Recapping the Exciting Round of 16 Euro Matches

June 28, 2021
The GIST: The Euros’ knockout Round of 16 is underway, and when every match is a battle of the best, there are bound to be some upsets. This is what Drake songs are made of.
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Recapping the Exciting Round of 16 Euro Matches
Source: John Bazemore/AP

The upsets: Yesterday’s matches were full of surprises...

Netherlands vs. Czech Republic: After center back and very key player Matthijs de Ligt was given a red card in the first half, the Dutch were forced to play with 10 men for the remainder of the game, and, shocker, it did not go well. The underdog Czech capitalized, scoring twice to eliminate the Oranje and move on to the quarters.

Belgium vs. Portugal: While Belgium’s 1–0 win shouldn’t be shocking, the young soccer powerhouse eliminated reigning champs Portugal and their star player, Cristiano Ronaldo. Sorry, not sorry.

As expected: Denmark moved on after Saturday’s 4–0 win over Wales, and tournament favorite Italy survived a scare from Austria with a 2–1 win in extra time.

Up next: The final round of 16 games continue today at noon ET. Matchups include Spain vs. Croatia and France vs. Switzerland, then England vs. Germany and Sweden vs. Ukraine on Tuesday. Quarter-finals begin Friday at noon ET. Check out the scores and schedule here.