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If Euro 2020 has taught us anything about football, it's that you cannot take anything for granted and on any given day anyone can beat anyone.

Prior to the Round of 16 commencing, we knew the tournament would lose two big guns. Portugal or Belgium and England or Germany would exit before the quarter-finals.

The reality has proved somewhat harsher for the favourites with soon-to-be-dethroned European champions, Portugal; reigning world champions, France; big-hitters Germany and Netherlands all eliminated.

The infamous Group F has no survivors, and you would have needed some crystal ball to foresee that.

Of the big movers, Belgium, Denmark, Spain and England were impressive.

Denmark are undoubtedly the story of the tournament so far. Having overcome the worst of days in their opening clash with Finland, they have grown and have built up some serious momentum in this tournament.

Their game against Wales was one of the tougher ones to call, but they completely dismantled Rob Pages side, as Kasper Dolberg, another player 'unproven at this level, took the game by the scruff of its neck after he got the nod to start in place of the injured Yussuf Poulsen.

The former Ajax striker became Denmarks second ever player to score twice in a knockout game at the Euros, since Henrik Larsen netted two against Netherlands in 1992. That year! And youd have to wonder

First though, before any such talk of another unlikely title win should start to snowball, they must advance past the Czech Republic, the side that eliminated Netherlands, in what was probably the first genuine shock of the tournament.

Despite having dominated the game, the Netherlands looked lost after going down to 10.

The meeting of Belgium and Portugal was destined to be decided by a moment of magic or a seismic error and in the end, it was a little bit of both as Thorgen Hazard sent the holders packing.

The Italians were perhaps the team that didnt quite live up to their fanfare billing in their 2-1 victory over Austria, and will undoubtedly face their toughest opponent of the tournament so far in Belgium, even though Roberto Martinez may well be without Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne.

If The Bangles had written Manic Monday about any day, it might have been the one jut gone as Spain and Switzerland advanced in drama-filled encounters that went to extra-time, the Swiss prevailing on penalties.

This Swiss team have a history with penalties.

I was working with Northern Ireland on that fateful November World Cup play-off night in 2017, when they were inexplicably awarded a penalty after the ball hit Corry Evans back. Ricardo Rodriguez scored in Belfast that night, but missed his spotter this night, when he could have put his side 2-0 up.

Instead, within two minutes, France were level as Benzema got on the end of Mbappes ball. When Les Bleus went 3-1 up, that appeared to be that, but the Swiss never gave up and fully deserved the victory.

England v Germany wasnt the open carnage of the Monday, but more tactical shadow-boxing, great to watch in its own right.

As it turned out, Gareth Southgates charges played a tense, cleverly-balanced game, matching up the German three-at-the-back system, nullifying the effectiveness of Kimmich and Gosens in the wide areas.

It was a win they deserved and earned, and they too now have a bit of momentum heading into their last-eight clash with Ukraine, another clash no-one foresaw. Least of all Sweden.

After what weve seen so far, youd be hard-pressed to predict what will come next.

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Knockout drama will have quarter-finalists on edge - RTE.ie

Euro 2020 has already been hailed as one of the most exciting international football tournaments in recent years, with the first knockout stage especially providing game after game of ecstasy and heartbreak.

Whether it was the favourites. France, being knocked out on penalties, or England finally overcoming Germany in a knockout match, the delayed tournament will already be remembered fondly by many fans.

But theres still time for more upsets and drama, with seven games to play, starting with the quarter-finals.

The games are to be played this Friday and Saturday. Heres a look at the fixtures.

Friday 2 July, 6 pm CEST, St Petersburg

Switzerland caused probably the biggest upset of the tournament so far in knocking out World champions France on penalties. They looked down and out, losing 3-1 until late into the second half of the round of 16 match. But two goals in the final 10 minutes took the game to extra time, and then they won on penalties.

They will take on a Spain side that also saw a 3-1 lead slip in their first knockout game. Two extra-time goals saw them finally beat Croatia in a game marked by a terrible error from the Spanish keeper Unai Simon, for which he atoned with a number of important saves.

Friday 2 July, 9 pm CEST, Munich

Two of Europes heavyweights will meet in Munich on Friday.

They both won their three group stage games, before making it past tricky opponents in the round of 16, Belgium beating current European champions Portugal, and Italy seeing off Austria.

Saturday 3 July, 6 pm CEST, Baku

If the other round of 16 games were marked by late goals and high drama, Czech Republic and Denmarks victories were outliers, in that they were simply superior displays over somewhat disorganised opposition in Netherlands and Wales respectively.

Denmark scraped through the group stages having won just once, losing twice, but their knockout match against Wales was highly convincing. The Czech Republic for their part won just once in the group stages, against Scotland, but looked energetic and confident against the Netherlands in the round of 16.

Saturday 3 July, 9 pm CEST, Rome

Ukraines last-gasp winner against Sweden on Tuesday night was a historical moment for the football team, which had previously never won a knockout match in the European Championships.

England have historically underperformed at the Euros, having only managed to win a knockout match once before. They got their second on Tuesday, ending a 55-year wait to beat old rivals Germany in a knockout game. Captain Harry Kane got on the scoresheet, and the team are yet to concede this tournament.

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Euro 2020: Who is in the quarter-finals and how did they get there? - Euronews

This is when it starts to get really interesting. Real-life jeopardy. Proper drama. The group stages had their moments but the straight knock-out nature of finals football conjures up a whole different level of emotion.

Four players from Elland Road were present - on pitch or bench - for the first round of knockout football. All either watched or took part in some outstanding games.

However, as with knockout football, there were mixed fortunes as four became three.

The Yorkshire Pirlo put in another rock-solid performance on Tuesday evening, playing the full 90 minutes as England beat Germany 2-0 at Wembley to go through to the quarter-finals. Koch was an unused substitute again and, unfortunately, failed to knock up any minutes in this years Euros.

It was Englands - and Phillips - night in the end, beating the Germans in a major tournament finals for the first time since 1966. Phillips is the first Leeds United player to do so since the late great Jack Charlton.

Early scepticism was rife as Gareth Southgates team selection came out, opting for a back three with both Declan Rice and Phillips in a midfield two. But the duo, despite both picking up yellow cards in the first half, dominated the midfield battle against Leon Goretzka and Toni Kroos in a solid display from the Three Lions.

Southgates tactical switch up worked perfectly however, and England seemed relatively comfortable throughout, packing in the central areas whilst also successfully nullifying Germanys rampaging wing-backs, Robin Gosens and Joshua Kimmich, who have provided Die Mannschafts biggest threat in the group stages.

Chances fell equally to both sides in the first half. For England, Raheem Sterling went close with a curling shot before Harry Maguire had a header that went straight at Manuel Neuer. Whilst Kai Havertz came closest to scoring for Germany, his well struck half-volley tipped over by the sublime again Jordan Pickford.

The second-half was a much more docile affair until, in the 75th minute, Sterling cut in from the right, before laying the ball into Harry Kane who subsequently fed Jack Grealish on the left. Grealishs low cross found the onrushing Sterling who tapped home from close range.

Thomas Muller was handed a great chance by Sterling just six minutes later and ended up clean through on Pickfords goal, but the Bayern Munich forward, somehow, slipped the ball wide of the post.

After that snap chance, however, it was England who continued to pose the biggest threat, and when Kane nodded in another fantastic Grealish cross four minutes from time it was 2-0, and game over.

Englands win takes them into a quarter-final clash with Ukraine on Wednesday, in Rome, knowing a win sets up a semi-final clash with one of Denmark or the Czech Republic.

For Koch, this tournament will be looked back upon as a learning opportunity and an opportunity to settle into a national camp that he will likely have many successful tournaments with.

Phillips reputation amongst England fans grows and grows with each passing minute. He is still yet to miss a minute of this finals and his partnership with Rice gets better and better. Jordan Henderson - previously a shoe-in for the starting XI - will struggle to find a spot.

Roberts was finally handed his first major tournament minutes for Wales on Saturday, coming on as a sub for Kieffer Moore in the 78th minute. It was to be a bittersweet experience, however, as Wales crashed out in spectacular fashion, losing 4-0 to Denmark in Amsterdam.

Rob page opted for the regular front three - Gareth Bale and Dan James either side of Moore - for the first knockout game of the tournament. They, along with Aaron Ramsey from midfield, started the game with real purpose, breaking the Danish lines and creating a few early half-chances.

But Denmark made a notable tactical adjustment after around 20 minutes, pushing Thomas Christensen up from a back-three into the base of the midfield, and from there managed to gain control of the game.

It didnt take long for Denmark to convert their control into a goal, and when Joakim Mhles ball found Mikkel Damsgaard Wales looked vulnerable. From there, Damsgaard offloaded to Kasper Dolberg who turned Chris Mepham and fired into the bottom-right corner.

From that point onwards Kasper Hjulmands side controlled the game, reducing Wales to just one shot on target amongst an array of speculative long-shots. Dolberg added a second just after the break when Neco Williams terrible clearance fell to him six yards out, although Wales will feel aggrieved not to have won a free-kick in the build up.

Roberts came on with 12 minutes to go, although by then a demoralised Wales side struggled to provide any service for the 22-year-old who managed just five touches, all of which were successful passes and part of some slick link up play.

Two late goals, firstly from Mhle and then from Martin Braithwaite, bookended a debatable Harry Wilson red card and piled on the misery for Wales who, despite failing to create anything of substance past the first 25 minutes, will regard themselves unlucky to go out with a 4-0 defeat.

Roberts himself will likely be left dispirited by his lack of minutes and couldve easily featured more often after a promising, if inconsistent, season with Leeds.

Leeds Spanish defender had the pleasure of witnessing the game of the tournament so far on Monday - debatable come 10pm that same night, when Switzerland knocked France out on Penalties - as his side beat Croatia 5-3 after extra-time in Copenhagen after finishing the 90 minutes at 3-3.

It will seem bittersweet, however, as he was once again an unused substitute and is still yet to make an appearance at the finals. Luis Enrique opted to start Aymeric Laporte and Eric Garcia in the middle of a back four.

Spain started the better of the two sides and predictably dominated possession, with early chances spurned by Alvaro Morata and Koke.

It was to be Croatia who took the lead though, and in bizarre circumstances. Pedris challenging back-pass to Unai Simon was completely missed by the Spanish goalkeeper, who turned and watched as the ball trickled into an empty net.

Spain kept their heads, however, and went into half-time at 1-1 after Pablo Sarabia fired in a loose ball from 15 yards.

Cesar Azpilicueta put Spain 2-1 up with a powerful header on 57 minutes before Ferran Torres brilliant run and finish looked to have ended the contest with 13 minutes still to play.

Croatia were not ready to give up, and with five minutes to go Mislav Orsic fumbled home after a series of chances, with goal-line technology adjudging the ball to have just crossed the line. Game on.

Spains centre-backs looked vulnerable to crosses all game and when Orsics cross found Mario Pasalic inbetween Laporte and the subbed on Pau Torres, Pasalic tucked home for 3-3 and extra-time.

Spain again managed to level themselves during the brief break and looked far superior during the first half, with two goals in that 15 minute spell, firstly from Morata who smashed home clinically. Mikel Oyarzabal then slotted home a Dani Olmo cross from a tight angle to make it 5-3.

Spain rode out the final 15 with relative ease and the win puts them into a quarter-final game with Switzerland on Tuesday.

Llorente will be desperate for an opportunity as Spain go into the latter stages of the tournament. He is the only outfield player yet to make an appearance for Spain.

Continue reading here:
Euro 2020 Leeds watch - Round of 16: Knockout jeopardy as Leeds players drop from four to three - Through It All Together

With a couple of minutes to play in Budapest, the French midfielder Adrien Rabiot looked squarely at Sergio Oliveira, his Portuguese opponent, and advised him to back away. Like everyone else in the stadium, Rabiot had heard the news. The group stage of Euro 2020 was effectively over. Both France and Portugal were through to the knockout rounds. There was no need to run or to chase or to press. Now was the time for watching the clock.

It had not, for either team, been a straightforward evening. The game had oscillated Portugal led, then France, then Portugal struck back and so had their fates, dependent to some extent on the outcome of the groups other game, between Germany and Hungary in Munich. At one point or another, each of the four teams had believed they were going through.

Only once Leon Goretzka had secured Germany a point against Hungary was it all settled. Hungary would be the fall guy; the three favorites all had safe passage to a round of 16 that offers a suite of intriguing encounters and two particularly mouthwatering ones: Portugals encounter with Belgium in Seville on Sunday, and Englands welcoming Germany to London on Tuesday.

The jostling for position is, now, at an end. The real business starts here.

The reigning world champion, France, may not have sailed through its group with quite the ease of some of its challengers Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy all posted perfect records but that does not quite tell the whole story.

The caliber of its opponent, first and foremost, was notably higher: France dropped points to Portugal, the defending European champion, and a Hungary team one good enough to come within a whisker of beating Germany roared on by a fiercely partisan home crowd.

Just as significant, particularly in its final game, France managed to give the impression that it has more to offer as and when necessary. Whenever Rabiot, Paul Pogba and the rest needed to lift the rhythm, they did so seamlessly. It is probably worth noting, too, that Kylian Mbapp has not scored yet, a ceasefire that will not hold forever.

Nor, as yet, has an obvious contender emerged to Frances air of superiority. Germany, Portugal, Belgium, England and Spain the group of teams that would expect to profit from any slight hesitation on the part of France have yet to hit their stride. The teams that have impressed, Italy and the Netherlands, seem a little too young or a little too fragile to last the course. This is still Frances tournament to lose.

Roberto Mancini has his wish. On the eve of Euro 2020, Mancini, Italys coach, declared that he wanted his team to win over a public scarred by a decade of disappointment by having fun. His players have duly delivered.

Italy has won all three group games. It has played thrilling, inventive soccer, backed by a raucous and partisan crowd in Rome. It is despite relatively stiff competition from the Netherlands the most compelling team in the tournament, the one that it is most rewarding to watch. It is also yet to concede a goal, because deep down, it is still Italy.

That early promise is no guarantee of later success, of course. Every European Championships has a side that wins hearts and minds early on the Czech Republic in 2004, the Netherlands in 2008 and Italy in 2016 only to fall as soon as the level of difficulty ratchets up.

Mancinis team should have enough to breeze past Austria in the first knockout round, but Belgium, its most probable opponent in the quarterfinal, would provide a sterner test. Those two sides are an intriguing contrast: more than any team, Italy benefited from the postponement of this tournament. The yearlong delay because of the pandemic granted Mancinis young side invaluable experience. It may have proved too callow had the competition been held, as scheduled, in 2020.

The converse is true of Belgium. Roberto Martnezs team also has won all its games, but it has done so with none of the verve or panache that has marked Italys progress. Belgium slumbered past Russia. It played in fits and starts to see off a spirited Denmark, and then roused itself late to swat aside Finland. Belgium is the worlds top-ranked team, but it also has the oldest squad in the tournament. It has the air of a team whose moment has just passed. Italys, you sense, is yet to come.

Nobody is under any illusions that the current format for the European Championship is perfect. It is cumbersome and it is unwieldy and it is, at times, unsatisfactorily inconclusive. Switzerland won on Sunday night, but only knew the meaning of its victory on Monday. Ukraine lost on Monday, but had to wait until Wednesday to discover its fate.

But that is not to say that the tension does not have its benefits. Only one of the final round of games the Netherlands win against North Macedonia was devoid of it; the Dutch had already won their group, and their guest in Amsterdam had already been eliminated. The 11 remaining matches all had something riding on them, whether that was settling the matter of who won the group or identifying which teams would qualify for the knockouts.

That balance between benefit and drawback continues in the round of 16. On Saturday, Wales faces Denmark in Amsterdam. Both finished as the runner-up in their groups. But so did Austria, and it must play Italy.

The need to squeeze in two games in the round of 16 between second-placed teams, to make the whole format work, has the effect of unbalancing the draw. That has been mitigated a little this time by the fact that Spain could not top its group, thanks to Swedens late winner against Poland, and will face Croatia in Copenhagen. But the consequence is clear: Some teams have a much more challenging route to the final than others.

On one side of the draw, for example, Belgium must first face Portugal, then endure a potential quarterfinal with Italy, before meeting Spain perhaps in a semifinal. On the other, both England and Germany have cause to curse a difficult first knockout round matchup, but the prize for winning is a rich one: a quarterfinal against Sweden or Ukraine, and then most likely the Netherlands in the semifinals.

An uneven draw is not necessarily a bad thing. It means there is a route to the latter stages for nations that would, in other formats, expect to be dispatched far earlier. That is to be welcomed. A little randomness, after all, never hurt anyone.

But it also rather exposes the logic that it does not matter when you face the major powers: To win the tournament, after all, you have to play them at some point. The problem is that, sometimes, you have to face more of them than others.

Switzerland Punches Above Its Weight Again

And so, there they are again, like clockwork. Just as was the case in Brazil in 2014, France in 2016 and Russia in 2018, Switzerland has made the last 16 of a major tournament. Quietly how else would the Swiss do it? the country is enjoying a golden era.

It is not, in truth, an especially enthralling one. It is easy to deride the Swiss, as well as that other great recidivist qualifier for the knockout rounds, Sweden, as little more than cannon fodder for the traditional powerhouses in the round of 16. Neither team plays an especially adventurous style though the Swiss victory against Turkey had no little style about it and neither particularly captivates the imagination.

But that should not detract from what an achievement it is for two countries admittedly extremely wealthy ones with a combined population of less than 20 million people to stand so tall, so consistently among the superpowers of Western Europe, the countries that have effectively turned developing young soccer players into an industrial process.

And nor should it disguise the fact that the inability of two of Europes most populous nations Turkey and Russia to do the same is a quite extraordinary failure. Turkey has not even been to a World Cup since its third-place finish in 2002. It made the semifinals of Euro 2008, and has not played a knockout game since.

Russia was a semifinalist in 2008, too, and it enjoyed a stirring run to the quarterfinals in its home World Cup three years ago. But those finals-free runs represent a paltry effort for two countries with such a vast reservoir of talent.

The causes of those respective failures are not uniform Russia does not export players, Turkey does not develop nearly enough of them but there is one binding thread: Both Russia and Turkey are isolationist soccer cultures, resistant to the cutting-edge thinking and best practices that emanate from the leagues to their west. More than anything, both need to import ideas. They could do worse than to start their learning journey by looking at the Swiss, and the Swedes.

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Euro 2020: What We Learned in the Group Stage - The New York Times

Its been a while since I last went to a football match. 479 days to be precise.

The last one was as about as good as it gets really. Marcelo Bielsas Leeds United in their promotion-chasing pomp, a sold-out Elland Road starting to believe it was actually going to happen after Luke Aylings best Tony Yeboah impression, and a 2-0 win in a Yorkshire derby.

That turned out to be the last weekend of regular, sold-out football across the UK. When promotion eventually arrived after a 16-year wait, agonisingly made three months longer, it was celebrated in living rooms and streets across Leeds. But the stands were empty.

I cling to the memory of that last match against Huddersfield like a comfort blanket. Theres a melancholic edge to it now when I think about leaving, looking out onto the empty pitch with an ominous feeling it might be the last time for a while, or how little I thought of Leeds great Norman Hunter walking past the press box with a brush of my shoulder, as happened most matches. Just over a month later, he died after contracting the virus.

Going out and staying out afterwards still remains the last Saturday night that felt normal. Like Arab Straps First Big Weekend in reverse.Ive been back to the same bars again since, albeit with masks, QR codes and two-metre distances. Its not the same.

Its been a long 479 days. Ive become depressingly accustomed to football as a purely televised spectacle. Leeds first season back in the top flight was pure joy, but despite watching every minute of every game live, I couldnt help but feel like Id kind of missed it.

Every weekend increasingly felt like Groundhog Day with the snippets ofCelestes Stop This Flameon Super Sundays indents gradually bludgeoning my psyche. Im still pretty sure every Sunday teatime across the various lockdowns was spent watching Manchester United play out a much-hyped but ultimately dire 0-0 draw naff all else to do though, might as well watch it.

Old colleagues could still get into the press box, while reduced capacity games came in fits and starts, but there were no real pangs of jealousy. It never looked as though I was missing out on the real thing. When I envisaged finally going back, I imagined a sell-out, the steel of the stadium vibrating, a deafening roar to meet the first kick-off after belting out Marching On Together. I imagined a Saturday. An actual one.

A fifth-full Hampden Park, with no-doubt disappointed and disinterested local neutrals robbed of a glamour tie, was not that.

But it was an opportunity not to miss. Ive seen Ukraine at every major tournament theyve ever competed in, having beenraised as a second-generation member of the diaspora. Most of my family holidays as a kid were spent following Zbirnya or Dynamo Kyiv with my dad and brother.

There were haphazardly arranged weekends away I was 15 when we didnt book a hotel and ended up sleeping in a doorway in Rome and letters to school explaining the cultural importance of going to Ukraines first and only World Cup appearance in 2006. When Valeriy Lobanovskyis Dynamo were in the UK, we were there. Be it Wembley, Old Trafford or Barry Town.

Even before the pandemic, the budget airline vibe of the continent-wide Euro 2020 didnt really appeal.

Seeing Ukraine, Poland and France get transformed for three weeks, whole cities commandeered by thousands of fans is what makes international tournaments special. Jetting in and out to Amsterdam and Bucharest didnt have the same appeal not least with potential periods of quarantining and all the additional logistics headaches. Id made peace with the fact that it wasnt going to happen.

But thanks to a stroke of luck, Ukraine were heading to Glasgow for their first knockout match since 2006. Suddenly there was nothing stopping me.

READ:Andriy Shevchenko: From national hero to Europes next top boss?

Andriy Shevchenkos men were exceptional in qualifying but disappointed come the tournament. A spirited two-goal comeback against the Netherlands kicked things off with a bang, but ultimately counted for nothing in a 3-2 defeat, while they were second-best in a 1-0 defeat to an irritatingly good Austria.

Only a narrow 2-1 victory over the lowest-ranked side in the competition, North Macedonia, was enough to see them sneak through as one of the better third-placed teams.

Had they performed better, they would have had to face Italy or the Czech Republic, while it was only Swedens injury-time winner against Poland that set up a clash between the blue & yellow brethren. Had Poland completed their comeback against Sweden, Ukraine wouldve been eliminated, while if it remained a draw it would have meant facing Spain.

Somehow, not only were Ukraine through, but they faced opposition they had a chance against. Sweden was a good omen, too; the last clash between the two nations was among the most joyous occasions in Ukrainian football history as a 36-year-old Shevchenko scored twice in a comeback 2-1 victory at the sold-out Olympiyskiy in Kyiv in the Euro 2012 opener.

Until this year, Shevas brace were the only goals Ukraine had scored in a European Championship. The only game that didnt end in defeat. Now Ukraines greatest player was hoping to have the same influence from the dugout.

I was there, donning an old blue & yellow Leeds away shirt, and thanks to a ton of messages, tweets and posts in Leeds Facebook groups, was made aware Id been spotted on telly, peering over Sheva in the nervous final minutes. The shirt fits quite a bit tighter nine years on, but I had to wear it again as a lucky charm.

After four hours of trains over the Ribblehead viaduct and incredible views of the North Yorkshire countryside, I was in sun-soaked Glasgow. As I schlepped through town to give my Ukrainian contact cash for the ticket he sorted me, the streets and outside seating of all the bars and restaurants were full of blue & yellow shirts. Scottish authorities denied fans from Ukraine and Sweden the ability to fly in, but thousands of UK-based fans like myself were able to make it.

Id hoped to meet fans from the sizeable Ukrainian community from Bradford at a beer hall theyd booked out, but by the time Id sorted my ticket and dropped my stuff off at my cheap hotel, England-Germany was about to start. I wasnt sure how seriously to take the note on my ticket telling me to arrive at Hampden Park two hours before kick-off, but I headed there anyway to watch the early evening kick-off in a sports bar not far away.

From the 15-minute train out, or the short walk around the Mount Florida suburbs, youd barely be aware there was a game on that night. Im agnostic when it comes to England, but I didnt want to miss Leeds Kalvin Phillips on the big occasion.

There was a novelty in watching Englands biggest win in 25 years in a little pool hall in Glasgow but, save for a couple of old blokes straight out of Still Game sat in front of me supporting Germany, it wasnt exactly hostile. Pockets of England fans werent made to feel unwelcome.

It was disappointing to arrive at the ground having missed out on any real sense of build-up, but Id have a chance for that after the match, right? Wrong I hadnt bargained for the stricter restrictions north of the border and 11pm curfew on pubs. Not to mention the classic mistake of forgetting off-licenses up there cant sell booze after 10pm.

Sitting alone in the ground no food, no drinks for an hour, looking across to the opposite stand with a few stray bodies didnt exactly scream huge knockout game. Such a sparse attendance brought back memories of Leeds lowest moments of the Ken Bates era. Southend in the Carling Cup, anyone?

But eventually I found a couple of fans I knew, and the Ukrainian fans clustered together in one end, ignoring the social distancing guidelines, to make the most of the occasion and create as good an atmosphere as could be expected in their end of the ground.

The experience wasnt what I remembered it, but Id forgotten what it was like to get a panoramic view of the whole pitch and a better view of each sides shape and the tactical thinking behind them. The match wasnt a classic; it had a cagey play-off feel, with neither side taking risks and focusing on minimising mistakes. But it was hard-fought and competitive, and there were genuine moments of quality in the set-up for both of Ukraines goals.

For the myriad ways in which the whole experience was made immeasurably worse by the restrictions, the thrill of seeing a move develop and end with the ball in the back of the net remains just as pure, the celebrations just as good. Not least a 121st-minute match-winner, the second-latest goal in Euros history, nodded in by Dnipro strikerArtem Dovbyk after a perfect cross whipped in by Manchester Citys Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Extra-time had been an attritional bloodbath, and you fear for Ukraines legs when it comes to facing England, but Dovbyks header instantly became an iconic moment in Ukrainian football, destined to be replayed in years to come.

But upon seeing the videos of people celebrating in the streets of Kyiv, I couldnt help but recall the famous line from Irish columnistCon Houlihan: Italia 90? I missed it I was in Italy at the time.

After the adrenaline rush of the late winner, it was quite a comedown to return to central Glasgow one of the most fun, alivecities Ive been to on previous visits resembling a ghost town, offering no alternative but to go straight back to the little room of my hotel. I couldnt even get a battered Mars bar, let alone a pint.

The post-match experience was a reminder of how dismal the times were living through are. A window into a world in which property developers turn every last city centre corner into flats and subsequently extinguish any signs of nightlife.

It was a genuine privilege to be there to witness Ukraines victory. It was much better than nothing. But getting a taste only made me more desperate for the real thing. Roll on next season, packed-out grounds, and matchdays that last from the morning until the early hours again.

By Nestor Watach

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Away Days: 479 days later, a trip to the match at last; now I want the real thing - PlanetFootball