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Italy pulled out a 2-1 win over Austria in extra time in the Euro 2020 Round of 16 match after neither side was able to score inside 90 minutes. Italy came into this one as heavy favorites, having racked up wins over Turkey, Switzerland and Wales in Euro 2020 Group A.
Euro 2020 Round of 16
Italy vs. Austria: First Half
Italy attacked from the outset and Leonardo Spinazzola, Lorenzo Insigne and Nicolo Barella all came close inside the opening 20 minutes.
The biggest moment of the first half came in the 32nd minute when Ciro Immobile came agonizingly close for Italy. Having received the ball some distance from goal, he turned and unleashed a thunderous effort that beat the keeper but bounced off the top left corner of the woodwork.
Italy vs. Austria: Second Half
Austria, who were not in bad form themselves, having beaten North Macedonia and Ukraine and only having lost to the Netherlands in Euro 2020 Group C, came out stronger in the second half.
David Alaba's free-kick from the edge of the box went narrowly over the bar in the 52nd minute as both sides continued to search for an opener. Marcel Sabitzer also came close when his deflected effort from distance went wide off the left post.
In the 65th minute, Austria thought they had taken an unlikely lead when Marko Arnoutavic headed the ball into the back of the net. Stefan Lainer's cross was headed back across goal by Alaba, leaving Arnoutavic with the simple task of nodding home from close range.
However, a VAR review found that Arnoutavic had made his run fractionally early and the goal was disallowed for offside. While both nations continued to press, the score remained 0-0 when the whistle blew after 90 minutes.
In the 95th minute, Italy finally found the breakthrough thanks to some brilliance by Federico Chiesa. Spinazolla's cross found him at the far post before he deftly controlled the ball with his chest, took the ball away from the defender with his right and blasted the ball home with his left.
Italy were rampant throughout the first period of extra time and after Insigne's free kick was well saved by Daniel Bachmann, Italy did add a second goal on 105 minutes.
The ball broke to substitute Matteo Pessina in the box and his left-footed strike found the bottom right corner in what proved to be the winning goal for his nation.
Austria did pull one back in the second half of extra time from a corner to provide some temporary hope for their fans at Euro 2020. Sasa Kalajdzic did brilliantly to turn home Louis Schaub's cross with a diving header at the near post but it proved to only be a consolation goal with the game finishing 2-1.
This spelt the end of Austria's run at Euro 2020. Italy will face the winner of Belgium and Portugal in the Euro 2020 quarterfinals for a spot in the semi-finals.
