Portugal qualified for the quarterfinals of the Euro Cup after eliminating Slovenia on penalties. Diogo Costa was the protagonist stopping the launches of Ilicic, Balkovec y Verbic, being key for the Portuguese to win the shootout 3-0. The Portuguese became the first goalkeeper to save three penalties in a shoot-out in the history of the Euro Cup, and he also did it consecutively. Therefore, we review the most epic tiebreakers in European football, since the FIFA introduced this format in June 1970.
Three months after its approval, the first round in UEFA competition took place. Budapest Honvéd won 3-1 at Aberdeen in the sixteenths of the European Cup Winners’ Cupequaling the result of the first leg in Scotlandso the winner was decided from 11 meters, with victory for the Hungarians by 5-4.
The longest penalty shootout in European competitions occurred in el European under 21 of 2007in the semifinals between Netherlands and England. The Dutch at that time had some young Drenthe (Real Madrid and Real Murcia) and Babel (Liverpool). In the English under 21 team they played Scott Carson, Ashley Young o James Milner, among others. After a 1-1 tie in the 90s, the match went to extra time and was decided from 11 meters. 32 penalties were taken (16 per team). Netherlands won 13-12 with a goal from Maceo Judges and a failure of Anton Ferdinand.
However, neither of these teams is the top scorer in a playoff shootout. The record is held by United Island for less than a year. The Maltese saw each other’s faces with him Glentoran Northern Irish in the first qualifying phase of the Conference League 23-24. In the first leg they tied 2-2 in Malta and in the second leg a goal in stoppage time (90+13′) tied 1-1 for the locals, now without the double value of the goals. The match went to the shootout, where after 28 launches Gzira won 14-13. The first 27 penalties were scored, but Boyd The last one failed. Curiously, the Northern Irish had already missed a penalty 18 minutes into the game, at the feet of Bobby Burns (which he later scored in the shootout).
Villarreal and Barça, protagonists of opposing rounds
In this sense, one of the most epic rounds is remembered by the ‘groguets’. Villarreal won its first and only title after an agonizing tiebreaker in the final of the Europa League against him Manchester United. After a one-one tie in regulation time, they launched 22 launches and the failure of By Gea gave victory to those of Unai Emery by 11-10.
On the contrary, the penalty shootout with the fewest goals scored (only two) in European football is in the memory of Barcelona fans. Barça and Steaua de Bucharest they faced each other in 1986 European Cup final. He Pizjuan He lived one of the most traumatic nights for the culés. After 0-0, Helmut Duckadam stopped all four shots Alexanko, Pedraza, Pichi Alonso and Marcos Alonso and the Romanians won 2-0, snatching away the European dream of Barcelona.
