UEFA Euro 2020 Highlights, Sweden vs Poland and Slovakia vs Spain: It is the final matchday of Group E as all four teams take the field simultaneously. Martin Dubravka scored an own goal, Aymeric Laporte netted the second with a thumping header and Pablo Sarabia tapped in another with Ferran Torres adding a fourth and Juraj Kucka netting another own goal for the fifth goal for Spain against Slovakia at the La Cartuja Stadium in Seville. In the other game, Sweden’s Emil Forsberg in the 2nd and 59th minute and Viktor Claesson won it in the added minute after Robert Lewandowski netted a brace for Poland at the Saint Petersburg Stadium in St Petersburg.
Sweden topped the group with seven points as Spain are second with five points. Slovakia finished third with three as Poland are last with just one point.
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Sweden vs Poland
Sweden winger Emil Forsberg scored a double including the second fastest strike in European Championship history before Viktor Claesson’s stoppage-time goal helped them seal a 3-2 win over Sweden on Wednesday and top Group E heading into the last-16.
Sweden will next face one of the third-placed sides from Groups B, C or D – Finland, Ukraine or the Czech Republic – in Glasgow on June 29.
Spain, who finished second following their 5-0 win over Slovakia in the other Group E match, face Croatia in Copenhagen a day earlier.
It was a heartbreaking end to Poland’s campaign after they twice drew level through talismanic skipper Robert Lewandowski, whose 84th minute equaliser for 2-2 gave them a glimmer of hope.
Sweden’s previous two matches were built on robust defensive displays that had cast doubts on whether Janne Andersson’s side could get their attack firing, but they made a blistering start through the lively Forsberg.
After Robin Quaison controlled the ball on the edge of the penalty area, Forsberg collected a pass and took advantage of some poor defending to fire past goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny with 82 seconds on the clock.
He doubled their lead with a powerful drive for his third goal of the tournament after substitute Dejan Kulusevski weaved his way into the box to lay it on a platter in the 59th minute.
Lewandowski pulled a goal back two minutes later with a curling shot before Jakub Swierczok’s tap-in from substitute Przemyslaw Frankowski’s pass was ruled out for offside after the Video Assiatant Referee’s intervention.
Lewandowski, who missed chances to make it 1-1 in the first half after rising above Sweden’s defence only to thunder two headers onto the crossbar, fired in the equaliser from close range after a pass from Frankowski.
But Sweden were not done yet, as Kulusevski slipped the ball to Claesson who slotted past Szczesny to secure the win.
Slovakia vs Spain
Spain claimed the biggest win of the tournament with a 5-0 thrashing of Slovakia in their final European Championship Group E match on Wednesday to finish second in the group and set up a last-16 clash with Croatia in Copenhagen.
Goals from Aymeric Laporte, Pablo Sarabia, Ferran Torres and two own goals from Martin Dubravka and Juraj Kucka sealed Spain‘s progress to the knockout stages.
Slovakia were eliminated as four other third-placed teams had either more points or a better goal difference.
Dubravka saved an early penalty from Alvaro Morata but gifted Spain the opener when he attempted to punch a rebound off Sarabia’s shot over the bar, only to palm it into his own net.
Aymeric Laporte doubled the lead before halftime. Sarabia was then rewarded with a goal when left back Jordi Alba swung a cross into the box and the Paris Saint-Germain winger found space to take a first-time shot that went in off the post.
Sarabia turned provider when he set up substitute Ferran Torres who scored within a minute of coming on, flicking a low cross past Dubravka for the fifth. Spain forced another own goal minutes later when Kucka failed to clear off the line.
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