Double duels in the EURO have been staged several times in the tournament’s history.
EURO 2024 has reached its end. Yet, the double duel from the group stage which was on the verge of being ‘replayed’ in the final, France versus Netherlands, was no longer possible following both teams’ elimination in the semifinals. Luis de la Fuente’s men ultimately won, despite the competition known for its infamous for its surprises and is rarely in favour of the favourites, especially the pre-tournament ones.
UEFA EURO is no stranger to double duels in the group stage and final. Such encounters have been staged four times in the tournament’s history. Here are those previous double duels in the UEFA EURO Championships.
Netherlands vs USSR (EURO 1988)
This is the double clash which had contrast results in one edition. The first encounter between De Oranje and the Soviet Union was held at the group stage. Both were seeded with two UK nations, England and the Republic of Ireland. Rinus Michel’s side faced off against the EURO 1960 champions at the opener.
The game itself was tight, but Ruud Gullit and co were on the dominant side. Unfortunately, they were left frustrated by Rinat Dasayev’s incredible form between the sticks. He made several crucial saves, including Marco van Basten’s and the skipper Gullit’s attempts. The nightmare came as Holland conceded through Vasyl Rats’ long-range shot from the left side on 52 minutes. Stunned by the goal, they knocked on the door more in the final third but failed to break the deadlock. 1-0 for the USSR.
On the contrary, the Netherlands thrived in the final. They dominated the game as usual, but this time they managed to find the back of the net already from the skipper’s header in the first half. Then, in the 54th minute, they doubled their lead through van Basten’s iconic volley goal.
The USSR attempted to fight back and created a number of chances, including a penalty by Oleg Protasov. Yet, this time Hans Van Breukelen was the hero by denying the shot. The Netherlands finally lifted a major trophy in international competition, their first and only one to date.
Germany vs Czechia (EURO 1996)
The next double duels were staged exactly eight years later. In EURO 1996, Germany started their campaign well after their dismal result in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Berti Vogts’ men secured a 2-0 win over the Czech Republic at Old Trafford. Christian Ziege and Andreas Möller were the scorers in this game. Czechia did not show a particularly remarkable result and was not expected to go further than the group stage.
Nevertheless, to everyone’s surprise, Dušan Uhrin’s men advanced to the final after beating Portugal and France in the knockout stage with clean sheets. They would have to take on Die Mannschaft again. This time, Czechia managed to strike first to take the lead through Patrik Berger’s penalty. Such put Jürgen Klinsmann and co under pressure. Their mentality eventually made the difference. The substitute, Oliver Bierhoff, was able to score an equalizer before adding his tally in extra time. His second goal marked the first ever golden goal in EURO history.
Greece vs Portugal (EURO 2004)
This was another double duel that ended with the same result: humiliation for the host. Greece was an unfancied team that just returned to the EURO final round after their last appearance in EURO 1980, which was also their debut. Surprisingly, they already managed to shock Portugal in the opener with a narrow 2-1 win at The Estádio do Dragão in Porto.
Georgios Karagounis already struck Seleção das Quinas’s backline with his goal in the seventh minute through his stunner shot outside the six-yard box. They even doubled their lead from Angelios Basinas’ penalty earlier in the second half. The host finally scored a consolation goal through Cristiano Ronaldo’s header.
In the final, the loss was even more devastating for Portugal. They were dominant and had been knocking on the door, but eventually left frustrated. Luis Felipe Scolari’s men could not find the back of the net despite bombarding Greece’s layered defence line in response to Greece’s goal from Angelos Charisteas’s header. It was an unlikely victory for Greek football, with special credit for their German manager, Otto Rehhagel.
Spain vs Italy (EURO 2012)
This clash of two giants did not have the same result between the first and the final. Yet, both were in favour of the Spaniards than Gli Azzurri. In the opener, both had to share spoils in a 1-1 draw. Italy took the lead first through Antonio Di Natale. They also had more shots on target, which kept Iker Casillas busy almost throughout the game. The Spaniards finally managed to equalize as Cesc Fàbregas tucked the ball into the net. Such proved how Del Bosque’s choice to use a 4-6-0 formation worked well.
In the final, Cesare Prandelli’s men could not replicate his form at the group stage. La Furia Roja ran rampant to score as soon as possible instead of conceding first, like in the previous meeting. Once again, Fabregas proved his quality in a false-nine role. He provided an assist for David Silva, who opened the score sheet. Then Jordi Alba doubled their lead just four minutes before the interval.
Italy had to turn things around without Giorgio Chiellini, who was limping on the pitch and had to be replaced in the first half. Unfortunately, it was Spain who scored more with the substitutes, Fernando Torres and Juan Mata, adding their tally to the summit. They undoubtedly deserved to retain their title.