Euro 2020

DENMARK are taking on Finland in Group B as the sides begin their Euro 2020 challenge in Copenhagen.
TV channel: BBC ONE
Live stream free: BBC iPlayer
Denmark XI: Schmeichel, Kjaer, Christensen, Wass, Wind, Poulson, Maehle, Hojbjerg, Delaney, Eriksen, Braithwaite.
Finland XI: Hradecky, Arajuuri, Kamara, Phjanpalo, Sparv, Toivio, Uronen, Pohjanpalo, O’Shaughnessy, Raitala, Pukki.

Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…

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DENMARK 0-0 FINLAND
5. Congratulations to Robin Lod who has just picked up Finland’s first ever yellow card in a major tournament for a reckless challenge on Martin Braithwaite.
He’s on an early tight rope now.
DENMARK 0-0 FINLAND
3. What a throw that was by Daniel O’Shaughnessy.
That took me back to the Rory Delap days because he threw the ball deep into the box from a throw-in on the left hand side.
Wow.
DENMARK 0-0 FINLAND
2. Ouch that looked painful.
Glen Kamara who has high expectations to do well in the tournaments first involvement was to step on Daniel Wass’ toe.
Thankfully, the full-back was able to run it off.
DENMARK 0-0 FINLAND
1.  The opening Euro 2020 match between Turkey and Italy was explosive but can Denmark and Finland follow in their footsteps.
Oh and I forgot to ask, who’s your money on people?
PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
ANTHONY TAYLOR IN HIS FIRST EVER MAJOR FINALS
GET’S US UNDER-WAY!
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NATIONAL ANTHEMS
The players are currently out on the field proudly singing their National Anthems in harmony with the 16,000+ fans in the stadium.
It’s safe to say that there are a lot of out of tune vocals on show.
EURO FACTS
If you thought Denmark were the favourites before reading the blog, then you weren’t wrong because the Danes are one of only five teams who have qualified for the Euro’s without recording a single loss along with; Italy, Spain, Ukraine and their Group opponents, Belgium.
But it doesn’t mean that they are invincible and should Finland get Teemu Pukki firing this evening, there is every chance that the Finn’s can cause an upset.
The Finnish forward’s ten goals and one assist out of Finland’s total tally of 16 strikes calculates his involvement rate at 68.75%.
Anything is possible.
FINLAND RECENT RESULTS
As for the Finn’s, despite doing so well to qualify for the Euro’s, they are yet to put a victory on their record this calendar year.
As a matter of fact their last six fixtures have resulted in four loses and two draws so it’s not looking good for Finland.
But Markku Kanerva’s side did manage to pull off a 2-1 victory over Bulgaria towards the back-end of last year so the Finn boss will be hoping that his men can rejuvenate that kind of momentum again.

DENMARK CURRENT FORM
The Danes are hoping to continue their impressive unbeaten run in 2021.
In their last six matches, Denmark have won four games including a staggering 8-0 triumph over Moldova and they managed to hold Germany to a 1-1 draw.
However, Kasper Hjulmand’s men did lose their last game of 2020 to Belgium back in November but they will get the chance for revenge on their match-day 2 of the tournament.

MINDFUL MARKKU
Markku Kanerva was very open to the fact that the opposite number are going to be a tough nut to crack and his side are considered the underdogs.
But is that all a game plan by the Finland coach for Denmark to take their eye off the ball?
Denmark have a very good team, if we look at their last few matches, they’ve had some magnificent results and have scored a lot of goals. Their defence has worked and they have some great individual players. Denmark are a really tough team and they get to play on home soil, but we have proved we can challenge even bigger countries than Denmark.Markku KanervaUEFA.com
HUNGRY HJULMAND
The Denmark coach had some words of wisdom ahead of his sides opener this evening and you can tell that he will not take any kind of excuses from his team should they lose.
We shouldn’t go out and lose a match because we’re not well enough prepared, we shouldn’t lose because we didn’t want it more than our opponents, and we shouldn’t lose because we don’t play our best. We must leave everything on the pitch and do everything we can to win.Kasper HjulmandUEFA.com
MASK OFF
In other news outside of football but still relating to the European Championships, Denmark will be getting rid of the idea that it is mandatory for people to wear masks soon and have allowed 9,000 more fans to attend stadiums up from the original number of 16,000.
Infection rates have significantly dropped as a result of broad lockdown measured implicated late December last year, which has meant that the Nordic country has avoided a third Covid-19 wave.
This is fantastic for all travelling spectators who are waiting to watch the games in the Copenhagen stadium as the news has come just in time for the opening weekend of the major tournament.
However, the Danish Football Association has informed broadcaster TV2 that things are not set in place to welcome 25,000 fans for the opener against Finland this evening.
Justice Minister, Nick Haekkerup said: “The development in infections is at a stable level while the vaccinations of Danes run at a good pace.
Leisure Centres and libraries will be accessible to all even those without a valid Covid-19 passport from June 14th but the pass will be completely abolished at an estimated month of October.
TEEMU THE TALISMAN
Norwich goal machine, Teemu Pukki is most certainly Finland’s biggest threat and could cause some harm to the Denmark defence today.
The Finnish striker knows how to finish his shots on goal given the opportunity which is why he scored the most goals for his country (10) in the qualifying rounds.
Similar to Christian Erisksen, Pukki is also going into this tournament off the back of league success having fired the Canaries back into the Premier League with his 26 goals in the Championship last campaign.
Take a look at some of his current 2020/21 numbers below.

EAGLE EYED ERIKSEN
Christian Eriksen is officially a centurion in the Denmark jersey as he has managed to notch up 108 caps for his country.
The 29-year-old is definitely a key member of the Dane squad and arguably one of the most technically gifted attacking midfielders in world football.
Eriksen showed his importance to the team by scoring the most goals for his country in the qualifying stages (5) and after securing the Scudetto with Inter Milan, the talisman’s confidence will be sky high.
Below are Christian Eriksen’s stats from the 2020/21 campaign.

FINLAND BENCH
5 Vaisanen, 7 Taylor, 9 Jensen, 11 Schuller, 12 Joronen, 13 Soiri, 15 Hamalainen, 19 Kauko, 21 Lappalainen, 23 Jaakkola, 25 Ivanov, 26 Forss
FINLAND XI
Similar to his opposite number, Markku Kanerva has fielded his strongest possible eleven and Finland’s very first starting line-up in a major tournament.
The Finn head coach has gone with a 3-5-2 formation which includes Hradecky in between the sticks.
Toivio, Arajuuri and O’Shaughnessy will be used as the goalkeeper’s protection with Uronen and Raitala operating in the full-back positions.
Scottish League winner Glen Kamara gets a start in the midfield alongside Sparv and Lod.
Which leaves Pohjanpalo to partner the dangerous Teemu Pukki up-front.
1 Hradecky, 4 Toivio, 2 Arajuuri, 3 O’Shaughnessy, 22 Raitala, 8 Lod, 14 Sparv, 6 Kamara, 18 Uronen, 20 Pohjanpalo, 10 Pukki

SMILES ALL ROUND
It’s good to see that someone is happy with the team sheet.

DENMARK BENCH
2 Andersen, 3 Vestergaard, 11 Olsen, 12 Dolberg, 14 Damsgaard, 15 Norgaard, 16 Lossl, 17 Larsen, 21 Cornelius, 22 Ronnow, 24 Jensen, 26 Boilessen
DENMARK XI
The Dane head coach Kasper Hjulmand has gone with a very strong starting eleven in their opener against Finland.
As predicted Kasper Schmeichel starts in goal with Simon Kjaer as the centre-back pairing.
Thomas Delaney and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will try to control the middle of the park with Christian Eriksen operating just in front of them.
And Martin Braithwaite has been selected to lead the line up-top for Denmark.
1 Schmeichel 18 Wass, 4 Kjaer, 6 Christensen, 5 Maehl, 8 Delaney, 23 Hojbjerg, 10 Eriksen, 20 Yurary, 19 Wind, 9 Braithwaite

AND HERE ARE THE STARTING LINEUPS!
FINLAND SQUAD UPDATE
Star striker Teemu Pukki was the only slight concern for Markku Kanerva but thankfully for the Finn manager and the rest of his side, the Norwich forward seems to have shaken that knock off.
Everybody else is fit and raring to go which means we could see a start for the talented Glen Kamara who is fresh from conquering the Scottish first division with Rangers this season.
DENMARK TEAM NEWS
Kasper Hjulmand has a fully-fit squad to select from going into the first game of the Euro’s and with the players at hand, the Danes seem to have a slight edge for this encounter.
FA Cup Winner Kasper Schmeichel is the obvious choice in goal after having a brilliant season in between the sticks for Leicester City.
There could be a centre-back pairing of Chelsea’s Andreas Christensen and team captain Simon Kjaer who represents AC Milan at club level in defence.
Tottenham midfielder, Pierre-Emile Hoijberg is likely to clock up another cap in the middle of the park this evening.
And going forward, the Denmark manager has an array of talent to rely upon such as; Barcelona forward Martin Braithwaite, RB Leipzig attacker Yussuf Poulsen or the main man Christian Eriksen who is coming into the competition off the back of a Serie A title winning season with Inter Milan.
DREAM-LAND
As I mentioned before, this is the first time Finland have EVER qualified for the European Championships which means it is the first time that the country can get ‘EUROHyped’ quoted from the national team’s Twitter admin.

FINLAND’S ROAD TO EURO 2020
When the Scandinavian outfit were put in a qualifying group with the likes of Italy and Greece, it looked as if another European Championships was going to go by without Finland being part of it.
But a hero named Teemu Pukki came to the rescue and helped fire the Finns to six wins out of ten resulting in them securing second spot behind the Italians for a place in the Euro 2020.
Click on the second link and swipe to the right three times to see their full journey.
It’s incredible.

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EURO 2020 is finally here!Italy and Turkey got the party started in Rome, where the Azzurri were sublime as they cruised to a 3-0 win.
Wales are in action today against Switzerland, while England are preparing for a tough opening fixture against Croatia on Sunday.

Follow all of the latest news, build up and updates below…
DANNIT
Daniel James’ joy at the Wales equaliser past Switzerland was short lived after he was shocked to be substituted immediately afterwards.
Kieffer Moore headed the Dragons’ first goal of Euro 2020 to make it 1-1 in Baku on Saturday.
But manager Robert Page decided to go ahead with a change nonetheless, bringing on David Brooks for James.
The Manchester United winger had played a part in the build-up that won the corner and was heavily involved throughout his 74 minutes on the pitch.
And he certainly did not expect to come off, pointing at his shirt and appearing to ask ‘me?’ as he trudged off.
The evidently annoyed 23-year-old shook his head but also shook the hand of both his replacement and manager while departing.

MOORE REACTION
Wales striker Kieffer Moore has given his reaction to scoring the equaliser in his country’s 1-1 draw with Switzerland at Euro 2020.
The Cardiff City star told BBC Sport: “It’s great personally, we’d have liked to win but we’ll take a draw to put us in a good position.
“It’s never good going a goal down but to get one back and see the game out is a big positive for us.
“It’s tough out there, but it is what we expected, we’ve been here for a week now.
“Obviously this is a big occasion and I’ve loved every second of it.”

FULL-TIME
Wales’ Euro 2020 opener has ended in a 1-1 draw against Switzerland in Baku.
Breel Embolo opened the scoring early in the second half, before Kiefer Moore equalised with a clinical header for Wales.
And there was late drama after VAR cancelled out a volley from Mario Gavranovic for offside.
BALL BLOW
Euro 2020 fans were left bitterly disappointed after the remote control car used to bring the ball onto the pitch for the opening game of the tournament was ditched for Wales’ match against Switzerland.
Social media went into meltdown on Friday night before Italy’s game with Turkey after the match ball was brought onto the pitch in unique fashion.
The ball emerged onto the pitch and was driven to the referee in the centre circle by a remote control car made by tournament sponsors VW.
It was unclear whether this was set to be a recurring theme throughout the tournament.
But prior to Wales’ first match of the European Championships, supporters were left gutted as there was no sign of the mini VW remote car.
And Twitter predictably reacted with an outpouring of sadness as they realised the car would not be featuring ahead of the game in Baku.
One fan said: “I’m very disappointed the little car isn’t at all of the matches.”
Another added: “We didn’t get the car! Why didn’t we get the car? Everybody wanted the car. This tournament is now dead to me. Dead.”
And a third said: “What an outrage, no little car for the ball!”
GOLDEN GOALS
Pubs are cashing in on Covid by charging punters up to £400 to reserve a table to watch England’s opening Euro 2020 match against Croatia. 
Boozers are demanding extortionate prices as footie fans struggle to find anywhere to watch the game.
The Three Lions will take on Croatia at Wembley in their opening game of the tournament at 2pm tomorrow, with over five million Brits expected to  watch the game in a pub. 
The Players Lounge in Billericay, Essex, was charging £120 a seat in its “VIP” area – meaning a group of six friends would need to stump up over £700 to watch the game.
And in Manchester, seats at the Barca bar were going for £60, according to The Times. 
Meanwhile in London, the Oval fan park was charging £135 for a table of six – though fans will be hosted by ex-England striker Tony Cottee.
KICK-OFF
Wales’ Euro 2020 opener against Switzerland is underway.
Click HERE to follow the action with the SunSport LIVE blog.
BLUE BLOOD
Man Utd summer target Jadon Sancho has admitted that grew up a Chelsea fan.
The Borussia Dortmund and England ace also revealed that he idolised Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba growing up.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Camberwell-born Sancho said: “I was a Chelsea fan growing up, I can’t lie.
“Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard were my favourite players at the time.
“I just love Frank Lampard and how he played his game; he was so direct and so composed on the ball.
“I like things like that.”
DRESSED FOR SUCCESS
Gareth Southgate’s England troops were fully suited and booted for their final Euro 2020 photoshoot.
The Three Lions will kick off their campaign at Wembley on Sunday afternoon, locking horns with Croatia in front of 22,500 fans.
And the players will be decked out in Marks and Spencer’s finest suits before they make their way to the pitch.
Snaps of the team’s final pre-tournament photoshoot at St. George’s Park were released this weekend.
The players looked sharp in their navy suits, which were accompanied by white shirts and brown shoes.
A nice navy tie – which featured red and white stripes – completed the dashing get-up.
Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2020 pose for a group photo
CRO-CIAL KNOWLEDGE
An England fan flew a banner over their training base with tactical advice warning most Croatia goals ‘come down the left’.
Gareth Southgate’s side kick off their Euros campaign against Croatia at Wembley tomorrow afternoon.
And just a day before tournament opener, Southgate and the squad were given a helping hand from outside the camp.
A banner flying over St George’s Park read ‘most #Cro goals come down left’.
An England fan flew a banner over their training base with tactical advice
RIGHT ON GVARD
Croatia star Josko Gvardiol is desperate to down England at Wembley – to help secure himself a dream Premier League move.
Gvardiol, 19, made his debut in the friendly defeat to Belgium last week but already has experience of upsetting the English.
He joined RB Leipzig last summer from Dinamo Zagreb but remained on-loan with his hometown club and helped knock Harry Kane and Tottenham out of the Europa League in March.
Leeds United were keen on bringing the versatile ace, who can play either centre-half or left-back, to the Prem a year ago, but it is another English club he is desperate to play for.
Gvardiol told 24hr Sata: “From a young age, I watched Liverpool games with my dad and I grew up with just them.
“When I took football more seriously, I started following them, and I definitely want the Premier League and Liverpool move one day.”
RUN FOR KOVA
Chelsea and Croatia ace Mateo Kovacic believes the midfield battle will be key during their clash against England on Sunday.
He said: “I see the midfield as the main topic here. England are very good in terms of attacking, as are we, so it’s two pretty big teams and it’s gonna be a tough team in terms of the midfield.
“They have an excellent midfield. [Mason] Mount is in excellent form. [Declan] Rice as well in West Ham, and [Jordan] Henderson. They have a lot of quality there but so have we – we have excellence there.
“So it’s going to be a tough match, a lot of fights in the midfield, but we’re ready for that. We all know what kind of match we have ahead of us.
“We’re preparing and we are for every match and we’re going to do our best and give our all.”
BEHIND THE SCENES
Take a look at what happens behind closed doors at St George’s Park.

GROAN GOAL
Can England go all the way without going all the way?  
The Three Lions’ WAGs and families are banned from the team hotel for the Euros due to Covid-19 squad bubbles.
Boss Gareth Southgate hopes players can have a ‘little bit of home time’ but it still exposes the question of whether abstaining from sex is good or bad for sportspeople before games.
In other words, would England be better off as the Sex–Free Lions?
Or would Southgate’s up-and-coming players have more chance of putting to bed 55 years without a major trophy if private cuddles were added to public huddles?
Scientific evidence suggests sex is no physical impairment for sporting performance soon afterwards – and in fact could be beneficial.
Read more HERE.
NOT FINE
England fans could be fined £1,000 for flying an England flag from their cars during Euro 2020.
While there is no offence for driving with a flag attached to your car, large ones could break road regulations, WalesOnline reports.
Regulation 30 of The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 states motorists must have a full view of the road and traffic ahead.
Driving with any kind of obstruction on your car windows or windscreens can limit your field of vision, potentially reducing reaction time and even contributing to an accident.
The practice can also impact your insurance if you’re involved in an accident.
Insurers aren’t likely to cover any damage or injuries sustained in a crash if your vision is impacted by decorations.
This means large flags which could hamper drivers’ views would break the rules – and drivers of cars or small vans slapped with a £1,000 fine.
STROKE OF LUK
Mason Mount went to England’s last major tournament as a starstruck fan.
Tomorrow the Champions League-winning Chelsea midfielder will line up against childhood idol Luka Modric as an equal — after the Croatia legend asked HIM to complete a shirt swap.
Mount and fellow young England prospects Phil Foden and Ryan Sessegnon were whisked off to Russia by sponsors to take in a Three Lions group game and experience everything that surrounds a World Cup.
Mount, now 22, said: “The Russia trip, I look back at the pictures now and we all look so young.
“I was very lucky enough to watch one of the group games. So even to be around it and witness that atmosphere of a major tournament, I remember that very vividly.
“I remember walking around the TV set and we did a little interview with Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker and we actually stumbled across Cesc Fabregas and had a little chat.”
Read more HERE.
LION IN BED
There’s just one thing Mason Mount doesn’t enjoy about being at a major tournament with best friend Declan Rice – the early morning wake-up call.
Mount and West Ham star Rice, mates since they were at the Chelsea Academy together, have rooms next to each other at England’s St George’s Park headquarters.
Mount said: “He is there next door and every time he wakes up, he wakes up earlier than me and he tries to knock on my door and wake me up to go to breakfast every morning.
“I might have to move a couple of doors down so I’m not right next to him.
“To have my best mate with me and to go through this experience with him and obviously all of the other boys as well, it means a lot.
“It’s something that is very special to us and that we’ll remember for a long time.”
Mason Mount and Declan Rice have rooms next to each other at England’s HQ
THIS IS EUR MOMENT
SOL CAMPBELL EXCLUSIVE – I’ve never felt more cheated than after my last England game at a Euros.
That’s why I urge Gareth  Southgate’s squad to be themselves and leave nothing behind —  because they may never be in this position again.
Having my extra-time winner against Portugal in Lisbon in 2004 wrongly disallowed was the most frustrating moment of my career.
It was the second time it had happened to me, after the game against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup.
In Saint-Etienne the referee said there was a foul by Alan Shearer before I headed it in.
Having my extra-time winner against Portugal in Lisbon in 2004 wrongly disallowed was the most frustrating moment of my career.
Read more from the Arsenal legend by clicking HERE.
EURO 2020 ROUND-UP
Wales are first off for Britain today in the Euros – after Italy launched the tournament with an impressive 3-0 tonking of Turkey.
After Gareth Bale and Co’s 2pm clash with Switzerland, Denmark play rank outsiders Finland at 5pm and Belgium meet Russia at 8.
Meanwhile, England boss Gareth Southgate goes into Sunday’s crunch with Croatia knowing his job is 100 per cent safe — until after the 2022 World Cup.
Southgate faces a huge selection headache due to his ample attacking alternatives and more dubious defensive options.
But former Three Lions’ striker Emile Heskey believes Southgate should axe one of this season’s outstanding creative trio Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Mason Mount.
Ex-Liverpool star Heskey reckons England would benefit from an extra runner or two like Raheem Sterling or Marcus Rashford – rather than picking what might be considered their most exciting XI.
Scotland will take a knee with the Three Lions – but will stand against racism in their home group matches.
Steve Clarke’s side host the Czech Republic on Monday and visit England next Friday, before Croatia come to Hampden for Scotland’s Group D finale on 22 June.
Finally, France are now 9/2 tournament favourites, with the Three Lions dropping to second tips on 11/2.
WEMBLEY WIN FOR WAGs
ENGLAND’S team of wives and girlfriends will roar on the Three Lions at Wembley after getting the Covid all-clear.
They were each screened for the virus 48 hours ahead of tomorrow’s 2pm kick-off against Croatia by medical staff from the players’ Premier League clubs.

They include Harry Kane’s missus Katie Goodland, Jordan Pickford’s wife Megan Davison and Harry Maguire’s fiancee Fern Hawkins, along with Kyle Walker’s fiancee Annie Kilner.
The women will meet at a secret location for lunch before the group opener and will also be joined by family members.
The party will then be driven to Wembley by coach to take their seats.
The Football Association will have player liaison officials on hand to guide the group.
Strict protocols are being employed to observe ongoing Covid restrictions.

AXE ONE OF GREALISH, FODEN OR MOUNT
EXCLUSIVE: Emile Heskey always put the team ahead of individual glory and believes Gareth Southgate must bench one of his big stars for the same reason.
Fans and pundits have been calling on the England manager to start Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and Mason Mount at the Euros this summer.
But ex-Three Lions hitman Heskey insists it is about picking the best XI rather than the best individuals.
That means dropping one of the trio for runners like Raheem Sterling or Marcus Rashford.
POGBA NOW SHINING
EXCLUSIVE: Christian Karambeu says Manchester United are now starting to see the ‘France Paul Pogba’.
The leader, superstar and midfield general.
1998 World Cup winner Karembeu understands there have been detractors that feel Pogba’s outings at club level are a far cry from those on the international scene.
He heroically helped lead France to glorious victory at Russia 2018. Videos showed Pogba’s rousing team talks and his displays on the field matched it.
Olympiakos sporting director Karembeu said: “With France he takes responsibility on the pitch, he is a leader and the manager has faith in him. As a result, he shines.
“Unfortunately at Manchester United he was injured a lot and often had  relapses.
“It hasn’t been easy for Paul to accept criticism – but he is an intelligent person and bounced back very quickly.”
SOUTHGATE SAFE UNTIL 2022
Gareth Southgate goes into tomorrow’s Euro 2020 opener knowing his job is 100 per cent safe — until after the World Cup.
The England boss, fine-tuning his preparations for the Croatia crunch, has the full backing of the FA.
And even if the Three Lions have a disastrous tournament, he will remain in charge for Qatar 2022.
FA chiefs are fully committed to Southgate, who has impressed with his work on and off the pitch since taking over in 2016.
Southgate, whose contract runs until the end of the 2022 World Cup, has struggled with injuries and player availability in the build-up to the Wembley opener.
But the Three Lions chief last night issued a rallying cry to his players as he insisted they can handle the big-game pressure.
Southgate, 50, said: “We have to show that. Some of our youngest players have got experience of big games and tournaments are about hitting form at the right time.
“We have to bring everything over the next four weeks.”
F/T: TURKEY 0 ITALY 3
Merih Demiral’s 53rd-minute own goal, Ciro Immobile’s fierce finish and Lorenzo Insigne poached strike earned Italy’s highly-impressive victory in the Euro 2020 opener.
Click on our live blog HERE for reaction from Rome
THE MINI CAR’S THE EURO STAR
EURO 2020 finally got under way in bizarre fashion – with the matchball arriving by a remote control car.
After a 12 month delay, the European Championship kicked off tonight as Turkey took on Italy.
Fans were left in stitches after the matchball was delivered onto the pitch by a remote control car
After a stunning opening ceremony, the whole of Europe was desperate to see the tournament kick off after a year’s delay they were then forced to wait as the mini motor made its way to the centre circle.
And Twitter soon went into meltdown just seconds before the match action got started.
The respective captains had taken part in the coin toss with the referee in the centre circle they were forced to wait for the matchball to be delivered.
And it was brought onto the field in quite the unique fashion – via remote control car made by tournament sponsors VW.
As expected, the moment was not missed by those watching from home, and viewers instantly took to Twitter to react in disbelief at what they had just seen – although not everybody hated it.
LATEST: TURKEY 0 ITALY 3
Ciro Immobile pounced on a loose ball after 66 minutes and Lorenzo Insigne  thumped home 13 minutes later as Italy dominated with a triple burst.
Click on our live blog HERE for this Euro 2020 opener in Rome.
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KIEFFER MOORE has earned Wales a crucial point in their Euro 2020 opener against Switzerland.The Welsh looked up against it when Breel Embolo netted with a free header from a corner.
But Cardiff striker Moore stepped up with a brilliant header to score a Welsh equaliser.
Switzerland’s Mario Gavranovic then thought he’d turned super sub by netting a minute after he came on but VAR ruled the goal out for offside.
Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
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GOODBYE FROM BAKU
That’s all from our afternoon in Azerbaijan, where Wales are off and running with a point as they aim to replicate their Euro 2016 success.
The draw with Switzerland is being taken as a positive given the domination of Vladimir Petkovic’s team throughout at the Olympic Stadium, and one that leaves Group A wide open for the three sides chasing Italy’s tails.
There’s two more games to come on this Saturday. The number one ranked side in the world, Belgium, are in action this evening against Russia in St Petersburg, but first Denmark take on Finland in Copenhagen. Follow them both live with us here at SunSport.
GROUP A
Here’s how they stand in Group A after one game each.
Turkey face Wales in Baku on Wednesday evening before Italy take on Switzerland in Rome later that night.
Courtesy of UEFA.Com
BALE PROUD OF PERFORMANCE
Gareth Bale also paid tribute to his side’s battling display in Baku. The Wales captain felt his side reacted well in difficult conditions, and that their eventual point is a good base from which to kick on in the competition.
We worked hard. It was difficult in this heat as well. We showed a lot of fight, determination and character to come back from 1-0 down, and I’m proud of the boys.Gareth Bale
FULL TIME STATS
Switzerland registered twice as many attempts on goal, and trebled Wales’ corner count, but couldn’t find another way past Danny Ward once Kieffer Moore equalised.
Courtesy of UEFA.Com
PAGE PLEASED WITH POINT
Wales coach Rob Page insisted he was delighted with the performance of his players despite having to defend against Switzerland for long periods of today’s game.
We wanted a positive start, and it feels like a win in the dressing room. I’m so proud of the players. They had to dig deep towards the end and had a little bit of lady luck with the offside decision, but that was the start we were after. We wanted a positive performance and I certainly got that.Rob Page
WONDERFUL WARD
The first-choice goalkeeper was one of the positions in the Wales side up for debate ahead of this tournament, but Danny Ward has proved his backers (*waves*) right with another fine showing this afternoon.
What Ward we do without him today 😵😵😵😵😵😵😵— Nia Jones (@niajones92) June 12, 2021

Danny Ward is the greatest keeper on planet earth— Welsh Fan Zone TV 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (@WelshFanZoneTV) June 12, 2021

Danny, Danny Ward…— Wales Football Supporters (@Cefnogwyr_Cymru) June 12, 2021

Danny Ward 🙌— TheWelshDragon 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🐉 (@TheWelshDragon9) June 12, 2021

FT: WALES 1-1 SWITZERLAND
It ends all-square in Baku, and Wales will take that. Switzerland dominated for almost the entire game but failed to build on Breel Embolo’s header early in the second half. Kieffer Moore’s superbly-worked goal levelled matters, and the Dragons then survived a late defeat thanks to VAR overturning an offside goal. Improvements are needed for the Turkey match, but it can be considered a decent stepping stone for Rob Page’s men.
PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!THE FINAL WHISTLE IS BLOWN!
WALES 1-1 SWITZERLAND
90+4. It’s ANOTHER Switzerland corner.
Rodriguez tries the outswinger that evades everyone, but the danger isn’t over.
From the right, it’s whipped back into the box, only to be claimed confidently by Ward. Safe hands from the new Wales number one.
WALES 1-1 SWITZERLAND
90+2. More pressure. More corners. More nerves. Wales are clinging on, and there’s another three minutes of additional time still to be played.
Ward makes another stunning stop to tip Gavranovic’s deflected effort around the post, but this time the offside flag is up in advance.
WALES 1-1 SWITZERLAND
90. From a Switzerland corner, Embolo gets above Allen – almost in the exact position from which he scored – to head goalwards.
It looks destined for the roof of the net until Ward gets across to push over.
WALES 1-1 SWITZERLAND
89. It’s a Swiss barrage now. This is tense.
WALES 1-1 SWITZERLAND
88. A half-sight of goal for Bale, but his shot is blocked and rolls through to Sommer.
WALES 1-1 SWITZERLAND
85. It’s a huge let off for Wales!
It was an excellent strike from Gavranovic, volleying in Embolo’s header on with one of his first touches after his introduction, but the striker was adjudged to have gone early.
The finish prompted wild celebrations in the Switzerland ranks, but there were immediate appeals from the Welsh defenders. Replays showed the decision was much tighter than initially considered, but after a minute or two of VAR suspense, the goal was ruled out.
IT’S OFFSIDE!!VAR OVERTURNS THE DECISION!!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLL!!MARIO GAVRANOVIC SCORES IMMEDIATELY!!
WALES 1-1 SWITZERLAND
84. A Swiss substitution.
Seferovic has led the line well despite his profligacy in front of goal, and his time is up. On in his place is Mario Gavranovic, who scored a hat-trick in his last international appearance.
WALES 1-1 SWITZERLAND
82. Close! Bale backheels Brooks in on the left, and the substitute’s low centre is a yard ahead of the lunging Ramsey at the far post.
WALES 1-1 SWITZERLAND
80. Ten minutes plus additional time are left on the clock.
Can Switzerland regain a foothold? Or is momentum now with Wales?
WALES 1-1 SWITZERLAND
77. Keep your head, Wales.
Rob Page’s men are nearly caught out on the counter with Embolo again causing havoc.
WALES 1-1 SWITZERLAND
75. Wales make an immediate change, but it’s not a popular one – especially with Dan James, who is the player removed.
The Manchester United man looks shocked and angry by his departure, and makes his point to coaching staff as David Brooks comes on in his place.
WALES 1-1 SWITZERLAND
74. That’s why he’s in the team!
Kieffer Moore equalises with a thumping header from a brilliantly-worked corner.
Dan James takes it short on the right, where it is worked back to Joe Morrell. The Luton midfielder then picks out Moore with a glorious inswinger than finds the striker on the run and leap in front of Fabian Schar.
The glancing header is perfect, and is too good for the despairing dive of Yann Sommer as it finds the bottom corner.
It’s anyone’s game now!
Credit: AP
GOOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLL!!THEY CAN!!KIEFFER MOORE EQUALISES!!
WALES 0-1 SWITZERLAND
73. Wales win a corner of their own. Can they make this one count?
WALES 0-1 SWITZERLAND
70. The Swiss are culpable of overplaying at the back, and give away a needless throw-in under no pressure.
Vladimir Petkovic’s team need to ensure they’re not responsible for their own downfall, given their domination this afternoon.
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