EURO on this day: 18 June
Sunday, June 18, 2023
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On this day: Zlatan Ibrahimović's impudent late equaliser denied Italy victory in dramatic fashion in a pulsating match at EURO 2004.
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Italy 1-1 Sweden
(Cassano 37; Ibrahimović 85)
2004 group stage, Porto
Zlatan Ibrahimović's fine finish put Sweden in a strong position to qualify from Group C as they drew 1-1 with Italy to remain top above Denmark on goal difference.
Antonio Cassano opened the scoring in the first half of a game Italy largely dominated, but Sweden staged a late rally and substitute Mattias Jonson forced Gianluigi Buffon into a fine reaction save after being picked out by Henrik Larsson's penetrating diagonal pass.
The pressure paid off with five minutes left when Ibrahimović profited from a goalmouth scramble, acrobatically hooking over Christian Vieri on the line and into the top corner.
Italy 2-0 Republic of Ireland
(Cassano 35, Balotelli 90)
2012 group stage, Poznań
Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli scored to secure a victory for the Azzurri which, combined with Spain's win against Croatia, put them in the last eight.
Italy knew victory was a must before kick-off, but they also had to rely on events in Gdańsk. Cassano helped Cesare Prandelli's side towards their part of the bargain by heading in Andrea Pirlo's 35th-minute corner and substitute Mario Balotelli hooked in a late second to make certain of the three points and, ultimately, second place in the section.
Other EURO fixtures on 18 June
1972 final: West Germany 3-0 Soviet Union
1980 group stage: Spain 1-2 England
1980 group stage: Italy 0-0 Belgium
1988 group stage: England 1-3 USSR
1988 group stage: Republic of Ireland 0-1 Netherlands
1992 group stage: Netherlands 3-1 Germany
1992 group stage: Scotland 3-0 CIS
1996 group stage: Scotland 1-0 Switzerland
1996 group stage: Netherlands 1-4 England
1996 group stage: France 3-1 Bulgaria
1996 group stage: Romania 1-2 Spain
2000 group stage: Slovenia 1-2 Spain
2000 group stage: Norway 0-1 Yugoslavia
2004 group stage: Bulgaria 0-2 Denmark
2008 group stage: Greece 1-2 Spain
2008 group stage: Russia 2-0 Sweden
2012 group stage: Croatia 0-1 Spain
2016 group stage: Belgium 3-0 Republic of Ireland
2016 group stage: Iceland 1-1 Hungary
2016 group stage: Portugal 0-0 Austria
2020 group stage: Sweden 1-0 Slovakia
2020 group stage: Croatia 1-1 Czech Republic
2020 group stage: England 0-0 Scotland
