10 interesting stats from UEFA Euro 2020

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Italy vs England - UEFA Euro 2020: Final
Italy vs England - UEFA Euro 2020: Final

#3 Mikel Damsgaard scored the first (and only) direct free-kick goal of Euro 2020

Jordan Pickford is beaten by a Mikel Damsgaard free-kick.
Jordan Pickford is beaten by a Mikel Damsgaard free-kick.

Denmark provided one of the most endearing storylines at Euro 2020. After seeing their star midfielder Christian Eriksen collapse with cardiac arrest in their tournament opener, the former winners recovered from losing their first two games to reach the Round of 16.

Once in the knockout rounds, the 1992 winners upped the ante by beating Wales and the Czech Republic to reach their first European Championship semi-final since their only triumph in the competition.

Kasper Hjulmand's men took the game to England at Wembley, opening the scoring when Mikkel Damsgaard curled a fabulous free-kick beyond a despairing dive from Jordan Pickford. The strike marked the first direct free-kick goal at Euro 2020.

However, the Three Lions recovered from the setback to complete a hard-fought 2-1 win after extra time to reach their first European Championship final, their first summit clash at a major tournament since the 1966 FIFA World Cup.

Damsgaard's effort turned out to be the only free-kick goal of Euro 2020.


#2 Leonardo Bonucci becomes the oldest player to score in a European Championship final

Leonardo Bonucci
Leonardo Bonucci

After England had taken an early lead in the Euro 2020 final, Leonardo Bonucci scored from a goalmouth melee to level proceedings in the second half.

That made the 34-year-old Juventus centre-back the oldest player to score in a European Championship final, beating the previous record of Bernd Holzenbein (1976) by almost four years.

It was only the seventh goal Bonucci has scored for the Azzurri in 110 games, and his first in 17 games at the Euros. That was not his only contribution in the game, though.

Bonucci was one of Italy's three scorers in the penalty shootout, helping the Azzurri win their first European Championship in over five decades.


#1 Italy are the first team to win multiple shootouts in a single European Championship campaign

Italy players pose with their Euro 2020 title.
Italy players pose with their Euro 2020 title.

Italy capped off a triumphant Euro 2020 campaign by prevailing over nervy England in a penalty shootout to win their second European Championship title. Earlier in the tournament, the Azzurri also needed a shootout to see off three-time winners Spain in the semi-finals.

That made Italy the first team in European Championship history, and only the third at a major tournament, to win multiple shootouts in the same campaign.

In the process, England became the first team to lose four penalty shootouts in European Championship history. The Azzurri, meanwhile, moved to within one win of the longest unbeaten streak (35 games) in international football, a record held jointly by Spain and Brazil.

Gianluigi Donnarumma, who saved two spot-kicks in the shootout against England and kept three clean sheets in the tournament, became only the second goalkeeper to win the Player of the Tournament award at the Euros.

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Edited by Parimal
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