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Alberto Rubio (comments)
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Alberto Rubio (comments)
19 ‘
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Alberto Rubio (comments)
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Alberto Rubio (comments)
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Alberto Rubio (comments)
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Alberto Rubio (comments)
AND
Spaña hopes to win over Switzerland and then sit in front of the television to wait for a rival in the semifinals. The opponent of The Red will come out of the great quarterfinal match of the Eurocup: Belgium-Italy.
Two of the great empires in force in national team football will measure their forces tonight at the Allianz Arena. The Red Devils and the Azzurra They were the only two teams that made a full win -10 out of 10- heading to the Euro. In fact, Belgium was the highest scoring team (40) and the least goalscorer (3) in the qualifying round. Italy (37-4) followed closely.
There is more. Between the qualifying round, the group stage and the round of 16 victories over Portugal (1-0) and Austria (2-1), Belgium and Italy accumulate 14 consecutive wins in Eurocopa key. They have thus equaled the record set by Joachim Löw’s Germany between 2010 and 2012.
Italy, in absolute terms, is unmatched. Roberto Mancini’s pupils They go through the best streak of matches without losing (31) and of wins in a row (12) in their entire history. He has left behind the records that led him to win two World Cups (1934 and 1938) and an Olympic gold (1936) in the time of Vittorio Pozzo.
Besides, he was proving unbeatable. Donnarumma broke the record for minutes without conceding set by Dino Zoff (1,143) between 1972 and 1974. Austrian Kalajdzic, in the 114th minute, stopped Gigi’s minutes in 1,168 without picking up the ball from the net. “Beating a legend like Zoff is incredible,” he said.
Belgium, for its part, lives its particular honeymoon. The victory against Portugal (1-0), current European champions, was the best way to celebrate the diamond wedding of Roberto Martinez.
The Spanish coach complied 60 games in front of the Red Devils with a spectacular curriculum. Since he replaced Marc Wilmots in 2016, he has 47 wins, nine draws and only four losses in 60 games. Numbers that have allowed Belgium to lead the FIFA rankings since 2018 and take bronze at the World Cup in Russia.
Barely two wins separate Bob to equal Guy Thys as the Belgian coach with the most wins (49) of all time.
Roberto Mancini, for his part, praised Belgium: “They are probably the best team in the world at the moment. They have been at the top of the FIFA ranking for three years. We are in the hard part of the table, but we believe in our qualities”.
Mancini, despite the difficulties that would entail, prefers that De Bruyne and Hazard play: “It would be more difficult for us, but I would like the best players to be on the field. The game would win in entertainment.”