Spain in semis after penalties win v Switzerland

Spain reached the Euro 2020 semi-finals on Friday after prevailing 3-1 in a nervy penalty shootout against dogged Switzerland who were reduced to ten men by a sending off but still clung to a 1-1 draw after extra-time.

* Get DStv to watch all the action live.

Mikel Oyarzabal struck the decisive spot-kick after Gerard Moreno and Dani Olmo had converted for Spain and Sergio Busquets and Rodri squandered their kicks.

Spain keeper Unai Simon saved from Switzerland's Manuel Akanji and Fabian Schar while Ruben Vargas hammered his shot over the bar.

In open play, Spain took an eighth-minute lead when a Jordi Alba strike took a heavy deflection off Daniel Zakaria and went into the net but Switzerland levelled in the 68th when Xherdan Shaqiri cashed in on a mix-up in the Spain defence.

Switzerland's cause was then complicated by Remo Freuler being shown a straight red card in the 77th minute, but they held on to force the extra period and somehow survived a Spain onslaught to make it to spot-kicks.

But after beating France 5-4 on penalties in the last 16 by scoring all their kicks, only Mario Gavranovic could beat Simon and the Swiss were left heartbroken, still waiting to win a European Championship quarter-final.

Spain, though, are rewarded with a trip to Wembley to face either Belgium or Italy and are dreaming of a first major final since winning Euro 2012.

That winning moment ??

Mikel Oyarzabal sends Spain into the semis with this well-struck penalty.#ESP | #EURO2020

— SuperSport ?? (@SuperSportTV) July 2, 2021

MATCH FACTS

Spain progressed from a European Championship match via a penalty shootout for a fourth time (also 1984 v Denmark, 2008 v Italy, 2012 v Portugal), more than any other nation in the competition's history.

All three of Switzerland’s knockout stage matches at the European Championships have gone to penalties (also v Poland in 2016 and France this year).

Switzerland v Spain was the fifth EURO 2020 knockout match to go to extra-time; no edition of European Championships has seen more (level with 1996 & 2016).

Switzerland became only the third side in European Championship history to score an own goal and have a player red carded in the same match, after Poland v Slovakia this year and Czechoslovakia v Netherlands in 1976.

Switzerland’s Denis Zakaria was credited with what was the 10th own goal to be scored at EURO 2020 – more than the 15 previous editions of the European Championship finals combined (nine). Spain themselves have benefitted from three of those 10 own goals (also Martin Dúbravka and Juraj Kucka v Slovakia).

Xherdan Shaqiri scored his fourth European Championship goal, more than any other player for Switzerland in the competition’s history. Shaqiri has scored three goals in his last three international matches, as many as he had in his previous 31 such appearances beforehand.

Switzerland’s Remo Freuler received the sixth red card awarded at EURO 2020, twice as many as were given at the previous tournament in 2016 (three). Indeed, only 2000 (10) and 1996 (7) have ever seen more at a single European Championship edition.

No other players attempted more shots in this match than Spain substitutes Dani Olmo and Gerard Moreno (both six) – the pair have now fired in the most shots of any players at EURO 2020 without scoring (Olmo 16, Moreno 15).

Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer made 10 saves against Spain, the most by a goalkeeper in a knockout round match without losing that game since Ivo Viktor made 15 saves for Czechoslovakia in the 1976 final v Germany, which the Czechs won on penalties.

Spain's Pedri became only the second European player in major tournament history (World Cup/EUROs) to start as many as five such matches at the age of 18 or below, after Norman Whiteside, who started five times while aged 17 at the 1982 World Cup for Northern Ireland.