EURO on this day: 18 June
Friday, 18 June 2021
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On this day: Zlatan Ibrahimović's impudent late equaliser denied Italy victory in dramatic fashion in a pulsating match.
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Italy 1-1 Sweden
(Cassano 37; Ibrahimović 85)
2004 group stage, Porto
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.
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Italy 2-0 Republic of Ireland
(Cassano 35; Balotelli 90)
2012 group stage, Poznan
Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli scored to secure 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 Gdansk. Antonio 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.
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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