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The Scout: EURO 2020 Quarter-Finals

Posted on | Posted by The Scout

Switzerland vs Spain

Spain enter the quarter-finals coming off an epic 5-3 extra time win over Croatia. It was a chaotic match that saw them concede the opening goal, and then two more in the final five minutes of regular time. Luis Enrique’s men again dominated possession (68%), completing 456 more passes than Croatia.

One of the big surprise packets of the tournament has been Switzerland, who are through to the quarter-finals of the European Championship for the first time. They get here off the back of an incredible penalty shootout win over France, the finale to a monumental comeback that saw them down 3-1 at the 80 minute mark of the match.

Switzerland are big underdogs here but will consider themselves a genuine shot at upsetting this Spanish side. Spain were sloppy at times against Croatia, and conceding three goals against one of the worst attacking sides for the tournament raises serious concerns. Spain won just one game in the group stages, and perhaps that 5-0 demolition of Slovakia painted over a few cracks.

With striker Haris Seferovic (two goals against France) upfront and veteran Xherdan Shaqiri tucked in behind, this Swiss attack has looked deadly, and had the French defense under pressure throughout that match. Seferovic is a particularly dangerous aerial threat, and a big reason why I’m tipping Switzerland to progress to the semi-finals.

SUGGESTED BET: Switzerland to Qualify for the Next Round @ $3.70*

SUGGESTED BET: Haris Seferovic Anytime Goalscorer @ $4.40*

Belgium vs Italy

Belgium come into this match following a hard-fought 1-0 win over Portugal. It was a contest that saw them doing a lot more defending than attacking, trailing in just about every statistical category (including the shot count 6 to 23), but ultimately progressing off the back of Thorgan Hazard’s 42 minute goal.

Italy had an equally tough time in their round of 16 match against Austria, 0-0 after 90 minutes, they were able to escape with a 2-1 win after extra time. Unlike Belgium however, Italy were the dominant team in this match, registering an extra 11 shots and and extra three shots on target over the Austrians.

Manager Roberto Martinez has confirmed that Belgium will be without their stars Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne for this match. We hadn’t seen the best of either player in this tournament, but it’s still a major blow for the Belgians, with De Bruyne in particular such a crucial player, and the initiator of so many of their forays forward.

Italy’s defense has been incredible all tournament, still yet to concede a goal in regular time. The one goal they conceded against Austria came in the 105th minute of extra time, with a 2-0 lead, so I’m willing to forgive that! The Italian midfielders have been a big help in this area, with the team averaging 56% possession, the third highest in the tournament.

Italy’s miserly defense is perfectly coupled by their menacing attack. They’ve attempted 87 shots on goal for the tournament (the most of any team), scoring nine. Ciro Immobile (two goals) and Lorenzo Insigne (one goal) have been at the forefront of this attack, with Insigne registering 11 shots in just three matches, and more shots on target than any of his teammates.

SUGGESTED BET: Italy (Match Result) @ $2.40*

SUGGESTED BET: Lorenzo Insigne Anytime Goalscorer @ $4*

*Odds correct as at 11am, 1st July 2021.

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