has said.
FIFA’s announcement came ahead of the federation’s general assembly on December 11 to decide which countries would host the 2030 and 2034 World Cups, the Saudi Press Agency reported early Saturday.
On July 29, a Saudi delegation led by Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, minister of sport and president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee, and Yasser Al-Misehal, Saudi Arabian Football Federation president, officially submitted the Kingdom’s bid book to FIFA to host the FIFA World Cup 2034™ at a ceremony hosted in Paris, France.
Last October, a FIFA delegation arrived in the Kingdom to review the details of the bid. As proposed, 48 teams will be participating at venues in one country for the first time in history.
The delegation visited the cities proposed to host the tournament, inspected the sports projects and facilities included in the bid, and reviewed other upcoming preparations.
Commenting on the FIFA announcement, Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz said the unlimited attention, empowerment and support received from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, contributing to the bid gaining the confidence of the international community.
SAFF President Yasser Al-Misehal stressed that “through the bid file, we are committed to providing an exceptional experience for all participants in the tournament, whether teams or participating delegations, and certainly for fans and football lovers around the world.”
Hammad Al-Balawi, head of the Bid File Unit, said “the Kingdom’s bid file offers five host cities with diverse cultural and urban character that help fans and football lovers explore unique cultures and experiences in different regions of the Kingdom.”
In addition, he said, ten other hosting sites that “contribute to enhancing the experience of the participating teams through training camps and modern sports facilities, in addition to providing high accessibility between cities.”
As stated in the Kingdom’s bid, games will be played in 15 stadiums distributed across Riyadh, Jeddah, Alkhobar, Abha, and Neom, in addition to the ten other hosting sites across the Kingdom.
Ronaldo’s brace keeps Al-Nassr in title race after beating Damac 2-0
- It was far from a vintage performance by the Riyadh club
- Al-Nassr should have extended their lead on numerous occasions
RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice on Friday to give Al-Nassr a vital 2-0 win over Damac that keeps the Riyadh hosts in the title race.
It was far from a vintage performance by the Riyadh club but they move on to 25 points from 12 games, three behind Al-Hilal and five behind Al-Ittihad, with the top two teams in action on Saturday.
Ronaldo went closest early on, heading over from a good position but had an even better one after 16 minutes as Al-Nassr were awarded a penalty following a handball in the area from Abdelkader Bedrane.
Ronaldo stuttered and delayed his run-up before drilling a low shot into the bottom-left corner beyond the diving Amin Al-Bukhari to show his famous “Siu” celebration for the 57th time in 58 league games for the Yellows.
Al-Nassr should have extended their lead on numerous occasions. Angelo rolled two shots just wide of the post while Sadio Mane had a close-range effort saved by Al-Bukhari after being put through on goal by a Ronaldo backheel in the area.
At the break, Nassr coach Stefano Pioli would have been frustrated by his team not getting a second, and after play resumed, the Italian would have been unhappy at his time looking sloppy at the back. More than once Bento had to save the team from defensive laxness.
Some of the pressure was removed after 55 minutes as Damac were reduced to ten men. The unfortunate Bedrane saw red for a dangerous challenge on Mohamed Simakan.
The visitors still managed to cause problems for the star-studded hosts but Ronaldo sealed the win with 10 minutes remaining. Nawaf Boushal got to the byline on the left and provided the five-time Ballon D’Or winner with the perfect pullback and the Portuguese star did the rest, firing a left-footed shot powerfully home. It was his ninth league goal of the season so far.
Al-Qadsia stay fourth behind Al-Nassr on goal difference with a 1-0 win at home to Al-Khaleej, a fifth league victory in succession for the newly promoted team.
Hojlund scores 2 for Manchester United to give Amorim winning home debut in Europa League
- Amorim: I see what everybody sees: good moments, difficult moments
- Tottenham continued to show inconsistent form as they were held 2-2 at home by struggling Roma
Rasmus Hojlund scored twice as Manchester United fought back to beat Norwegian team Bodo/Glimt 3-2 in the Europa League on Thursday to give new manager Ruben Amorim a victory in his first game at Old Trafford.
Hojlund also set up the opening goal scored by Alejandro Garnacho in the opening minute of the game, but United still had to stage a comeback in order to stay unbeaten in the competition with two victories and three draws.
“I see what everybody sees: good moments, difficult moments,” Amorim told TNT Sports “There was some confusion in the end, trying to hold on to the result, but the lads did a great job. They ran, they pressed, they tried to do the things we have worked on in the last three days and we won.”
After the visitors took a 2-1 lead, Hojlund equalized just before halftime and then scored the winner five minutes into the second half from close range, tapping in a cross from Manuel Ugarte.
After leaving Portuguese leaders Sporting Lisbon to replace the fired Erik ten Hag as United manager, Amorim made his debut in charge of United in a 1-1 draw at Ipswich in the English Premier League with Marcus Rashford scoring 81 seconds into the game.
In the Europa League, the goal came even sooner.
Hojlund intercepted a back pass to goalkeeper Nikita Haikin to allow Garnacho to put United ahead in the fist minute.
Hakon Evjen equalized in the 19th minute with a perfectly directed first-time left-foot strike from the edge of the area and Philip Zinckernagel gave the Norwegian champion the lead, finishing off a fast counter after Tyrell Malacia failed to stop him. Malacia made his first senior appearance in 550 days and was substituted at halftime by Diogo Dalot.
Tottenham continued to show inconsistent form as they were held 2-2 at home by struggling Roma. Tottenham lost 3-2 to Galatasaray in the previous round, then beat Manchester City 4-0 away in the Premier League, and gave up a late equalizer against Roma.
Captain Son Heung-min gave Spurs an early lead with a fifth-minute penalty but Evan N’Dicka pulled Roma level in the 20th. Brennan Johnson restored the lead for Tottenham in the first half but the hosts couldn’t hang on as Mats Hummels salvaged a draw in stoppage time.
Earlier, Athletic Bilbao cruised past Elfsborg 3-0 in the Europa League on Thursday to join Lazio and Frankfurt at the top the 36-team standings,
Lazio missed a chance to remain the only team with a perfect record after five games as they were held 0-0 by Ludogorets at Stadio Olimpico. In Spain, Adama Boiro, Benat Prados and Gorku Guruzeta all scored for Bilbao.
Frankfurt, the 2022 Europa League winner, won 2-1 at Midtjylland.
Like in the new-look Champions League, the top eight teams after the eight-round league phase advance directly to the round of 16 in March, and teams placed from ninth to 24th enter a playoffs in February.
Among other results, Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce rebounded from their first defeat at Alkmaar (3-1) with a 2-1 win at Slavia Prague, Rangers won 4-1 at Nice, Ajax lost 2-0 to Real Sociedad and Braga eased past Hoffenheim 3-0.
Galatasaray drew 1-1 away at AZ Alkmaar after Victor Osimhen equalized for the Turkish club before halftime with his third goal in his last two Europa League games. Sven Mijnans scored early for Alkmaar, which finished the game with 10 men after substitute Kees Smit was sent off in injury time.
Georges Mikaukadze scored two goals while substitute Corentin Tolisso and Malick Fofana added one each for Lyon to rout host Qarabag 4-1.
Maccabi Tel-Aviv ended a four-game losing run with a 3-1 victory over Besiktas in a game that was played at a neutral venue in Debrecen, Hungary, after Turkish authorities decided not to host match.
That decision followed unrest after Maccabi’s recent Europa League game in Amsterdam, where at least five fans were injured in violent street attacks, after their team’s 5-0 loss to Ajax.
The game was played without fans at the request of Hungarian authorities.
Gavriel Kanichowsky, Dor Perets and Weslley Patati had a goal apiece for the Israeli team, while Rafa Silva netted for Besiktas.
Dynamo Kyiv lost its fifth straight game, this time 2-1 to Viktoria Plzen. The consolation goal for the Ukrainian team, scored by Vladyslav Kobaiev in stoppage time, was the first for Dynamo in the competition.
Conference League
Chelsea have been cruising the the third-tier Conference League with the fourth win from four after beating Heidenheim 2-0.
In a matchup between two teams that were perfect, Christopher Nkunku broke the deadlock in the second half from close range before Mykhailo Mudryk roofed the second from inside the area.
Chelsea midfielder Cesare Casadei received his second yellow card in stoppage time and was sent off.
Legia Warsaw remained the only other perfect team after a 3-0 win at Omonia.
Liverpool shine in Champions League, dumping Real Madrid down the table. Dortmund rise to 4th
- Only Liverpool have started the new Champions League format with five wins and first-year coach Arne Slot’s team are two points clear of Inter Milan
- The best comeback was at PSV Eindhoven, where the home team trailed Shakhtar Donetsk by two goals in the 87th minute before a 3-2 win was sealed by US forward Ricardo Pepi’s goal deep in stoppage time
LONDON: Liverpool are 100 percent on top of the Champions League after dumping title holders Real Madrid into an almost unbelievable 24th place in the 36-team standings on Wednesday.
No one felt the embarrassment of Madrid’s 2-0 loss at Anfield more than Kylian Mbappe, the superstar added in the offseason by the storied club that also was European champion against Liverpool in the finals of 2022 and 2018.
Mbappe had a penalty saved in the second half and was earlier dumped on his behind by Conor Bradley’s superb tackle in an instant viral moment.
Only Liverpool have started the new Champions League format with five wins and first-year coach Arne Slot’s team are two points clear of Inter Milan. Barcelona are third, trailing Liverpool by three points.
Madrid are, remarkably, with three rounds left just one place above being eliminated. The top eight teams at the end of January go direct to the round of 16 in March, and teams placed from ninth to 24th enter a round of two-leg playoffs in February.
“(This) doesn’t change much, because even with a win it was going to be tough to secure a top-eight finish,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. ”It was a fair result.”
Monaco missed a chance to go second in the table, giving up a lead playing with 10 men from the 58th minute in a 3-2 loss at home to Benfica. Swiss forward Zeki Amdouni scored the winning goal in the 88th.
Borussia Dortmund, the beaten finalists against Madrid in May, are up to fourth place after beating Dinamo Zagreb 3-0. Champions League standout Jamie Gittens now has four goals in five games, curling a rising shot in the 41st to open the scoring in Croatia.
The best comeback was at PSV Eindhoven, where the home team trailed Shakhtar Donetsk by two goals in the 87th minute before a 3-2 win was sealed by US forward Ricardo Pepi’s goal deep in stoppage time.
US defender Cameron Carter-Vickers scored an embarrassing own goal for Celtic — playing a no-look pass far beyond goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel — in a 1-1 draw with Club Brugge.
“One of those things,” Schmeichel said. “Cam gets pressed and he hasn’t heard me shout that I’m not in (goal).”
Congo teammates Ngal’Ayel Mukau and Silas impressed in wins for Lille and Red Star Belgrade.
Mukau scored twice in 12th-place Lille’s 2-1 win at Bologna and Silas leveled for Red Star in a 5-1 rout of Stuttgart, though he barely celebrated his goal. Silas is on loan with the Serbian champion from Stuttgart.
Aston Villa’s 0-0 draw with Juventus was preserved by an excellent save by Emiliano Martinez, the World Cup-winning Argentina goalkeeper, diving low to push away a header from Francisco Conceiçao.
Bradley beats Mbappe
Liverpool’s stand-in right back Bradley was a standout Wednesday, denying Mbappe at high speed in a signature defensive play in the 32nd.
The 21-year-old Northern Ireland defender, deputizing for fit-again Trent Alexander-Arnold, joined the attack in the 52nd to play a key pass returning the ball to Alexis Mac Allister who scored the opening goal.
After Mbappe’s penalty was pushed away by goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher in the 61st, Liverpool star Mo Salah missed with his spot-kick in the 70th, before substitute Cody Gakpo sealed the win with a header in the 77th.
Madrid now have lost three of five games after defeats at Lille and at home to AC Milan. The record 15-time European champions have another tough trip next, at fifth-place Atalanta on Dec. 10. On the same date, Liverpool are at 30th-place Girona and look to be cruising into the round of 16.
“You know how special it is to play against a team that has won the Champions League so many times,” Liverpool coach Slot said of Madrid. “They were a pain for Liverpool for many years too.”
First wins, first points
Red Star Belgrade and Sturm Graz ended four-game losing runs to get their first points and wins.
Red Star rallied against Stuttgart after the German team led in the fifth minute. The 1991 European Cup winner’s goal to level the game in the 12th was scored by on-loan Silas. He held up his hands as if in apology as part of a low-key celebration.
Sturm Graz won 1-0 against Girona, the Spanish newcomers to European competitions. It was the Austrian champions’ first Champions League game since coach Christian Ilzer left to join Hoffenheim.
Mbappe misses penalty as Liverpool exact revenge on Real Madrid
LIVERPOOL: Kylian Mbappe saw a penalty saved as Liverpool beat Real Madrid 2-0 on Wednesday to inflict a third Champions League defeat in five matches on the holders.
Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo scored the goals in the second half as the Reds maintained their perfect record to return to the top of the table.
Mohamed Salah also fired wide from the spot, but it mattered little as Liverpool secured a 17th win in Arne Slot’s first 19 games in charge.
Slot has already achieved what Jurgen Klopp could not as Liverpool boss by slaying the Spanish giants.
Liverpool had a score to settle with Madrid, who were unbeaten in eight previous meetings between the sides, including Champions League finals against Klopp’s men in 2018 and 2022.
Defeat sends Carlo Ancelotti’s side tumbling down to 24th in the table.
Only the top 24 progress to the knockout stage with the top eight advancing directly to the last 16.
Liverpool are well on course to do just that and the confidence coursing through a side also eight points clear at the top of the Premier League was in evidence throughout in front of a highly-charged Anfield crowd.
Madrid were hamstrung by a lengthy injury list and made the trip to England without Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Aurelien Tchouameni and David Alaba.
Young center-back Raul Asencio has been pressed into action by those absences and he made a vital goal-line clearance on four minutes.
Darwin Nunez was sent in behind the Madrid defense by Salah and after his shot produced a fine save from Thibaut Courtois, Asencio reacted smartly to prevent the rebound bouncing off him and into his own net.
Courtois was Liverpool’s scourge with a man-of-the-match performance in the final two years ago as Madrid prevailed 1-0 in Paris.
The Belgian was at his best again as he blocked another big Nunez chance from point-blank range as the Liverpool pressure built without reward before the break.
Courtois was in sparkling form again at the start of the second period to parry Conor Bradley’s downward header.
But Liverpool were not to be denied as Bradley was this time the provider for Mac Allister, who manufactured the space for a shot into the far corner on 52 minutes.
The visitors were relying on Mbappe for a moment of magic in the absence of Vinicius, but the Frenchman was well-marshalled by his international team-mate Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk.
His chance to silence his critics arrived on the hour mark when Andy Robertson was harshly adjudged to have tripped Lucas Vazquez inside the area.
Caoimhin Kelleher has excelled in the absence of the injured Alisson Becker and leapt to his left to save Mbappe’s spot-kick.
Salah sparked a furor ahead of the game by declaring his disappointment with Liverpool’s failure to offer him a contract renewal.
The Egyptian has been in sparkling form this season and his pace and trickery fooled Ferland Mendy into a mistimed challenge.
Salah, though, gave Madrid a lifeline by firing his penalty off the outside of the post.
Liverpool had to wait just six more minutes for the cushion of a second goal as substitute Gakpo rose highest from a corner to power a header past Courtois.
