Spain got their Euro 2024 campaign off to an impressive start with a 3-0 win over Croatia in Berlin.
Captain Alvaro Morata set La Roja on their way in Group B with a low finish after 29 minutes before Fabian Ruiz soon doubled the lead after some quick footwork inside the Croatia penalty area.
Dani Carvajal volleyed home a third from close range in first-half stoppage time, with Croatia seeing a late goal from substitute Bruno Petkovic ruled out for encroachment when he slotted in a cross after his initial penalty had been saved.
Cool, calm and collected from Alvaro Morata 🧊
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 15, 2024
The captain opens Spain's account for the tournament 🫡#Euro2024 | #ESPCRO pic.twitter.com/k7xE0XZmfS
Kwadwo Duah’s maiden goal for Switzerland helped kick off their Euro 2024 campaign with a 3-1 victory over Hungary at Cologne Stadium.
The 27-year-old had played just 45 minutes for the Swiss senior side, and had to wait for VAR to confirm his milestone moment after he found the back of the net 12 minutes into the Group A contest.
Michel Aebischer, who assisted the opener, made it two on the stroke of half-time with his own first international goal, while Barnabas Varga’s second-half header denied Murat Yakin’s men a clean sheet after the break.
Group A rivals Scotland might have been hoping for a draw, but Hungary were ultimately buried by a costly mistake in the third minute of stoppage time that allowed substitute Breel Embolo to seal victory on his first international appearance since December 2022.
Fastest goal not enough for Albania
Nicolo Barella ensured defending champions Italy launched their Euro 2024 campaign with victory over Albania despite conceding the fastest goal in European Championship history.
Nedim Bajrami fired the Albanians ahead after just 23 seconds at the BVB Stadion in Dortmund, in the process eclipsing Dmitri Kirichenko’s strike 67 seconds into Russia’s 2-1 win over Greece in 2004.
However, the Italians quickly levelled through defender Alessandro Bastoni before Barella secured a 2-1 Group B win which was more comfortable than the scoreline suggests, with most of the drama coming inside the opening 16 minutes.
Indeed, had it not been for the heroics of Brentford goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha, who produced a string of fine saves, Italy might have prevailed significantly more comfortably.
