Spain finally have lift-off at Euro 2020 after a 5-0 hammering of Slovakia on Wednesday (Jun 23) sent them through as runners-up in Group E, with Croatia their opponents in the last 16 on Monday.
Spain have thrashed Slovakia 5-0 to set up a last-16 Euro 2020 clash against Croatia, while Sweden scored in stoppage time to beat Poland and finish top of the group.
Slovak goalkeeper Martin Dubravka made a stunning save to keep out an Alvaro Morata penalty but gave Spain the lead on the half-hour mark when he palmed the ball into his own net after a Pablo Sarabia shot had cannoned off the crossbar and looped back towards goal.
Aymeric Laporte headed in a second goal on the stroke of halftime before second-half goals from Sarabia, Ferran Torres and a Juraj Kucka own goal rounded off an emphatic win on Wednesday (Jun 23), Spain’s first in the football tournament.
Luis Enrique’s side, which finished second in Group E with five points, two points behind Sweden, will next meet Croatia in Copenhagen on Monday. Slovakia, who came third with three points and a goal difference of minus five, are heading home.
In the group’s other match, Sweden winger Emil Forsberg scored a double including the second-fastest strike in European Championship history before Viktor Claesson’s stoppage-time goal helped his country secure a 3-2 win over Poland.
It was a heartbreaking end to Poland’s campaign after they twice drew level through talismanic skipper Robert Lewandowski, whose 84th-minute equaliser for 2-2 gave them a glimmer of hope.
Sweden will next face one of the third-placed sides from Groups B, C or D – Finland, Ukraine or the Czech Republic – in Glasgow on Jun 29.
