London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jan 05, 2026

Italy records third victory of Euro 2020 as Wales also reaches knockout stages

Italy records third victory of Euro 2020 as Wales also reaches knockout stages

Italy defeated Wales 1-0 on Sunday as both sides progressed to the knockout stages of Euro 2020.

Topping Group A with nine points, Italy's victory in Rome through Matteo Pessina's first-half goal means the Azzurri are yet to concede a goal in the tournament and have been arguably the standout team from the group-stage games.

The winning goal came seven minutes from the end of the first half when Pessina flicked Marco Verratti's free kick into the bottom corner past an outstretched Danny Ward.

Wales, a surprise semifinalist at Euro 2016, also had to play most of the second half with 10 men after Ethan Ampadu was received a red card for a late challenge on Federico Bernardeschi.

Gareth Bale, right, consoles Ethan Ampadu after his teammate's red card.


However, the defeat didn't stop Wales placing second in the group to reach the knockout stages, once again punching above its weight in a major tournament.

Robert Page's side finish level on points with Switzerland, which defeated Turkey 3-1 in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Sunday, but placed second with a superior goal difference.

"We knew it was going to be a very difficult game from the start. There was a lot of defending, a lot of running. There's some very tired bodies out there," Wales captain Gareth Bale told ITV.

"I'm proud of the boys. We wanted to try and get a result but I guess it made no difference, we finished second anyway."

Switzerland will have to wait and see if its four points will be enough to qualify for the knockout stages as one of the tournament's best third-placed sides in the group stages.

Four third-placed teams will join the winners and runners up from each group in the round of 16.

It was Switzerland's best result of the tournament so far and came courtesy of a goal from Haris Seferovic and a brace from Xherdan Shaqiri.

Xherdan Shaqiri scored twice against Turkey.


Seferovic gave Switzerland an early lead with a low, left-footed strike, before Shaqiri doubled his side's advantage 20 minutes later with a superb shot from the edge of the box.

Turkey replied with a fine goal of its own in the second half when Irfan Can Kahveci netted a long-range shot just after the hour mark, but Switzerland restored its two-goal lead minutes later as Shaqiri latched on to Steven Zuber's excellent through ball.

The result means Turkey's disappointing Euro 2020 campaign ends with three defeats.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
HSBC Leads 2026 Mortgage Rate Cuts as UK Lending Costs Ease
US Joint Chiefs Chairman Outlines How Operation Absolute Resolve Was Carried Out in Venezuela
Starmer Welcomes End of Maduro Era While Stressing International Law and UK Non-Involvement
Korean Beauty Turns Viral Skincare Into a Global Export Engine
UK Confirms Non-Involvement in U.S. Military Action Against Venezuela
UK Terror Watchdog Calls for Australian-Style Social Media Ban to Protect Teenagers
Iranian Protests Intensify as Another Revolutionary Guard Member Is Killed and Khamenei Blames the West
Delta Force Identified as Unit Behind U.S. Operation That Captured Venezuela’s President
Europe’s Luxury Sanctions Punish Russian Consumers While a Sanctions-Circumvention Industry Thrives
Berkshire’s Buffett-to-Abel Transition Tests Whether a One-Man Trust Model Can Survive as a System
Fraud in European Central Bank: Lagarde’s Hidden Pay Premium Exposes a Transparency Crisis at the European Central Bank
Trump Announces U.S. Large-Scale Strike on Venezuela, Declares President Maduro and Wife Captured
Tesla Loses EV Crown to China’s BYD After Annual Deliveries Decline in 2025
UK Manufacturing Growth Reaches 15-Month Peak as Output and Orders Improve in December
Beijing Threatened to Scrap UK–China Trade Talks After British Minister’s Taiwan Visit
Newly Released Files Reveal Tony Blair Pressured Officials Over Iraq Death Case Involving UK Soldiers
Top Stocks and Themes to Watch in 2026 as Markets Enter New Year with Fresh Momentum
No UK Curfew Ordered as Deepfake TikTok Falsely Attributes Decree to Prime Minister Starmer
Europe’s Largest Defence Groups Set to Return Nearly Five Billion Dollars to Shareholders in Twenty Twenty-Five
Abu Dhabi ‘Capital of Capital’: How Abu Dhabi Rose as a Sovereign Wealth Power
Diamonds Are Powering a New Quantum Revolution
Trump Threatens Strikes Against Iran if Nuclear Programme Is Restarted
Apple Escalates Legal Fight by Appealing £1.5 Billion UK Ruling Over App Store Fees
UK Debt Levels Sit Mid-Range Among Advanced Economies Despite Rising Pressures
UK Plans Royal Diplomacy with King Charles and Prince William to Reinvigorate Trade Talks with US
King Charles and Prince William Poised for Separate 2026 US Visits to Reinforce UK-US Trade and Diplomatic Ties
Apple Moves to Appeal UK Ruling Ordering £1.5 Billion in Customer Overcharge Damages
King Charles’s 2025 Christmas Message Tops UK Television Ratings on Christmas Day
The Battle Over the Internet Explodes: The United States Bars European Officials and Ignites a Diplomatic Crisis
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Join Royal Family at Sandringham Christmas Service
Fine Wine Investors Find Little Cheer in Third Year of Falls
UK Mortgage Rates Edge Lower as Bank of England Base Rate Cut Filters Through Lending Market
U.S. Supermarket Gives Customers Free Groceries for Christmas After Computer Glitch
Air India ‘Finds’ a Plane That Vanished 13 Years Ago
Caviar and Foie Gras? China Is Becoming a Luxury Food Powerhouse
Hong Kong Climbs to Second Globally in 2025 Tourism Rankings Behind Bangkok
From Sunniest Year on Record to Terror Plots and Sports Triumphs: The UK’s Defining Stories of 2025
Greta Thunberg Released on Bail After Arrest at London Pro-Palestinian Demonstration
Banksy Unveils New Winter Mural in London Amid Festive Season Excitement
UK Households Face Rising Financial Strain as Tax Increases Bite and Growth Loses Momentum
UK Government Approves Universal Studios Theme Park in Bedford Poised to Rival Disneyland Paris
UK Gambling Shares Slide as Traders Respond to Steep Tax Rises and Sector Uncertainty
Starmer and Trump Coordinate on Ukraine Peace Efforts in Latest Diplomatic Call
The Pilot Barricaded Himself in the Cockpit and Refused to Take Off: "We Are Not Leaving Until I Receive My Salary"
UK Fashion Label LK Bennett Pursues Accelerated Sale Amid Financial Struggles
U.S. Government Warns UK Over Free Speech in Pro-Life Campaigner Prosecution
Newly Released Files Shed Light on Jeffrey Epstein’s Extensive Links to the United Kingdom
Prince William and Prince George Volunteer Together at UK Homelessness Charity
UK Police Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’ as Authorities Recalibrate Free Speech Enforcement
Scambodia: The World Owes Thailand’s Military a Profound Debt of Gratitude
×