Spain claimed the biggest victory of the tournament with a 5-0 trashing of Slovakia in their final European Championship group Group E match on Wednesday to come second in the group and set up a final 16 match with Croatia in Copenhagen.
Goals from Aymeric Laporte, Pablo Sarabia, Ferran Torres and two own goals from Martin Dubravka and Juraj Kucka sealed Spain’s progress to knockout stages.
Slovakia were eliminated as four other third-placed teams had either more points or a better goal difference.
Dubravka saved an early penalty from Alvaro Morata but gave Spain the opener as he tried to hit a rebound from Sarabia’s shot over the crossbar, only to palm into his own net.
Aymeric Laporte doubled the lead before halftime. Sarabia was then rewarded with a goal when left-back Jordi Alba swung a post into the box and the Paris Saint-Germain winger found room to take a first shot that went in from the post.
Sarabia became the supplier when he set up replacement Ferran Torres who scored within a minute of coming in and struck a low post past Dubravka for the fifth. Spain forced another own goal minutes later when Kucka failed to clear the line.
Most exciting game
In the second group E-game, Sweden sent Poland home from the European Championships on Wednesday with a winning time to make it 3-2 in one of the tournament’s most exciting matches.
Sweden seemed to cross after Emil Forsberg scored the second fastest goal in Euro history just 82 seconds in, followed by a second half.
But Poland’s Robert Lewandowski, who hit the crossbar twice during the first half, reduced Sweden’s lead two minutes later with a curling shot from outside the penalty area and then got a second in the 84th minute to set up an exciting final.
Viktor Claesson got Sweden’s winner in stoppage time.
Sweden now tops the group and in the knockout phase, Sweden will meet one of the third places in Glasgow on 29 June.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
Originally published on France24
Source: sn.dk