73
22:29
Substitution for Switzerland: Gabriel Barès
73
22:29
Substitution for Switzerland: Ardon Jashari
70
22:27
The signs have of course changed. The Confederates now have to give up their wait-and-see attitude and do more on the offensive if the semi-finals are to be successful.
68
22:23
Tooor for Spain, 1-0 through Sergio Gómez
Now it happened! Switzerland wants to switch offensively, but loses the ball again very quickly and is then unsorted at the back. Abel Ruiz breaks away on the left, is sent into the box, ties up two opponents there and puts it back hard on Sergio Gómez. From 13 meters, this slides flat into the left corner and ensures the overall well-earned lead.
67
22:23
Overall, Switzerland has now withdrawn significantly further, puts the main focus on defending and tries to achieve success through quick transitions and long balls.
64
22:21
Luckily Blum can continue and will be involved in the next attack. However, after a foul by Imeri against Jon Pacheco, the situation is called off.
62
22:19
Ouch! Lewin Blum gets a Spanish elbow in an aerial duel and falls to the ground. The 21-year-old currently needs treatment on the pitch.
60
22:18
The Swiss come forward less often, but more dangerously. Dan Ndoye fuels through to the baseline on the left and hits a strong cross between keeper Arnau Tenas and his defenders. In the end, no Swiss can do it, but there wasn’t much missing.
58
22:13
Substitution at Switzerland: Simon Sohm
58
22:13
Substitution at Switzerland: Fabian Rieder
57
22:13
The Swiss defense is no longer as solid as it was before the change.
55
22:12
The standards have been weak on both sides so far and the next free-kick cross from the Spaniards has been repelled without any problems. However, the Iberians stay on the trigger and Rodri finds Aitor Paredes with a cross from the left corner of the box. His header from eleven meters is easy prey for Amir Saipi.
52
22:08
Now, for the first time, the Confederates are freeing themselves from the Spanish pressure and pushing themselves with speed. Darian Males swings the ball in from the left and shoots from 22 yards, but his shot goes wide of the target.
50
22:06
So far, the Swiss have been pushed far into their own half and have not yet played offensively.
48
22:05
Santi Denia must have been pretty dissatisfied with the first half. Apparently the dressing room speech was spot on, because his Spaniards are now really steaming up from the first second.
46
22:01
There are no personnel changes in the second round.
46
22:01
Kick-off 2nd half
45
21:49
Mid-term conclusion:
The first 45 minutes of the quarter-final between Spain and Switzerland ends goalless! The Confederates have repeatedly made life difficult for the favored Iberians and only rarely allowed longer periods of possession. So Spain was almost never able to establish the beloved combination game. The Spaniards still had the best chance of the game when Sergio Gómez ran alone towards Amir Saipi and outwitted the keeper, but Nicolas Vouilloz was able to clear before the line. The Swiss were also up front more often, but the deals were all harmless. So here in Bucharest everything is open for the second half. See you soon!
44
21:44
It’s in the last two minutes. Recently, the game picked up speed again and it goes back and forth.
41
21:43
Switzerland again! Fabian Rieder gets the thing 18 meters in front of goal and flicks the ball a good meter past the box.
40
21:42
The Iberians again! After a corner kick that was not consistently clarified, Oihan Sancet comes to the end from 20 meters and puts the ball two meters next to the left post.
39
21:41
The huge chance for Spain! Álex Baena spotted a small gap in the defense and sent Sergio Gómez on the journey with a brilliant through ball, who immediately ran away and went alone towards Amir Saipi. Gómez then lobs the ball well over the keeper, but gets too little steam behind it. So Nicolas Vouilloz, who has hurried back, can still smash the thing away!
36
21:38
The Swiss are surprisingly open in this game and have almost as much possession as Spain. The Swiss are very present in the duels and win more direct duels.
34
21:34
Yellow card for Victor Gómez (Spain)
Victor Gómez has twice attempted to grab a yellow card and is now receiving it for a rude foul. The Spaniard steps onto Fabian Rieder’s foot with an open sole.
32
21:32
Now Spain again! Rodri asserts himself strongly on the right side of the box and almost finds Abel Ruiz with his cross. The Swiss attempt at clarification ended up with Juan Miranda, who rushed in from the left and pulled away at full speed. Leonidas Stergiou blocks the ball in dire need.
29
21:30
The two teams are currently neutralizing each other and nothing is happening in the penalty areas.
27
21:27
Yellow card for Kastriot Imeri (Switzerland)
Imeri stretches his leg in midfield against Blanco and earns the first booking of the game.
25
21:27
Except for a brief urge around the tenth minute, the Spaniards have not yet been able to pull off their typical ball possession game. The Santi Denia team looks slightly frustrated.
22
21:22
Switzerland has meanwhile found its way into the game, only rarely allows the Spaniards longer periods of ball possession and is becoming more and more courageous in attack. Kastriot Imeri takes the next free kick and sends the ball onto the goal from 30 meters. Arnau Tenas takes the unplaced shot easily.
19
21:19
Now the Confederates also have their first degree in statistics. Zeki Amdouni pulls in from the right after a corner has been saved and shoots low from 18 meters into the short corner. Tenas grabs safely.
17
21:18
When Switzerland moved up, Spain played quickly after winning the ball. Abel Ruiz takes Sergio Gómez on the left, who only finds keeper Arnau Tenas with his cross.
14
21:14
On the other side there is a free kick in an interesting position near the left corner of the penalty area. Kastriot Imeri takes over the execution and chases his cross attempt straight into the goal.
12.
21:11
A little later, Álex Baena takes the first corner kick for the Spaniards, but cannot find a teammate.
10
21:11
Spain becomes more dominant. Abel Ruiz catches one of the rare long balls in front and takes Rodri with him, who puts the ball into the box from the right. Álex Baena then shoves the ball flat to the right corner from 19 yards out, but didn’t get any pressure behind his attempt.
8th.
21:08
The first proper degree also comes from the Iberians. Rodri pulls in from the right and shoots from 20 meters with his left. His shot is deflected and lands right on keeper Amir Saipi.
5.
21:06
The Spaniards now put on their popular possession football and let the leather wander from one side to the other and back again in peace of mind. Sergio Gómez, once with two short Bundesliga appearances for BVB, ultimately hits a cross from the left corner of the penalty area clearly wide.
3.
21:02
After the corner it also becomes almost dangerous and there is chaos in the Spanish five for a short time, but no Swiss can finish.
2.
21:02
The Confederates get going. After winning the ball in his own half, Dan Ndoye pushes at speed and ultimately gets a corner kick.
1.
21:00
The ball rolls! Spain plays in red and blue, Switzerland wears white.
20:56
The referee of the game is the Belgian Erik Lambrechts. Together with his impartial colleagues, he has already led the two teams onto the pitch and the anthems are currently being played in Bucharest. It’s about to start!
20:55
Incidentally, it has also been clear for a few minutes that the semi-finals will go to the winner of this game against Israel, who have just prevailed against hosts Georgia in a dramatic penalty shoot-out.
20:54
Another look at the line-ups: Patrick Framework is sending exactly the same eleven out on the pitch today that started against France. Santi Denia, on the other hand, made ten substitutions after rotating through in the last group game against Ukraine and almost sent out the team that secured the quarter-finals with a 1-0 win against Croatia.
20:48
Switzerland coach Patrick Framework is satisfied with the development of his team. “We took another step forward against France despite conceding four goals. We had a number of chances to score,” said the 54-year-old from Basel, who also remembers that a friendly against Spain in March (2-3) was “pretty open ” was. Today it will depend on one thing for Frame: “We have to make good use of our transition situations – and we know how to do that – then we have a chance.”
20:38
It was also the Swiss offensive that Spain coach Santi Denia explicitly warned about in advance. “They attack very well and have very attacking players. They are a team that really wants to play,” said the 49-year-old. “We have to show our best game and definitely improve compared to the first three games,” the Spaniard demanded of his team.
20:29
Even if the progress was ultimately fortunate, it was not undeserved. Because Patrick Framework’s eleven showed good football both in the success against Norway and in the narrow defeat against the strong Italians and sold at a high price. Above all, the offensive to Kastriot Imeri and Dan Ndoye (both already two goals) and Zeki Amdouni convinced. Darmstadt’s Filip Stojilković, who scored three goals in 15 games for the Lilies in the second half of the season, is on the bench, just like he was against France.
20:16
While the Iberians confidently made it into the quarter-finals, Switzerland’s progress is a miracle. After beating Norway (2-1) and losing to Italy (2-3), the Swiss were on three points before the duel with France. In the event of a defeat against the favored French, it was clear that only if Norway beat Italy exactly 1-0 would there be a situation where three teams are tied and have the same goal difference, but Switzerland then because of the most goals scored would be further. France outplayed Switzerland 4-1 and since Norway actually won 1-0 in the parallel game, the Swiss now play against Spain tonight.
20:11
The Spaniards had been treated as one of the absolute top favorites in the run-up to the tournament and have presented themselves as such so far. The victories against Romania (3-0) and Croatia (1-0) meant that progress was bagged after just two games before there was a 2-2 draw against Ukraine at the end of the group. Coach Santi Denia’s team is led by captain Abel Ruiz. The attacker from Portuguese first division club SC Braga has already scored twice. In midfield, Athletic Bilbao’s Oihan Sancet and Real Madrid’s Blanco pull the strings. Juan Miranda, who played for FC Schalke 04 in 2019/20, brings Bundesliga experience with him.
20:00
Hello and welcome to the second quarter-finals of the U-21 European Championship 2023! Spain meets Switzerland at 9pm at Bucharest’s Giulesti Stadium.