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    Watch Gareth Bale miss AWFUL penalty in Wales’ Euro 2020 clash with Turkey as fans joke he’s used his ‘lob wedge’

    SOCIAL media tee-heed at Gareth Bale for a horror penalty miss – but he had the final laugh.Golf fan Bale’s spectacular spot-kick fail in Wales’ 2-0 win over Turkey sparked memes investigating where his “lob wedge” effort eventually landed – with the moon and Mars on the list, and Gary Lineker tweeting ‘proof’ that the ball was in his back garden.

    But either side of his penalty blooper the Real Madrid misfit provided brilliant assists for Aaron Ramsey and Connor Roberts to put the Dragons on the brink of reaching the Euro 2020 knockout stages.
    Bale still received an online onslaught as viewers pitched in after a spot-kick that almost climbed to the cloud nine that Wales are now on.
    Golfing analogies included: “You’d have thought with all the golf Bale plays he would know how to use a putter than a golf wedge.”
    But most of the banter involved guesswork over the final resting place for his spot-kick, with many jibes out of this world.
    In one ‘photo’ an astronaut was pictured on the moon alongside the words: “The ball from Gareth Bale’s penalty miss has just landed.”
    And a question many astronomers might soon be asking was posed above another stellar image: “Mysterious ball on Mars. Where did it come from?”

    Royal Ascot special 🏇🎩

    Practical advice for ex-Tottenham attacker Bale also flooded in.
    One man was pictured taking a penalty with a golf club, with the words: “Why didn’t Bale just do this?”
    One thing’s sure, though. Golf nut Bale will have walked off at the end of the night a hole lot better – after Wales’ superb victory.
    Bale, who apologised for blazing the penalty over the bar in Baku, said: “We’re in a fantastic position now. If you’d offered us four points at the start we would have bitten your hand off.
    “Of course, we’ll have to wait and see what  happens but we’re happy.
    “I am absolutely delighted with the win.”
    He added: “I got under the ball and it wasn’t a nice feeling.
    “In the circle after the game, I made a funny  joke and apologised for missing the pen.”

    Gareth Bale, right, watches his penalty fly high with Wales 1-0 up on the way to a superb 2-0 defeat of TurkeyCredit: AFP
    Wales’ main man Gareth Bale can’t believe how badly he has missedCredit: Reuters
    ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
    Wales beat Turkey 2-0 at Euro 2020 to give them four points in Group A More

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    BBC lose sound and images for Wales vs Turkey as viewers complain of ‘glitching’ and ‘woeful’ coverage

    VIEWERS bemoaned the BBC’s ‘woeful’ coverage of Wales’ 2-0 win against Turkey as images and audio went down several times.The camera feed from the Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan was interrupted by ‘glitching’ during the first half, causing the screen to go blank.

    The BBC’s coverage of Wales vs Turkey was hit by several outages

    Audio and images went down during the game, but the BBC claims the feeds came from Uefa Fans at home were then treated to double vision of Gareth Bale and Co.

    And things got worse as the audio cut out entirely.

    Twitter’s football army was soon out in full force to moan about the coverage.

    One person said: “This BBC Wales/Turkey coverage is a mess.”

    Another wrote: “These cameras are shocking, feels like the 80s.”

    One tweeted: “The coverage of Turkey vs Wales is woeful.”

    Another added: “This would never happen during an England match.”

    But BBC presenter Gabby Logan claimed at half-time: “These pictures come from Uefa’s headquarters. They control the feed.”

    Royal Ascot special 🏇🎩

    This BBC wales/turkey coverage is a mess— Y (@yamszs) June 16, 2021 More

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    Turkey vs Wales LIVE: Stream FREE, TV channel, team news as crucial Euro 2020 clash UNDERWAY in Baku – latest updates

    WALES will be hoping to grow on their opening game draw with Switzerland at Euro 2020 when they take on Turkey this evening in Baku.The Dragons drew 1-1 with the Swiss while Turkey lost their first game of the tournament 3-0 to Italy.

    Start time: 2pm GMT
    TV/Live stream: BBC One/iPlayer/S4
    Turkey XI: Cakir; Celik, Ayhan, Soyuncu, Meras; Yokuslu; Under, Karaman, Tufan, Calhanoglu; Yilmaz
    Wales XI: Ward; C. Roberts, Mepham, Rodon, B. Davies; Allen, Morrell; Bale, Ramsey, James; Moore

    Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
    TURKEY 0-0 WALES
    6. Really, really positive start by Wales.
    TURKEY 0-0 WALES
    5. SAVE!
    Bale skips away from Celik and spots the run of Ramsey in behind Turkey’s backline – he’s onside.
    Ramsey shapes up to shoot, but cuts the ball back and manages to lose his marker.
    The Juventus midfielder sends a shot towards the near post but Cakir saves!
    Has to score there.
    TURKEY 0-0 WALES
    4. Soyuncu tussles with Moore on the halfway line and the Leicester City defender is penalised.
    Good start from Wales, who are making good progress up the pitch.
    TURKEY 0-0 WALES
    3. Roberts manages to knock the ball away from Karaman down the right-hand side.
    The Turkey No9 catches Roberts on the follow-through and Wales have a free-kick in a good position.
    Dan James whips the free-kick towards the penalty spot.
    The ball ricochets off a Wales shirt and goes behind the goal for a Turkey free-kick.
    TURKEY 0-0 WALES
    2. Ramsey receives the ball on the halfway line and he tries to dribble through two Turkish players.
    He manages to break through, but he is tripped by Calhanoglu and Wales have a free-kick.
    TURKEY 0-0 WALES
    1. Wales get us underway and they will be shooting from right to left!
    Turkey is in all red and they have a large Turkish following inside the ground.
    Wales are in yellow and green.
    PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
    WE’RE UNDERWAY IN BAKU!
    HERE WE GO!
    HERE COME THE TEAMS
    Both sets of players are making their way out onto the pitch ahead of kick-off!
    French league winner Yilmaz leads out his Turkey team in front of a large Turkish following in Baku, Azerbaijan.
    Serial winner Bale captains Wales, and his team know that a win secures a place in the knockout stages.
    However, if Wales lose, they’ll have to pull off a shock win against Italy in Rome.
    Cue the national anthems……. Wales to go first!
    NOT LONG TO GO
    We’re ten minutes away from kick-off!

    CREATOR IN CHIEF
    33% of Wales’ nine shots in their opening game against Switzerland were taken by Kieffer Moore, while 33% of them were created by Joe Morrell – with the Dragons’ leveller being scored by Moore from a Morrell assist.
    HAVE YOUR SAY
    Want to be in with a chance of winning £250 in cash? Course you do! Correctly predict the score before kick-off and you’ll enter our prize draw…

    ‘WE WERE HARD-WORKING’
    Speaking to the BBC ahead of the game, Wales boss Rob Page praised his team for their performance against Switzerland, describing them as ‘hard working’.
    He said: “I think we set our foundations. We were hard-working, we showed we can come back from difficult situations against a really good team.
    “I said to them after the game that was the foundation. Of course, there are areas we can improve on, and when you look at the team on paper we’ve got some gifted footballers on that teamsheet.
    “We’ll be looking for a little bit of improvement when we get on the ball and create more chances, create more shots at goal.
    “That will be the benchmark for us tonight.
    “Turkey will have looked at this game as a game they must win. We’re expecting an extremely tough game and we’ve got to be prepared for that.”
    Credit: GETTY IMAGES
    Credit: GETTY IMAGES
    TABLE CHECK
    Here’s how the Group A table looks ahead of kick-off!
    Italy take on Switzerland later on tonight at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome, with the game due to get underway at 8pm.

    EUROPEAN TOUR
    Against Italy, Turkey kept up their record of losing their opening match at a major tournament (EUROs and World Cup), losing all seven such matches.
    However, they have progressed from their group the last three times they have avoided defeat in their second group stage match (EURO 2000, World Cup 2002 and EURO 2008).
    Turkey, who suffered a 3-0 defeat to Italy on MD1, haven’t lost consecutive matches in all competitions since November 2018 under Mircea Lucescu.
    They haven’t lost back-to-back games under Şenol Gunes since April 2003, with this their 42nd match under Güneş across two spells since then.
    Turkey had just three shots in their first match against Italy, their fewest ever in a European Championship match, while they failed to attempt a single shot on target for a second time in their last three matches in the tournament (also 0 vs Spain in 2016).
    GUNES’ THOUGHTS
    Turkey boss Gunes had this to say in the build-up before the match: “We need to look ahead.
    “We want to get six points against Wales and Switzerland. Wales are a good team defensively.
    “They attack fast, and they are also good at set-pieces. This game is like a decider for us, but the Switzerland match will be another decider.
    “Every game is so important and we will do our utmost to win both.”
    Every game is so important and we will do our utmost to win both.Senol Gunes
    PAGE’S THOUGHTS
    Wales boss Robert Page believes that his team ‘don’t fear anybody’.
    He said: “To get off to a positive start was important for us. We go into every game for the win.
    “If four points is enough [to qualify], brilliant. If not we’ll keep going.
    “We respect the teams that are in this group and competition, but we don’t fear anybody.”
    Credit: GETTY IMAGES
    TURKEY BENCH
    1 Gunok, 3 Demiral, 8 Tokoz, 11 Yazici, 12 Bayindir, 14 Antalyali, 15 Kabak, 19 Kokcu, 21 Kahveci, 24 Akturkoglu, 25 Mulder, 26 Dervisoglu.
    TURKEY XI
    23 Cakir; 2 Celik, 22 Ayhan, 4 Soyuncu, 13 Meras; 5 Yokuslu; 9 Karaman, 10 Calhanoglu, 6 Tufan, 7 Under; 17 Yilmaz (c).
    TURKEY’S TEAMSHEET IS IN!
    WALES’ BENCH
    1 Hennessey, 2 Gunter, 21 A.Davies, 3 N.Williams, 5 Lockyer, 15 Ampadu, 17 Norrington-Davies, 18 J.Williams, 10 Brooks, 23 Levitt, 9 T.Roberts, 8 Wilson.
    WALES XI
    Boss Page names an unchanged side.
    12 Ward; 14 C.Roberts, 22 Mepham, 6 Rodon, 4 B.Davies; 7 Allen; 11 Bale (c), 16 Morrell, 10 Ramsey, 20 James; 13 Moore.

    WALES’ TEAMSHEET IS IN!
    DANGER MAN
    Four of Kieffer Moore’s six goals in all competitions for Wales have been headers, including his equaliser on MD1 against Switzerland.
    He’s netted in each of his last two starts for the Dragons, and five of his six international goals overall have come in competitive fixtures.
    Credit: GETTY IMAGES
    WALES TEAM GUIDE
    Wales’ best performance in the European Championships came five years ago in France.

    HEAD-TO-HEAD
    This will be the first match between Turkey and Wales at a major tournament.
    Their last encounter dates back to August 1997 in a FIFA World Cup qualifier – it produced 10 goals, with Turkey winning 6-4 in Istanbul.
    Four of Turkey’s goals were netted by Hakan Şükür, while current Wales manager Rob Page played for Wales that day.
    Wales last beat Turkey 40 years ago, in March 1981, courtesy of a goal from Carl Harris in a FIFA World Cup qualifier in Ankara (0-1).
    Current Turkey head coach Senol Günes was in goal that day for the home side.
    Load more entries… More

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    Euro 2020 LIVE: Ronaldo snub causes £4bn Coca-Cola loss, Pogba does same with Heineken bottle, Wales vs Turkey build-up

    EURO 2020 is in full swing!And it’s been another frantic day, with Portugal leaving it late to beat Hungary before France saw off Germany.
    England are gearing up for their clash with Scotland on Friday.
    And Wales are in action against Turkey TONIGHT in a must-win game for Robert Page’s side.
    Royal Ascot day two special 🏇🎩

    Follow all of the latest news, build up and updates below…
    TURKEY V WALES – TEAM NEWS
    The teams for Wales’ Euro 2020 match with Turkey have been announced.
    Turkey: Cakir, Celik, Ayhan, Soyuncu, Meras, Yokuslu, Under, Karaman, Tufan, Calhanoglu, Yilmaz.
    Wales: Ward, C. Roberts, Mepham, Rodon, B. Davies, Allen, Morrell, Bale, Ramsey, James, Moore.
    Kick-off at 5pm.

    FT: FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA
    Russia picked up an important victory against Finland at the Saint Petersburg Stadium.
    The Finnish national team thought they got the lead in the opening minutes when Jukka Raitala dispossessed Igor Diveev at the right flank and delivered a stunning cross to Joel Pohjanpalo.
    Pohjanpalo headed the ball past Matvei Safonov but was caught just an inch offside by VAR.
    Russia got unlucky soon after as they lost Mario Fernandes to what appeared to be a back injury.
    But Stanislav Cherchesov’s men created plenty of chances and finally broke the deadlock in the second minute of stoppage time.
    Aleksey Miranchuk danced around Finland’s defence and passed to Artem Dzyuba who then set his team-mate up in the area for a stunning curling shot that beat Lukas Hradecky.
    Russia had chances to seal the win in the second half with Aleksandr Golovin and Rifat Zhemaletdinov but they both just missed the target.

    NOT SO GREEN
    Mason Greenwood has been named on the 100-man longlist for the 2021 Golden Boy award.
    The Manchester United forward, 19, was dealt a cruel blow after being forced to withdraw from England’s Euro 2020 squad due to injury.
    Greenwood had been named in the 33-man provisional squad and had been tipped to make the final 26.
    But the Old Trafford whiz has been given some good news after being named among the 100 nominees for the prestigious Golden Boy award.
    Last year, Greenwood finished 12th as Erling Haaland won the crown.
    But the young striker will have another chance of glory in 2021 after he was named as one of 15 Premier League representatives on the list.

    LINE OF BEAUTY
    Russia boss Stanislav Cherchesov has stated that ‘beautiful girls’ will be banned from entering their dressing room during Euro 2020.
    The news will come as a blow to model Natalya Nemchinova – dubbed as Russia’s ‘sexiest fan’ due to her exploits at the 2018 World Cup.

    AMPED UP
    Exclusive by Chisanga Malata: Ethan Ampadu had a winner’s mentality long before he hit the big time with Chelsea and Euro 2020 contenders Wales.
    Former Stoke Hill coach David Evans told SunSport: “He used to play for us in the summer tournaments.
    “And then all of sudden, there’d be a penalty shootout in the semi-final and if you win it, you’re in the final and if you lose it, you’re going home.
    “And I remember seeing him in tears after we lost a penalty shootout.
    “Playing in local football was Ethan’s first introduction to winning and losing and being competitive.”
    RUD BEHAVIOUR
    Antonio Rudiger will escape action for his apparent “bite” on Paul Pogba.
    Chelsea defender Rudiger appeared to nibble the back of Pogba’s neck and tweak his nipple in the latter stages of the first half of Germany’s opening group F defeat by France.
    The incident was spotted by the cameras and looked at by the VAR officials on duty at Uefa’s Nyon base.
    And despite the pictures being shared globally, Uefa have confirmed that no disciplinary case has been opened by inspectors, clearing Rudiger to face Portugal in Germany’s next game in Munich on Saturday.
    PAV A LAUGH
    UEFA have ordered France to explain what precautions they took after allowing Benjamin Pavard to play on despite being knocked out against Germany.
    Pavard admits he lost consciousness for a short while after Germany’s Robin Gosens crashed into his head during France’s 1-0 win on Tuesday.
    The Bayern Munich right-back’s head then smacked into the floor as he fell – and he was left out cold on the pitch as medics raced on to tend to him.
    But after receiving treatment which included having a bottle of water thrown over his head, the 25-year-old was then allowed to resume playing the remainder of the match.
    Now the governing body have asked the French Football Federation to explain what protocols they went by in allowing a player to carry on despite having been knocked out.
    Overriding medical consensus is that if a player loses consciousness after receiving a blow to the head, then they have suffered some form of concussion.
    All 24 teams in the European Championship signed up to a concussion charter before the start of the tournament – but IFAB’s protocols including the use of concussion subs are not in place.
    Even so, each team doctor is supposed to watch closely video replays of collisions to help determine the severity of an injury, and not just rely on a player telling them they are OK to continue.
    Uefa want to know if any of the recognised safety protocols were followed – and will still demand to know Pavard is fit to train and play matches over the next few days.
    Under the charter, each national federation has to provide a written explanation of a player’s condition and prognosis to ensure they are safe to take part in any training or matches after a concussion.
    DOWN TO A TEE
    Finland players wore T-shirts sporting a get-well message for Christian Eriksen ahead of their Euro 2020 clash with Russia.
    The Denmark star, 29, shocked the globe when he collapsed on the pitch in the first-half of the 1-0 defeat to Finland.

    ARN-OUT-OVIC
    Marko Arnautovic has been given a one-match ban for his wild celebration against North Macedonia.
    The former West Ham star has been penalised for insulting another player during Austria’s 3-1 victory,
    He will now miss his country’s Euro 2020 match against the Netherlands on Thursday.
    RUD AWAKENING
    Antonio Rudiger has denied biting Paul Pogba during France’s 1-0 win over Germany.
    He said: “I should not come close with my mouth to his back, no doubt about it.
    “It looks unfortunate. Paul and I have talked about it as friends after the final whistle.”

    RON THE RECORD
    Cristiano Ronaldo broke a number of records in Portugal’s win over Hungary.
    When Ronaldo netted from the spot against Hungary, he became the oldest player to score a goal for Portugal at a major tournament aged 36 years, 130 days.
    The record was previously set by Pepe at World Cup 2018 (35 years, 124 days)
    Astonishingly, Ronaldo has scored at every single European Championships he’s ever played in.
    He scored in his first ever match in the competition in a group stage match against the Greece in a shock 2-1 loss in 2004.
    In 2021, his strike from 12-yards meant he has managed to score in five different Euros.
    .
    EUR THE BEST
    England stars Harry Kane and Jadon Sancho both make the most valuable Euro 2020 XI.
    Sancho – a summer transfer target for Manchester United – is currently worth a sensational £86m.
    Dortmund are looking to recoup that to the final penny, with United’s first bid of the year £11m short, at £75m.
    But his £86m tag is enough for Sancho to make it into the Euro 2020 most valuable team worth €1.04BILLION (£890m) at right midfield.
    On the opposite wing, France star Kylian Mbappe is the priciest star, valued at £137m.
    The rest of the midfield is made up of Belgium star Kevin de Bruyne (£86m), Germany ace Joshua Kimmich and Holland’s Frenkie de Jong (both £77m).

    MORE FROM LINEKER
    The BBC presenter moved to explain why the Beeb aired distressing images of Christian Eriksen’s collapse rather than cutting to the studio.
    He told the Times: “The Uefa broadcast feed cut into a couple of images that we never would have.
    “While it’s happening, it’s easy to be critical. In an ideal world we wouldn’t have had a couple of those images for sure, which is why I came back with some apologetic words. But it was a very difficult half-hour.”
    LINEKER ON ERIKSEN
    The former England star was lead anchor for BBC when Christian Eriksen collapsed during Denmark’s 1-0 defeat to Finland.
    He told the Times: “Our reaction was the same as anyone at home. Shock, and it felt quite traumatic.”
    “I honestly suspected at one point we had lost him because they were suddenly putting screens up. ‘Oh my goodness.’
    “I was working the day that Fabrice Muamba had his collapse [playing for Bolton Wanderers away to Tottenham Hotspur in 2012] and the Leicester helicopter incident [in which five people died, including the club’s owner, in 2018], but they weren’t during the show.
    “These were unbelievably difficult circumstances.”
    FINGER SNIFFIN’ GOOD
    Joachim Low has been caught on camera sniffing his fingers… again.
    The 61-year-old has become well known for his ‘scratch and sniff’ touchline antics during major tournaments.

    RAM RAID
    Exclusive by Charlie Wyett: Aaron Ramsdale is a shock target for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.
    The Sheffield United keeper, 23, was yesterday called up into the England 2020 squad as a replacement for injured Dean Henderson.
    And Ramsdale is a surprise name on Arsenal’s summer wanted list.
    However, the recently-relegated Blades want around £20million for their star stopper.
    Emirates boss Arteta has a major goalkeeper issue with the future of Bernd Leno unclear as he could be returning to Germany.
    Brighton’s Mat Ryan spent the second half of last season on loan in North London but looks unlikely to return to Arsenal.

    GIFT OF THE GAB
    Gabby Logan has opened up about the tragic death of her younger brother Daniel.
    The popular TV presenter was reminded of Daniel’s passing, aged just 15, by Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest on Saturday while playing for Denmark.
    After the harrowing events in Copenhagen, Logan, 48, said: “Saturday night stirred up a lot of memories about Daniel, what happened to Christian, and I realised my own personal journey, my career, evolved in many ways out of a need to have some sort of a connection with his life.”
    She then added: “He was just a few months shy of his 16th birthday and he was about to start his full-time professional contract when he died of a condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is a hidden heart condition.
    “We had absolutely no idea that he had this ticking time bomb inside him.
    “He was playing football in the garden with my dad, and my other brother, who was six at the time.
    “And he went over to the long grass to pick up a ball, fell over, and died.”
    BEER WE GO
    Paul Pogba mirrored Cristiano Ronaldo’s Coca-Cola snub by removing a Heineken beer bottle during his press conference.
    The devout Muslim moved the beverage from the table in front of him following France’s 1-0 win against Germany on Tuesday night.
    Pogba, who made a religious pilgrimage to Mecca along with Kurt Zouma in 2018, refused to endorse one of Euro 2020’s official sponsors as alcohol is forbidden for Muslims.
    The 28-year-old has become the latest star to take a stance against the Euro’s sponsors after Ronaldo removed two bottles of Coca-Cola placed in front of him.

    RUD BEHAVIOUR
    Paul Pogba has claimed Antonio Rudiger ‘nibbled’ him during France’s 1-0 win over Germany.
    He said: “I’m not crying for cards, yellow, red cards because of such actions.
    “He nibbled, I think, a little bit on me. But we have known each other for a long time.
    “I told the referee and he takes decisions and he took a decision. It’s over.
    “It was a great match for us … and I didn’t want him to be suspended because of such a situation. It was towards the end of the match. We hugged each other and that’s it.”

    GROUP OF DEATH
    Group F containing France, Portugal and Germany is certainly the group of death at this summer’s tournament.
    And yesterday’s 1-0 defeat to France was the first time Germany have lost their first game of a Euros campaign – after winning seven and drawing five in their Euros history.
    Joachim Low’s side face an uphill battle to get their hands on the trophy a the only nation ever to win the competition after losing their opening game was the Netherlands back in 1988.
    Things don’t get any easier for Germany either – their next game is against the current Euros holders Portugal.
    STAT ATTACK
    Here are some pre-match stats to get you in the mood ahead of the first matchday two fixtures of Euro 2020.
    Russia have never lost against Finland in four international fixtures between the two nations.
    Wales have won three out of their six clashes with Turkey.
    And Italy are unbeaten in an impressive 28 international fixtures.
    CRASH LANDING
    A Greenpeace protestor crashed into football fans yesterday during a parachute stunt that went wrong just moments before France’s Euro 2020 match against Germany.
    Just before kick off, the activist could be seen flying overhead at the Allianz Stadium in Munich but as he descended towards the pitch his parachute caught a camera wire – bringing him to the ground.
    The event caused debris to fall down onto the pitch, almost striking France manager Didier Deschamps who took shelter under the dugout.
    UEFA responded to the incident with a statement calling the activist’s actions “reckless and dangerous” and confirmed several people had been injured and were taken to hospital.
    France vs Germany sees protester parachute into stadium before Euro 2020 kick-off
    TARTAN ARMY’S COMING
    Up to 20,000 Scotland ticketless fans are set to descend on London for Friday’s Euro 2020 match with England.
    Tartan Army supporters are planning to mass in Hyde Park before watching the crunch Group D clash in pubs and bars.
    But there is increasing concern about the lack of Covid-secure fan zones for the match with the Auld Enemy.
    Traditional meeting point Trafalgar Square has been turned into a fanzone for key workers only.
    Scotland have been allocated less than 3,000 tickets for the sellout 21,500 qualifier at Wembley.
    But between 6,000 and 20,000 Scottish supporters are reportedly planning on making the trip south.
    FRENCH CELEBRATIONS
    Thousands of French fans took to the streets of Paris last night to celebrate the 1-0 victory over Germany.
    The city is still in the midst of a curfew due to the Coronavirus pandemic but politicians asked for some leniency from police services due to the circumstances.
    World Cup holders France last won the Euros in 2000, after winning the 1998 World Cup just two years previously.
    Can Les Bleus win back to back major tournaments again?
    Credit: Getty Images – Getty
    Credit: Getty
    REMEMBER THIS?
    On this day FIVE years ago Daniel Sturridge scored a dramatic late winner for England in a 2-1 win over Wales during the Euro 2016 group stage.
    Gareth Bale had given the Dragons the lead in the first half before Jamie Vardy hit back for the Three Lions after the break.
    The game seemed destined to end in a draw until Daniel Sturridge popped up late on to seal three points for Roy Hodgson’s side.
    It was Wales who would have the last laugh in the tournament though – their historic run saw them make it all the way to the semi-final while England suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat to minnows Iceland.

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    Italy vs Switzerland: Live stream FREE, TV channel, kick-off time, team news for TONIGHT’S Euro 2020 match

    ITALY are taking on neighbours Switzerland in a crucial Euro 2020 clash.The Italians are looking to assert themselves on international football once again after a shock failure to qualify for World Cup 2018.

    BETTING OFFERS – CLAIM OVER £2000 IN FREE BETS

    Italy are looking to make up for lost time as they return to international tournament footballCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    Switzerland have an excellent record in tournament group stagesCredit: Reuters
    Meanwhile Switzerland will be hoping to continue a very solid tournament record which has seen them make it out of the group stage of every competition since 2012.
    What time does Italy vs Switzerland kick off?

    Italy take on Switzerland on Wednesday, June 16.
    The match kicks off at 8pm UK time.
    That’s 9pm in both Italy and Switzerland.
    Last time the two sides met in a competitive fixture was in 1999 when they played out a 0-0 draw in European Championship qualifying in Lausanne.

    What TV channel is Italy vs Switzerland on and can I live stream it?

    Italy vs Switzerland is live on ITV1.
    To stream the game live, head to the ITV Hub.
    RAI and Sky Italia are showing the Euros in Italy while SRG SSR is the Swiss broadcaster.

    Can I watch Italy vs Switzerland for free?

    Team news
    Marco Verratti is nearing full-fitness but isn’t yet ready to start as the Azzurri chase another win.
    Alessandro Florenzi is struggling with a calf problem and may not be fit to face the Swiss.
    Jonas Omlin left the visitors squad this week through injury and has been replaced by Gregor Kobel. More

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    Euro 2020 fixtures TODAY: Wales face Turkey, Finland vs Russia and Italy host Switzerland

    EURO 2020 is finally upon us with a massive festival of football already in full swing.It’s set to be a huge summer of action from around Europe as Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions go for glory.
    Raheem Sterling scored England’s only goal in a 1-0 victory over CroatiaCredit: Getty
    Kieffer Moore scored Wales’ only goal of the campaign so far against SwitzerlandCredit: The Mega Agency
    There is plenty of home nations interest as well with Wales and Scotland involved in this summer’s showpiece.
    Re-arranged from last year’s cancelled tournament, Turkey face Italy in the Group A curtain-raiser in Rome.
    Euro 2020 groups
    There are 24 nations competing in Euro 2020, which will get underway on Friday, June 11 2021.
    Of the Home Nations, three have made it to the finals with England and Scotland both in Group D, while Wales have a tough ask in Group A.

    Group A: Turkey, Italy, Wales, Switzerland.
    Group B: Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Russia.
    Group C: Netherlands, Ukraine, Austria, North Macedonia.
    Group D: England, Croatia, Czech Republic, Scotland.
    Group E: Spain, Sweden, Poland, Slovakia.
    Group F: Germany, France, Portugal, Hungary.

    Euro 2020 fixtures
    Every single match of this summer’s tournament will be shown on free-to-air TV in the UK.
    You can catch the games on either the BBC or ITV, so anyone with a valid TV licence can watch.
    Games kick-off at 2pm, 5pm and 8pm BST – so there’s no late nights or early mornings like we’ve had in some recent World Cup’s.
    If you want to stream, the BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub will allow you to do so – all you have to do is create a free account.

    The best TV deals for Euro 2020 including LG, Sony, Toshiba and more

    GROUP STAGE – Matchday 1
    Friday, June 11

    Saturday, June 12

    Sunday, June 13

    Monday, June 14

    Tuesday, June 15

    GROUP STAGE – Matchday 2
    Wednesday, June 16 – TODAY

    Result: Finland 0-1 Russia
    Turkey vs Wales, 5pm (Group A, BBC/S4C for Welsh language commentary)
    Italy vs Switzerland, 8pm (Group A, ITV)

    Thursday, June 17

    Ukraine vs North Macedonia, 2pm (Group C, ITV)
    Denmark vs Belgium, 5pm (Group B, ITV)
    Holland vs Austria, 8pm (Group C, BBC)

    Friday, June 18

    Sweden vs Slovakia, 2pm (Group E, BBC)
    Croatia vs Czech Republic, 5pm (Group D, BBC)
    England vs Scotland, 8pm (Group D, ITV)

    Saturday, June 19

    Hungary vs France, 2pm (Group F, BBC)
    Portugal vs Germany, 5pm (Group F, ITV)
    Spain vs Poland, 8pm (Group E, BBC)

    GROUP STAGE – Matchday 3
    Sunday, June 20

    Italy vs Wales, 5pm (Group A, ITV/S4C for Welsh language commentary)
    Switzerland vs Turkey, 5pm (Group A, ITV)

    Monday, June 21

    Ukraine vs Austria, 5pm (Group C, ITV)
    North Macedonia vs Holland, 5pm (Group C, ITV)
    Russia vs Denmark, 8pm (Group B, BBC)
    Finland vs Belgium, 8pm (Group B, BBC)

    Tuesday, June 22

    Croatia vs Scotland, 8pm (Group D, ITV)
    Czech Republic vs England, 8pm (Group D, ITV)

    Wednesday, June 23

    Sweden vs Poland, 5pm (Group E, ITV)
    Slovakia vs Spain, 5pm (Group E, ITV)
    Portugal vs France, 8pm (Group F, BBC)
    Germany vs Hungary, 8pm (Group F, BBC)

    KNOCKOUT STAGE – Round of 16
    Saturday, June 26

    Match one – Runner up Group A vs Runner-up Group B, 6pm
    Match two – Winner Group A vs Runner-up Group C, 8pm

    Sunday, June 27

    Match three – Winner Group C vs 3rd Group D/E/F, 6pm
    Match four – Winner Group B vs 3rd Group A/D/E/F, 8pm

    Monday, June 28

    Match five – Runner-up Group D vs Runner-up Group E, 6pm
    Match six – Winner Group F vs 3rd Group A/B/C. 8pm

    Tuesday, June 29

    Match seven – Winner Group D vs Runner-up Group F, 6pm
    Match eight – Winner Group E vs 3rd Group A/B/C/D, 8pm

    KNOCKOUT STAGE – Quarter-finals
    Friday, July 2

    Winner of Match six vs Winner of Match five, 6pm
    Winner of Match four vs Winner of Match two, 8pm

    Saturday, July 3

    Winner of Match three vs Winner of Match one, 6pm
    Winner of Match eight vs Winner of match seven, 8pm

    KNOCKOUT STAGE – Semi-finals
    Tuesday, July 6

    Quarter-final two winner vs Quarter-final one winner, 8pm

    Wednesday, July 7

    Quarter-final four winner vs Quarter-final three winner, 8pm

    KNOCKOUT STAGE – Final
    Sunday, July 11

    Semi-final one winner vs Semi-final two winner, 8pm

    This summer’s showpiece will be held at Wembley in LondonCredit: PA
    Where will the Euro 2020 final be held?
    In a huge boost for Gareth Southgate and England, the semi-finals and final will be held at Wembley Stadium.
    Euro 2020 confirmed venues are:

    Rome (Stadio Olimpico)
    Baku (Olympic Stadium)
    Copenhagen (Parken Stadium)
    St Petersburg (St Petersburg Stadium)
    Amsterdam (Johan Crujff Arena)
    Bucharest (National Arena)
    London (Wembley Stadium)
    Glasgow (Hampden Park)
    Budapest (Puskás Aréna)
    Munich (Fußball Arena München)
    Seville (La Cartuja Stadium) More

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    Finland 0 Russia 1 LIVE REACTION: Miranchuk goal seals vital three points for Russians in St Petersburg – latest updates

    RUSSIA held on for a nervy 1-0 win over Finland to claim a vital three points in Group B at Euro 2020.Aleksei Miranchuk’s first-half goal was enough at the Gazprom Arena for Russia to head home with the spoils.

    RESULT: Finland 0 Russia 1
    Finland XI: Hrdecky, Arajuuri, O’Shaughnessy, Toivio, Kamara, Lod, Pukki, Schuller, Uronen, Pohjanpalo, Raitala
    Russia XI: Safonov, Fernandes, Diveev, Ozdoev, Barinov, Zobnin, Dzhikiya, Miranchuk, Golovin, Dzyuba, Kuzyaev

    Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
    THAT’S ALL FROM SAINT PETERSBURG
    Russia picked up an important 1-0 victory against Finland at the Saint Petersburg Stadium.
    The Finnish national team thought they got the lead in the third minute when Jukka Raitala dispossessed Igor Diveev at the right flank and delivered a stunning cross to Joel Pohjanpalo.
    Pohjanpalo headed the ball past Matvei Safonov but was caught just a few inches offside by VAR.
    Russia got unlucky later as they lost Mario Fernandes to what appeared to be a back injury after an awkward landing.
    But Stanislav Cherchesov’s men created plenty of opportunities and finally broke the deadlock in the second minute of stoppage time.
    Aleksey Miranchuk danced around Finland’s backline and passed to Artem Dzyuba who then set his team-mate up in the area for a stunning curling shot that beat Lukas Hradecky.
    Russia had chances to seal the win in the second half with Aleksandr Golovin and Rifat Zhemaletdinov but they both failed to hit the target.
    That’s all from us here at SunSport, have a lovely evening!
    GETTY IMAGES
    RUSS RIDER
    Today’s result marked the fifth time Finland lose to Russia in all of their five meetings.
    The Finnish national team’s losing streak has been extended and they now count 16 goals conceded and a mere one scored.
    This was also the first ever time the two countries met in a major international tournament.
    However, that didn’t end Russia’s winning run against the Scandinavians
    GETTY IMAGES
    BOYZ N THE HOOD-OO
    Russia broke a devastating hoodoo today thanks to their 1-0 victory over Finland.
    That marked their first win in the Euros since June 2012 when they beat the Czech Republic 4-1 in the group stage.
    Since then, the Russians endured four losses in their next six Euro matches.
    Russia drew with Poland and lost to Greece in Euro 2012, drew with England and lost to Slovakia as well as Wales in 2016 and lost to Belgium last week
    GETTY IMAGES
    ART ATTACK
    Zenit Saint Petersburg star Artem Dzyuba proved once more how essential he is for the Russian national team.
    Dzyuba may not have scored against Finland but provided the assist for Aleksei Miranchuk’s winner.
    That means the striker has participated in 22 goals in his last 21 international appearances.
    More below:

    UPDATED TABLE
    Russia have climbed up to second place in Group B after their 1-0 win over Finland.
    Stanislav Cherchesov’s men have overtaken the Finnish national team, who are now third.
    However, Belgium and Denmark have yet to play their second game and will face off tomorrow.
    More below:

    STATS
    Russia dominated 58.8 per cent of possession throughout the match against Finland.
    Stanislav Cherchesov’s men produced a total of 14 shots, but only three of them were on target.
    Finland, on the other hand, only managed 11 shots, one of which was on target.
    The Russians stood out in the defensive side of things as they won 83.3 per cent of challenges
    HAVE YOUR SAY

    FT: FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA
    Russia picked up an important victory against Finland at the Saint Petersburg Stadium.
    The Finnish national team thought they got the lead in the opening minutes when Jukka Raitala dispossessed Igor Diveev at the right flank and delivered a stunning cross to Joel Pohjanpalo.
    Pohjanpalo headed the ball past Matvei Safonov but was caught just an inch offside by VAR.
    Russia got unlucky soon after as they lost Mario Fernandes to what appeared to be a back injury.
    But Stanislav Cherchesov’s men created plenty of chances and finally broke the deadlock in the second minute of stoppage time.
    Aleksey Miranchuk danced around Finland’s defence and passed to Artem Dzyuba who then set his team-mate up in the area for a stunning curling shot that beat Lukas Hradecky.
    Russia had chances to seal the win in the second half with Aleksandr Golovin and Rifat Zhemaletdinov but they both just missed the target
    GETTY IMAGES
    PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
    THAT’S FULL-TIME IN SAINT PETERSBURG!!!!!!
    FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA
    90+3 WHAT A CHANCE!
    Russia waste another big chance!
    Zhemaletdinov breaks inside the area and fires a shot that just misses Hradecky’s top left corner
    FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA
    90 Five more minutes of added time to go until full-time!
    Finland are running on fumes, which works very well for Russia
    FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA
    90 YELLOW CARD
    Finland ace O’Shaughnessy gets booked for an elbow on Sobolev.
    That was the right call from the ref
    FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA
    89 CHANCE!
    Finland come close there!
    O’Shaughnessy gets a header in the far post and sets up captain Arajuuri for one of his own but the ball just misses Safonov’s crossbar!
    FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA
    88 YELLOW CARD
    Jikia, who now wears Russia’s armband after Dzyuba’s exit, gets booked for a rough challenge on Soiri
    FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA
    87 CHANCE
    Russia international Zobnin tries a shot inside the box but sends the ball to the stands
    FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA
    85 SUBSTITUTION
    And so Russia star Miranchuk makes way for Mukhin whereas Sobolev replaces Dzyuba
    FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA
    84 Another change from Finland manager Kanerva as Jensen takes Toivio’s place.
    Russia boss Cherchesov prepare a double switch as well
    FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA
    83 Finland continue to push for a late equaliser but tempo has slowed down.
    Russia are sitting back but prove to be quite lethal on the counter-attack with Miranchuk
    FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA
    80 Just 10 more minutes to go until full-time!
    Tempo has slowed down but Finland continue to hold possession
    FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA
    78 Finland manager Kanerva makes a strange decision to take out Pukki, his top scorer, for Lappalainen, who has never netted a single goal for his country.
    Time is running out, let’s see if this risk will pay off
    FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA
    75 SUBSTITUTION
    Finland manager Kanerva makes a double change to shake things up a bit.
    Raitala makes way for Soiri and shockingly enough, Pukki comes off for Lappalainen!
    Quite a risky move from the Finish boss who has 15 minutes to equalise!
    FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA
    72 WHAT A CHANCE!
    Russia keep wasting chances that would put the game to bed!
    Dzyuba finds Kuzyayev down the left side of the area and the midfielder fires a beautiful low shot that is denied by a stunning save from Hradecky.
    The Finland goalkeeper lunged to his left and made the save with his left hand
    FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA
    70 Russia are on the defensive now, just like Finland in the first half.
    But unlike their counterparts, Cherchesov’s centre-back are defending much better by clearing almost all crossed from the wings
    FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA
    68 CHANCE
    Kauko tries a long-range shot on his first contact with the ball but sends it wide
    FINLAND 0-1 RUSSIA
    67 SUBSTITUTION
    Finland manager Kanerva makes his first switch of the match as Kauko replaces Schuller
    Load more entries… More

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    What is Belgium’s national anthem called, and what are the lyrics in English?

    BELGIUM’S national anthem La Brabanconne is sung in three languages, has three verses – and at the Euros this Summer all eyes will be on three of their key players.The trio of Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku hope to fire Belgium to their first major trophy – after they finished third at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

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    Belgium got their campaign off to a superb start with a 3-0 winCredit: Getty
    And after quarter-final disappointment at Euro 2016 the Red Devils will be hoping their holy trinity can help their golden generation deliver on a golden promise.
    What are the lyrics to La Brabanconne?
    Verse 1Noble Belgique, ô mère chérie,À toi nos cœurs, à toi nos bras,À toi notre sang, ô Patrie !Nous le jurons tous, tu vivras !Tu vivras toujours grande et belleEt ton invincible unitéAura pour devise immortelle :Le Roi, la Loi, la Liberté!
    Verse 2O dierbaar België, O heilig land der Vaad’ren,Onze ziel en ons hart zijn u gewijd.Aanvaard ons kracht en het bloed van onze ad’ren,Wees ons doel in arbeid en in strijd.Bloei, o land, in eendracht niet te breken;Wees immer uzelf en ongeknecht,Het woord getrouw, dat g’ onbevreesd moogt spreken,Voor Vorst, voor Vrijheid en voor Recht!
    Verse 3O liebes Land, o Belgiens Erde,Dir unser Herz, Dir unsere Hand,Dir unser Blut, o Heimaterde,wir schwören’s Dir, o Vaterland!So blühe froh in voller Schöne,zu der die Freiheit Dich erzog,und fortan singen Deine Söhne:Gesetz und König und die Freiheit hoch!

    What are the lyrics in English?
    Verse 1Noble Belgium; O, mother dear;To you we stretch our hearts and arms,With blood to spill for you, O fatherland!We swear with one cry, you shall live!You shall live, so great and beautiful,And your invincible unityShall have for device immortal:The King, the Law, the Liberty!
    Verse 2O dear Belgium; O, holy land of the fathers,Our soul and our heart are devoted to you!Accept our strength and the blood in our veins,Be our goal, in work and struggle.Prosper, O land, in unbreakable unity;Always be yourself and serve no other,Faithful to the word that you may speak boldly,For King, for Freedom and for Law!
    Verse 3O, dear country; O, Belgium’s soil;To you our heart, to you our hands,To you our blood; O, native land,We swear to you; O, fatherland!So gladly bloom in beauty full,Into what freedom has taught you to be,And evermore shall sing your sons:To Law and King and Freedom, hail! More