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Spain's Álvaro Morata (right) in a header duel with Croatia's Domagoj Vida
Photo:
Jonathan Nackstrand / dpa
Spain is in the quarter-finals of the European Football Championship.
In the round of 16, the Spaniards won 5: 3 (1: 1, 3: 3, 5: 3) after extra time against vice world champions Croatia.
Pablo Sarabia (38th minute), César Azpilicueta (57th) and Ferran Torres (77th) scored in regular time for Spain.
Pedri had put Croatia in the lead with an own goal (20th), while Mislav Oršić (85th) and Mario Pašalić (90th + 2) scored for Croatia.
In extra time, Álvaro Morata (100th) and Mikel Oyarzabal (103rd) decided the game.
In the quarter-finals, Spain will face the winner of the match between France and Switzerland on Friday (6 p.m.) on Monday evening (9 p.m., live ticker SPIEGEL.de; TV: ZDF).
The peat festival in Copenhagen began curiously;
The Croatians had nothing to do with the Croatians opening goal: Spain's Pedri played a back pass to goalkeeper Unai Simón, who let the ball slip over his right foot into the goal (20th).
The Croatians had hardly become conspicuous in the offensive to date and had mainly focused on the defensive.
The goal shouldn't be decisive for the game, although the Spaniards looked briefly shocked after the deficit.
That was due to the dusting off Sarabia (38th) and the headed Azpilicueta (57th).
The supposed preliminary decision of the Spaniards followed again on a curious scene that followed an injury interruption.
Gvardiol is fatal for a drinking break
Croatia's Josko Gvardiol had run to the sidelines for a drink and apparently failed to notice the game was reopened and Spain's center-back Aymeric Laporte headed for the diagonal ball at Torres. Suddenly Gvardiol understood, threw away his water bottle and ran in the direction of Torres - only to find himself on the floor after the Spaniard's body deception. Alone in front of Livaković was Torres (77th).
The fact that the game picked up again was due to a missed chance by Dani Olmo, who failed due to Livaković, and Luka Modrić. The Croatian superstar placed in the center of the penalty area, where four Croatians tried to push the ball over the line. Mislav Oršić managed to do this in the end (85th). And Oršić also had his feet in the game when it came to equalizing; Mario Pašalić headed his cross from the left in the second minute of stoppage time to equalize.
In extra time Croatia seemed the better team, but the goals scored the Spaniards.
Morata, much scolded at home, first met with a strong technical lead to take the lead again (100th) and then initiated the decision of substitute Oyarzabal (103rd).
The Croatians were dangerous again by Ante Budimir (106th), but they didn't manage to turn things around again.
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