Here are your quarterfinalists for EURO 2020. Do you notice any of the usual suspects that are out of the tournament already? We have Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, Italy, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Ukraine and England. That means that Portugal, France and Germany have already been sent home. On Friday, the first two quarterfinal matches take place.
Let’s take a look at the matchups, along with our EURO 2020 betting predictions.
Soccer News: EURO 2020 Quarterfinals (July 2)
Switzerland vs Spain (12:00 pm ET)
Switzerland 9/2 / Draw 11/4 / Spain 7/10
Spain had to go to extra time to knock out Croatia, who rolled all the way to the World Cup finals in 2018. Spain had built a 3-1 lead, but then Croatia came back to draw level, and Spain added two goals in the additional 30 minutes. Switzerland did Croatia one better, turning a 3-1 deficit into a 3-3 score going to extra time. Then the 30 minutes went without any scoring, and the Swiss prevailed on penalties.
For Spain, a key player to watch is Alvaro Morata, as he had several glorious scoring chances in the opener against Sweden, but Spain could not score in a 0-0 draw — even though Spain held the ball for 85 percent of the match. Morata responded to the online scorn with a goal against Poland and key playmaking in the team’s 5-0 paddling of Slovakia. He put Spain up 4-3 in extra time against Croatia, showing why he is such a plum target among the clubs. Now he plays the Swiss defense, which has permitted eight goals over for matches. In fact, the two teams have played eight matches so far in EURO 2020, and those eight matches have yielded a combined 30 goals, so expect to find the ball in the back of the net. Both defenses are suspect, as Spain’s is young and the Swiss side does not communicate well.
Switzerland has Breel Embolo up front, a forward with the speed to push the Spanish defense. Haris Seferovic can fly through the air and do damage on set pieces. Midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri also comes forward and engages in the offense. Don’t forget goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who was immense in penalties but also had some stellar saves against the French, particularly in extra time.
Final Prediction:
Spain 3, Switzerland 2
Belgium vs Italy (3:00 pm ET)
Belgium +240 / Tie +215 / Italy +133
Romelu Lukaku plays his club seasons in Italy, starring as the striker for Inter Milan. In the 2020-21 campaign, he tallied 24 goals in 36 matches, and Inter won the Scudetto for the first time since 2010. Now he will look to send Italy home from EURO 2020; he already has three goals in this tournament. The national team has a 31-match unbeaten streak after eliminating Austria, 2-1, in extra time in their round of 16 match.
Belgium is struggling in their lineup as Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne have fitness concerns; both were brought off via substitution in the team’s 1-0 win over Portugal and are doubtful to take the field against Italy. If the Italian defense can focus on Lukaku, that could make life a lot easier for the Azzurri. For Italy, captain Giorgio Chiellini has been dealing with a calf injury and is also doubtful. With Belgium likely missing so much offense, I like Italy to win a close one.
Final Prediction:
Italy 1, Belgium 0
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