itsbeautifuloutside

IBO Reporter : Sir B3na1i

Group E Intro

|On paper and history this group is Spain’s with the other three teams being Sweden, Poland and Slovakia. If FIFA world rankings are anything to go on (and they’re not by the way) Spain are 6th, Sweden and Poland are pretty well matched in 18th and 21st, whilst Slovakia are 36th making them the 18th ranked team in this 24 team competition – in terms of the Euro2020 groups they should be the cannon fodder, but Slovakia are no slouches and I wouldn’t be surprised if they upset a few of apple carts in this group. I’m one of the lucky IBO group reporters in that this is one of only three groups with Saints interest in it, provided in the form of Centre Back Jan Bednarek of Poland – this of course means that Poland are my team for this group, as Denmark will be for group B and Scotl… nope, can’t do it, despite the snubbing of James Ward-Prowse I’m obviously backing England in group D.

Match 1 - Spain v Sweden

|This is the sort of tie that I really look forward to in an International tournament, one of the World’s best sides in recent history in Spain against a regular tournament qualifier in Sweden. Two teams that I think of as producing great players and decent football over the years. And so what a disappointment this match was for me. A goalless draw in what was very much a game of attack verses defence. Spain really did have all of the possession, but I hadn’t really appreciated how much until I saw the post match stats – 85%! The problem I think Spain have is that this brand of football that they (and Barcelona) were so successful playing a few years ago has become predictable and teams are happy to suck it up and deal with it. It’s quite pretty to watch but it’s becoming in affective. Sweden allowed Spain to play and waited for the occasional counter-attack.

Both teams were guilty of missing chances, but Spain were more so with both Koke and Morata the main culprits. Of their 17 shots, only 5 found the target and most of those were straight at the keeper. To be honest although Olsen in the Swedish goal was given Man of the Match he really only had to pull of one good save and the others were routine. In their rare forays forward (or with the ball at their feet even) Sweden also missed a couple of chances that could have one them the game, the best of which was from the impressive Izak cleared just in front of the line by a Spanish defender before being gratefully collected by Simon in goal. Izak also managed to fashion a chance for a teammate later in the game but it didn’t find the target. Spain the better side, but pretty ineffective to be honest.

Match 2 - Poland v Slovakia

|Had it not been for the Saints interest through Bednarek and the fact I’m doing the reporting on this group this is the sort of game I’d have given a swerve usually so that I could claim TV rights in the house for a far more interesting fixture. That said, things don’t always work out as expected, as you’ll see from the Spain vs. Sweden report! This game actually had a bit about it, three goals, a sending off and a win for the underdog. Not a bad way to spend 90+ minutes.

Robert Lewandowski is one of the biggest (and longest) names in world football, but he was kept quite by one of the smaller nations in the tournament. It was Slovakia that started the brightest flashing a shot just wide before they opened the scoring through what goes down as an own goal for the Poland keeper, but that’s unfair on Mak who’s shot was great, hit the post and them bounced off Szczenesy back. The Poles hit back immediately after the second half restart through Linetty. The match was a fairly even affair but a Polish sending off on the hour for two yellows for Krychowiak turned the match in the Slovakian’s favour and they took the lead with what would be the winner within a few minutes of Poland going down to 10.

IBO Reporter : channonite

Match 3 - Sweden v Slovakia

|This was the first meeting between the two sides at a major tournament, but unfortunately for the watching fans it was an uninspiring and forgettable first half, with just five attempts at goal. Swedish captain, Sebastian Larsson's deflected effort from outside the penalty area the only one on target.

Swedish manager, Janne Andersson's half time talk seemed to do the trick, as his side came to life after the interval. Slovakian keeper, Dubravka produced a great save to keep out Augustinsson's header, before Marcus Danielson headed over from the resulting corner.

Sweden needed just 25 minutes of the second half to record more passes than in the whole of their opening game against Spain, where they held on for a point, in spite of managing just 15% possession and a single shot on target.

Having impressed in that first match for Sweden, Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak at 21, was La Liga's young player of the year, scoring 17 goals in 34 appearances last season - was initially starved of service, but he came into the game, as Sweden re-asserted themselves in the second half. Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar produce a spectacular sliding tackle to block young Isak's strike shortly after the restart. Isak, who became Sweden's youngest scorer with a goal against Slovakia in a 2017 friendly when just 17, forced Dubravka into a save, following an eye-catching run, directly at the Slovakian defence.

As the most effective Swedish forward, it was fitting that it was Isak who played the ball to Quaison, as he won the game deciding penalty, which was decisively converted by Forsberg in the 77th minute.

The penalty for Sweden ended a run of 365 minutes without a goal at the Euros, since their opening group game at Euro 2016.

While Slovakia may well have secured their progress to the last 16 with a win, it is instead Sweden who now lead Group E with 4 points, which is one more than Slovakia who now face Spain in their final match.

Match 4 - Spain v Poland

|Yet another disappointing performance from Spain, who have failed to win either of their first games of the Euros since 1996. However, from 2008 until 2012, they were dominant in world football, winning a World Cup and two Euros. They were known for their short passing and quick movement style of football, but while the long passages of possession in this style remain - they completed 954 passes against Sweden - it all seems to break down in the final third of the pitch.

Against Poland the Spanish again dominated possession, but clear-cut chances were rare. Too often they played safe, square passes, just like Saints on way too many occasions last season, rather than trying to produce the creativity which was needed to unlock a well-drilled Polish defence.

Poland knew that defeat at the hands of the Spanish would mean they would not be able to progress from Group E to the knockout stages and they fell behind after 25 minutes, when Alvaro Morata's close-range finish was given by VAR after initially being ruled out for offside. 1-0 to Spain. One of the major achievements of these Euros so far, has been the refereeing and application of VAR, which has been both rapid, accurate and non-controversial.

The first half closed out with Spain in control and still leading 1-0.

Poland's star striker, Robert Lewandowski had struggled to make much of an impact in Poland's opening game defeat to Slovakia, but he equalised less than ten minutes into the second half, when he thumped home a header, to keep alive their hopes of reaching the knockouts. All square again at 1-1

Spain had the chance to retake the lead soon after with a penalty, awarded by referee Daniele Orsato after he had checked a challenge on Gerard Moreno on the pitch-side monitor. Moreno took the resultant spot-kick, but managed to drive his effort against the upright, before Morata's follow-up went wide.

This was the beginning of a spell of Spanish dominance as they pushed for the winner in the closing stages. Man City forward Ferran Torres headed wide, while Morata was denied from point-blank range with an amazing save from Polish keeper, Wojciech Szczesny.

Too often the play from Spain was predictable and lacking in urgency and the draw means the three-time European champions are still without a win at Euro 2020. They are now third in Group E with 2 points, with Slovakia one place above them in second on 3 points, while Sweden are on top with 4. Luis Enrique's side play Slovakia in their final group game on Wednesday, while Poland take on Sweden at the same time. All to play for.

IBO Reporter : channonite

Match 5 - Slovakia v Spain

|Spain finally woke from their slumbers to earn their first win at Euro 2020 in style in Seville, thrashing Slovakia to progress as Group E runners-up and set up a last-16 tie with Croatia.

Luis Enrique's side head into the knockout stages on the back of their best attacking display of the tournament, proving far too good for Slovakia. Laporte, Sarabia and Ferran Torres all scored, following a bizarre own goal from Newcastle's Martin Dubravka. The scoring was completed with a second own goal, this time from Kucka who bundled the ball over his own line from close range.

Early on, the Slovakian keeper, Dubravka produced an outstanding save from a Morata penalty kick The penalty which was awarded after Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers consulted the pitchside monitor, was the fifth successive penalty Spain have missed.

After half an hour though, Dubravka really blotted his copybook, when Sarabia's shot from distance hit the crossbar and looped into the air. Then, while under no pressure, the keeper inexplicably punched the ball into his own net. 1-0 Spain.

After draws against Sweden and Poland, in which Spain struggled to find the target in spite of 85% and then 76.4% possession, Luis Enrique compared his side to a bottle of Cava waiting to be uncorked. That is precisely what happened here and this was reminiscent of the sparkling football that saw Spain the European champions in both 2008 and 2012, either side of a World Cup victory.

There was no more scoring until time added on at the end of the first half, when Manchester City defender Laporte headed in Gerard Moreno's cross to double Spain's lead. 2-0 and things were going well.

Slovakia made two changes to their forward line at the break, Lobotka on for Hromada and Duris on for the already booked Duda, but in truth it was the defence that should have received the surgery.

It took just ten minutes for Spain to add to their score, with Sarabia finishing from close range to make it 3-0 and shortly after Torres made it 4-0, also from close in.

The final ignominy for Slovakia was a second own goal, when a Spanish cross was turned into his own net by midfielder Kucka to make the final score line Spain 5-0 Slovakia

There were more cheers from the Seville crowd, but not for a sixth Spanish goal, rather drama in the other group game as Poland fought back to level from 2-0 down against Sweden with six minutes left. That would have sent Spain through on top of the group, but a 94th-minute winner for Sweden means 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia await instead. Spain's meeting with Croatia will take place in Copenhagen on Monday at 17:00 BST, while Slovakia go home.

Match 6 - Sweden v Poland

|This was an 'edge of your seat' game at the Krestovsky Stadium in St. Petersburg and ended with Sweden substitute Viktor Claesson scoring a 93rd minute winner, as a strong fightback from Poland proved to be in vain and they pack their bags for home, including Saints own Pole, Jan Bednarek.

Sweden got the match off to a dream start, scoring their first goal from open play at the tournament less than two minutes into their final Group E game, when midfielder Emil Forsberg, who plays his domestic football with German Bundesliga side, RB Leipzig, held his nerve to finish from a difficult angle. 1-0 to Sweden and the Polish side were up against it straight away.

Poland had a golden chance to equalise in the 17th minute, when captain and Bayern Munich legend, Robert Lewandowski was guilty of, what was for him, an incredible miss. His initial downward header bounced up and hit the underside of the bar, it then rebounded back into Lewandowski's path, only for him to hit the crossbar again when it looked easier to score.

The rest of the half saw both sides have half-chances, but we arrived at half-time with the score still 1-0 to Sweden.

There was a half-time substitute from Poland with Frankowski replaced by Puchacz, but it was not clear if that was an injury, or tactical. Whatever the reason Poland positively poured forward in search of the equaliser, but in doing so, left gaps at the back.

In the 59th minute the seemingly inevitable happened and Sweden broke through the Polish lines and Forsberg finished the move to make it 2-0 to Sweden and a mountain to climb for Poland.

However, the Polish response wasn't long in coming and it was their talisman, Robert Lewandowski, who scored a wonderful goal just two minutes later, shooting from distance and at an angle, right into the far top corner of the net beyond Swedish keeper, Olsen. 2-1 and game on again.

The game swung back and forth, until the 84th minute, when incredibly that man Lewandowski was at it again, the 32-year-old, who scored 41 times in the Bundesliga in 2020-21, scored, what was for him a fairly simple goal, to level the game at 2-2 and a minimum of six minutes left for one side to get the winner.

It was not to be for Saints Jan Bednarek and his Polish teammates as, deep into time added on and when Extra Time was looking inevitable, Viktor Claesson, who had only come on as a 77th minute substitute for double scorer Forsberg, took advantage of tired legs in the Polish defence to end their hopes, finishing a move to make it 3-2 to Sweden.

There was no time for Poland to respond and Sweden will now prepare for a last-16 tie against Ukraine at Glasgow's Hampden Park on 29 June