We did it everyone! We got through two days without any football. I just want you to know I’m very proud of you and we all deserve these four games we’ve got over the weekend. Well done us.
Saturday and the last 16 started with Wales vs Denmark and unfortunately for the Welsh this turned into a bit of a pasting. It didn’t start that way with the Welsh looking lively and Gareth Bale coming close to scoring a stunner from the edge of the box.
However, the momentum seemed to turn towards Denmark at the midway point of the first half and it never really looked liked turning back. Kasper Dolberg got the scoring started with a lovely curling shot on the 27th minute that Danny Ward had no chance with. Wales were clearly rattled by this and Dolberg was unlucky not to add a second a couple of minutes later.
The second half became a bit of a massacre. Dolberg would get his second, three minutes into the second half after a fluffed clearance from Neco Williams put the ball right into his course. A controversial goal as there was a clear foul in the build up, but Wales had plenty of chances to deal with it thereafter.
Wales never looked like getting back into it if we’re being honest. Denmark piled on the misery with two goals late on through Joakim Maehle and Martin Braithwaite. Harry Wilson saw a straight red card in between the third and fourth goal.
Not the way Wales would have liked their tournament to end, obviously. They can hold their head up high after once again mixing it up with much bigger footballing nations and making it to this stage. As for Denmark, after everything they have went through it looks like they are starting to show their true self.
To the second game of the day and I think a lot of people were expecting and maybe hoping for a similar result. Austria were living up to their role as villains of this game in the first half and in fairness they did well to take all the tempo out of the game and spoil the Italian attack for the most part.
Then in the second half, something happened that I don’t think anyone was expecting, Italy failed to show up and Austria started to have a go. For a brief moment it looked the upset shock was on when Marko Arnautovic headed Austria in front.
The Italians were saved by VAR however. A shame in a sense because it was a very fine goal but Arnautovic is a renowned worst cunt, so swings and roundabouts I guess.
To extra time we would go and it became clear that Austria had missed their chance and the Italians had finally turned the screw. Federico Chiesa had to wait to the 84th minute to get on the pitch, a decision that was baffling some of our own Italian football podders, but he made the difference quickly with a fine goal five minutes into extra time.
It was Baby Chiesa’s fellow substitute, Matteo Pessina, who looked to have settled matters when he added a second shortly before half time in extra time.
Fair play to the Austrians however who went for it in the second period and probably deserved the goal they got five minutes from time through a terrific diving header from Sasa Kalajdzic. Italy were to see it out to book their place in the quarter final.
All in all, very fine viewing of a Saturday. A good old fashioned doing followed up by one of the slug teams making a game of it before the proper team got through. Lovely and today could be even better!
