Spain Beat Italy To Reach Euro 2024 Knockouts, England Held By Denmark

England failed to demonstrate their credentials in a 1-1 draw with Denmark, but Spain won 1-0 against Italy in their heavyweight match on Thursday to book a place in the Euro 2024 knockout rounds.

Three times overall winners. Ten minutes into the second half, Riccardo Calafiori slammed the ball into his net to give Spain the victory against Italy, the current champions, at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen.

Spain already knows they will play their last-16 tie in Cologne on June 30 against one of the best third-place finishers, having won their second game in a row to guarantee top position in Group B with a game to spare.

While Italy is still in progress, a point against Croatia in Leipzig on Monday would guarantee Luciano Spalletti's side second place in the group.

Spain could have won by a significantly more considerable margin since they were playing at their sixth straight European Championship and were out for retribution after losing on penalties in the semi-finals at Wembley three years before.

In the second half, Lamine Yamal came dangerously near for La Roja, while the exceptional Nico Williams hammered a shot off the bar. Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made many crucial stops.

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente remarked, "I am delighted and proud not just with the result against a great side but with the way in which we got it."

"It's very simple, they were faster than us, compact and were right on top of us," Spalletti admitted. "We simply weren't as bright as them."

England played Denmark in Frankfurt earlier in Group C and might have also qualified for the last 16. Still, they had a poor performance, which raises additional doubts about their hopes of winning the European Championship for the first time.

Rematching the Euro 2020 semi-final that England won, Harry Kane's goal gave Gareth Southgate's team the early advantage when Kyle Walker saw Danish defender Victor Kristiansen dozing off.

Still, Denmark deserved at least a point, and Morten Hjulmand scored a magnificent goal before halftime.

Andreas Christensen of Denmark came dangerously near a late winner in the second half, while Phil Foden of England struck the post.

However, all to play for in Group C's final match on Tuesday is a share of the spoils.

"The challenge is to do something that has never been done before. So it couldn't be any bigger," said Southgate of his team's objective at the competition.

"Clearly we are disappointed with the level of the two performances," he added after a result that followed their opening 1-0 win against Serbia.

Group C's second game of the day also finished in a 1-1 tie as Luka Jovic gave Serbia a point in the 95th minute to hold Slovenia.

Just 21 minutes they had passed when Zan Karnicnik led Slovenia in Munich.

But with essentially the game's last action, AC Milan forward Jovic headed in a corner, keeping Serbia's destiny of reaching the last 16 in their own hands.

With two points separating them from Denmark and Slovenia, England leads the group and needs a draw against Slovenia in Cologne to guarantee their qualification.

On Friday, one of the other big group-stage games is France vs. the Netherlands in Leipzig.

After breaking his nose in Les Bleus' opening 1-0 victory against Austria, Kylian Mbappe's participation in the Group D game is still up in the air.

Nevertheless, Didier Deschamps is hoping to have Real Madrid's new acquisition ready after Mbappe practiced wearing a mask patterned after the French flag's colors on Thursday.

Deschamps remarked, "Things are progressing in the right direction enough for us to try to have him available."

Before that game, Poland and Austria played in the same group in Berlin; Slovakia played Ukraine in Group E in Duesseldorf on Friday.

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