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June 24, 2016

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Euro turns to revenge, giant slaying

CRISTIANO Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Paul Pogba are through, now the European Championship finals turn to revenge, a fairytale David vs Goliath clash and a heavyweight rematch.

Ronaldo hit two crucial goals — becoming the first player to score in seven straight major tournaments: three World Cups and four European Championships — as Portugal three times came back from a goal down to draw 3-3 with brave Hungary and reach the last 16.

“It was an insane match,” said the three-time World Player of the Year.

Now Portugal has to take on Luka Modric’s Croatia in Lens tomorrow with the pressure even higher as a place in the quarterfinals will be at stake.

There will be showdowns aplenty in the eight matches over an action-packed three days, starting with Croatia-Portugal, Wales-Northern Ireland and Switzerland-Poland tomorrow.

After a landmark 1-0 triumph over Italy, for Republic of Ireland there could be vengeance in the air when it plays hosts France with Pogba looking to prove his worth in Lyon on Sunday.

Irish fans will never forget Thierry Henry’s handball in extra time of a World Cup qualifying playoff in Paris in 2009 that led to William Gallas’s equalizer securing France’s place at the 2010 finals.

Eight of the team that started that night are still in Martin O’Neill’s squad. But goalkeeper Shay Given said: “It’s not about looking back ... what happened is gone now.”

Substitute Ingvi Traustason’s last-gasp goal earned Euro debutante Iceland a famous 2-1 win over Austria and a last-16 clash with Wayne Rooney’s England in Nice on Monday.

Iceland is appearing at its first major tournament and is the lowest ranked of the 16 teams left at 34 in the FIFA standings.

Magnus Ver Magnusson, the Iceland powerhouse who has four times won the world’s strongest man title, said it would be a “David vs Goliath” battle.

But Magnusson and the Iceland team believe the whole nation of 330,000 is behind them in the quest.

Italy also believes it will be the underdog when it takes on fellow European powerhouse Spain in a repeat of the 2012 Euro final in Paris on Monday.

Both teams lost their final group matches in France after two strong victories.

“We mustn’t get above our station,” said Italian coach Antonio Conte. “A last-16 match against Spain should excite us and we need to play like we did against Belgium, against a side who are supposedly superior.”

British Isles sides have had spectacular success at Euro 2016 so far with all four through to the second round. Bale has been the standout British player on show with his three goals so far making Wales a strong favorite against the Northern Irish.

Poland takes on Switzerland in Saint-Etienne tomorrow hoping that Bayern Munich star Robert Lewandowski will finally start scoring.

In other key clashes world champion Germany will also be hoping its faltering forwards start firing when it takes on Slovakia in Lille on Sunday. Surprise package Hungary plays Belgium in Toulouse, also on Sunday.




 

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