Italy edges Belgium in thriller to reach Euro 2020 semis
The Azzurri will face Spain at Wembley on Tuesday for a place in the final.
Italy reached the Euro 2020 semi-finals with a 2-1 win over Belgium on Friday as first-half goals from Nicolo Barella and Lorenzo Insigne settled a thrilling encounter against the number one-ranked team in the world.
Barella fired home the opener after 31 minutes before Lorenzo Insigne’s wonderful curling strike doubled their advantage on the brink of halftime before Romelu Lukaku pulled one back for Belgium in first-half stoppage time.
Both sides had chances to score after the break in a breathless match, but Roberto Mancini’s side held on for a 13th consecutive win to extend their record unbeaten run to 32 games.
They will face Spain at Wembley on Tuesday for a place in the final after Luis Enrique’s side squeezed past Switzerland 3-1 in a penalty shootout after their battling opponents clung to a 1-1 draw after extra time despite going down to 10 men.
Italy started strongly when Leonardo Bonucci bundled the ball into the net after 13 minutes from a free-kick, but his celebrations were cut short when it was chalked off for offside.
