The quarterfinals are set to commence, and, arguably, two of the best teams at the UEFA European Championships are set to meet with a chance to make it into the final four, as Belgium takes on Italy on Friday.
The Belgians came out of Group B on top, but were tasked with taking on the defending Euro champions, Portugal, in the Round of 16. The Portuguese controlled the play, and outshot Belgium by over a 3:1 margin. Yet, the Belgians held on, and thanks to a Thorgan Hazard marker in the 42nd-minute, are going back to the Euro quarters for only the fourth time in the country’s history.
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Italy was dominant in group play, finishing atop Group A with ease, not surrendering a goal in their first three games. However, they did show signs of weakness in their Round of 16 match with Austria. The game went scoreless through 90 minutes, which met extra time. Italy received goals from Federico Chiesa and Metteo Pessina in the first 15 minutes of extra time, but the Austrians made it close, scoring in the second half of extra time. Yet, despite a late flurry, the Italians held on for the 2-1 victory, earning a berth into the quarterfinal for the fourth Euro in a row.
The Belgians are going to be in tough against the Italians, especially with Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne both being ruled out for the quarterfinal match.
What: UEFA Euro 2020 Quarterfinals
Who: Belgium vs. Italy
When: Friday, July 2
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Where: Football Munich Arena (Munich, Germany)
Channel: ESPN
Stream: FuboTV (7-day free trial)
