Roberto Martinez’s Belgium gave Italy a tough time but eventually fell short of qualifying to the Euro 2020 semi-finals. The Red Devils were beaten 2-1, putting an injured Kevin De Bruyne’s efforts in vain.
De Bruyne confirmed to the media that he played in the Euro 2020 quarter-finals despite suffering from a tear in his ligaments, which he picked up in the previous round:
“It was a miracle that I played today because there was definitely damage to my ankle. A tear in my ligaments. But I felt responsibility to play for my country today. Too bad I couldn’t do more,”
De Bruyne said.
The Manchester City midfielder also gave his assessment of the defeat, stating that Belgium did all they could to win the match but fell short, eventually.
“I think we tried everything to win that match,
“They scored a fantastic goal, but the first one may have been a mistake on our part.
“They had more possession, and the ball didn’t go in for us, which is a shame. Getting eliminated is always a disappointment.”
he added.
Italy were one step ahead of Belgium right from the first minute and thought they took the lead early through Leonardo Bonnucci. However, the Juventus man had his goal ruled out for offside once the wild celebrations concluded. Nevertheless, Italy did take the lead in the first half through Nicolo Barella, who waltzed past the defenders to score in the 31st minute.
Lorenzo Insigne doubled Azzurri’s lead in the 44th minute with a stunning long-distance goal. However, Belgium pulled one back almost instantly through Romelu Lukaku. Despite the Red Devils’ subsequent efforts, Italy held firmly to their narrow lead to see out the match.
Belgium, who were dumped out of the 2016 edition of the tournament by Wales, exited their second consecutive Euro at the same stage. Italy, on the other hand, have gone one better and will face Spain in the semis.
