PARAGUAY STUNS GERMANY IN THE PENALTY SHOOTOUT FOR THE BIGGEST UPSET OF THE 2026 WORLD CUP

José Canale scored on the first sudden-death penalty kick, Orlando Gill made two key saves in the shootout, and Paraguay beat Germany 4-3 on penalties to earn the biggest upset of the 2026 World Cup

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- José Canale wasn’t in the starting lineup in either of his previous two appearances for Paraguay in this World Cup.

He made his first start a memorable one.

Canale scored on the first sudden-death penalty kick, Orlando Gill made two key saves in the shootout, and Paraguay beat Germany 4-3 on penalties Monday to earn the biggest upset of the 2026 World Cup.

It was a major triumph for the landlocked South American country of 7 million people that's surrounded by soccer giants like Argentina and Brazil. And it was the latest surprising exit by Germany, a four-time champion that has struggled at the World Cup since it last lifted the trophy in 2014.

“I think we deserved one more game and to be honest, considering everything that was said, everything we went through,” Canale said. “What I want to highlight from our team is how united we are. ... Today was a game we really needed to show our true colors.”

Paraguay’s goalkeeper Orlando Gill celebrates after winning the penalty shootout of the 2026 World Cup round-of-32 match between Germany and Paraguay at Boston Stadium in Foxborough on June 29, 2026 [AFP]

Paraguayans celebrated in the streets of the capital, Asunción, screaming, jumping and hugging when the match ended. Some cried and dropped to their knees in disbelief, with the familiar beat of the team’s song “Soy Albirrojo” reverberating through the crowd.

Paraguay became the first team to defeat Germany in a penalty shootout at the World Cup. The Germans missed three of six penalty tries, the last by Jonathan Tah, who blasted his attempt high over the crossbar in the first sudden-death round, setting up Canale for the winner. Tah's miss followed a save by German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer of Fabian Balbuena's attempt that would have won it for Paraguay.

Tah also thought he had the go-ahead goal in extra time. He headed in a corner kick by Nathaniel Brown in the 102nd minute, but officials concluded after a video review that Waldemar Anton has pushed Gill to the ground before the shot and the goal was disallowed.

The Round of 32 match ended 1-1 after extra time. Paraguay took the lead when Julio Enciso scored on a header late in the first half, but Kai Havertz equalized in the 52nd minute for Germany.

“We had to analyze every player, every detail. Thanks to that I was able to only miss two penalties,” Gill said. “This is for all the people of Paraguay.”

Paraguay, which entered the match ranked 41st by FIFA, became the deepest betting long shot to win a match in this World Cup. Germany came in as the 10th-ranked team in the world.

The Paraguayans will face the winner of Tuesday’s match between France and Sweden in the Round of 16 on Saturday in Philadelphia. A win on the 250th anniversary of the United States' founding would send Paraguay back to Foxborough for the quarterfinals on July 9.

Germany had won six of seven penalty shootouts in major tournaments, including six straight since losing to Czechoslovakia in the 1976 European Championship final.

“It’s not enough for German football,” coach Julian Nagelsmann said.

In the only previous World Cup match between the teams, Germany beat Paraguay 1-0 in the round of 16 at the 2002 tournament. Nearly a quarter-century later, Paraguay got its revenge.

Paraguay had appeared in five previous knockout games but failed to score in each. It had advanced only once, winning on penalty kicks against Japan in the round of 16 at the 2010 tournament in South Africa. It fell that year to eventual champion Spain in the quarterfinals.

Monday was Germany’s first knockout game since the 2014 final in Brazil, when the Germans beat Argentina 1-0. The Germans were eliminated in the group stage at the last two tournaments.

“We had very big plans for this World Cup. It’s very difficult to disappoint again,” Havertz said. “It was difficult to create chances and keep the pace.”

Paraguay broke the early stalemate in the 42nd minute Monday with some perfect ball movement to set up Enciso.

Miguel Almiron split Germany’s Aleksandar Pavlovic and Nathaniel Brown with a left-footed pass to Matias Galarza. Galarza sent a cross to Enciso, who was unmarked by Germany’s defenders and easily headed it past Neuer.

In the second half, Havertz took a cross from Florian Wirtz, which he got just enough head on to redirect it past Gill.

Germany, whose 10 goals in the group stage was tied for the most of any team, struggled to find a way through Paraguay’s 4-5-1 setup. The Germans had 78% of the possession in the first half.

Paraguay was without defender Omar Alderete, who left with an injury in the second half of its 0-0 draw against Australia. Canale started in his place.

Paraguay opened the World Cup with a 4-1 loss to the United States, then beat Turkey 1-0 while playing the entire second half with 10 men. A scoreless draw against Australia was good enough for Paraguay to reach the knockout stage as the third-place finisher from Group D.

- KYLE HIGHTOWER AP sports writer

KAI HAVERTZ SHINES AS ARSENAL SINK CHELSEA TO REACH LEAGUE CUP FINAL

Arsenal reached the League Cup final for the first time in eight years as Kai Havertz sealed a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the semi-final second leg on Tuesday.

Arsenal beat Chelsea in the League Cup semifinal© AFP

Arsenal reached the League Cup final for the first time in eight years as Kai Havertz sealed a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the semi-final second leg on Tuesday. Mikel Arteta's side had put themselves in pole position in the first leg and Havertz came off the bench to finish the 4-2 aggregate victory in the closing moments at the Emirates Stadium. It was a cathartic triumph for the Gunners, who had lost their previous four semi-finals in the 2025 Champions League and League Cup, the 2022 League Cup and the 2021 Europa League. In their first final for six years, Arsenal will face Manchester City or Newcastle at Wembley on March 22.

City hold a 2-0 lead over Newcastle ahead of Wednesday's second leg at the Etihad Stadium.

Arsenal haven't won the League Cup since 1993, losing in their last three final appearances.

Now they have the chance to end that drought by winning the club's first trophy since the 2020 FA Cup.

That remains the sole silverware won by Arteta since he was hired in December 2019.

"We knew it was going to be a real battle out there. That resilience, that clarity to understand what kind of game we had to play, we did so well," Arteta said.

"There was a special atmosphere inside our stadium. It makes such a difference. We've been waiting a few years to get into this position and we're certainly going to enjoy it."

It is shaping up to be a memorable season for Arsenal, who are six points clear at the top of the Premier League and reached the Champions League last 16 by winning all eight of their group matches.

Despite their success, Arsenal have attracted criticism for their reliance on goals from corners and set-pieces.

Arteta launched a passionate defence of Arsenal's style of play this week, revealing he has a "massive book of people" who feel his side are the "most exciting in Europe".

Tuesday's war of attrition will hardly silence Arsenal's critics, but Arteta won't care about that after leading his team to Wembley.

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior had won six of his seven matches in all competitions since arriving from Strasbourg to replace Enzo Maresca.

But Rosenior was unable to solve his Arsenal conundrum, with the Gunners handing him the only two defeats of his brief reign.

"Arsenal know they were in a game, over both ties. We dominated the areas we wanted to in the second half, but we didn't find that quality moment," Rosenior said.

"It's painful to lose. We just need to keep making improvements, which I'm seeing from the first leg to the second."

- Knockout blow -

Without captain Martin Odegaard, sidelined by a muscle problem, and winger Bukayo Saka, who was injured in the pre-match warm-up at Leeds on Saturday, Arsenal weren't at their best but still ground out the win.

Rosenior's switch to a three-man central defence allowed Chelsea to stifle Arsenal in a scrappy first half.

The Gunners briefly shook off their shackles as Piero Hincapie's curler from just inside the area was palmed away by Robert Sanchez.

It rained so heavily in the first half that Rosenior had to take off his soaked glasses to see what was happening.

Squinting through the squall offered Rosenior an alarming view as Malo Gusto's misjudgement let in Gabriel Martinelli before the Chelsea defender scrambled back to block the shot.

It took 43 minutes for Chelsea to muster a shot on target when Enzo Fernandez's long-range blast was punched clear by Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Chelsea needed to push for a goal and Rosenior sent on Cole Palmer and Estevao Willian after an hour, ditching his back three.

Estevao immediately set up Fernandez for a curler that flashed over, but Chelsea's threat petered out.

Havertz delivered the knockout blow in the final seconds of stoppage-time, rounding Sanchez to slot into the empty net after Chelsea were caught on the counter.

- Agence-France Presse 

ARSENAL SENT CLEAR ALEXANDER ISAK TRANSFER INSTRUCTION AFTER KAI HAVERTZ INJURY

Liverpool continue to be linked with a transfer interest in Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak. (Image: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire.)

Arsenal could make a late play to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle after Kai Havertz suffered a knee injury that could see him set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

The Gunners held open training on Wednesday in front of supporters and Havertz was missing, with the Athletic reporting later that the German had picked up a knee injury in a huge blow to Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal have already brought in £63.7million man Viktor Gyokeres to help solve their striker crisis, but an injury to Havertz will leave Arteta light in the forward department once more.

The plan at the Emirates Stadium was to focus on outgoing transfers before committing to potentially one more big signing before the window closed, but the injury to Havertz has changed matters. Sporting director Andrea Berta will now look to the market to bring in a replacement.

At the start of the window it was a case of Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko - who eventually ended up at Manchester United and played against the Gunners on Sunday in the opening game of the new Premier League season.

But the dream signing was always seen to be Alexander Isak at Newcastle United.

The Swede was, however, seen as off-limits, due to the Magpies disinterest in selling and the £150million price tag on his shoulders.

However, things have dramatically changed on the Isak front in recent weeks, with Liverpool seeing a £110million bid knocked back after Isak refused to return to training with Newcastle in order to try and force through a move.

Isak released a statement on Instagram on Tuesday night saying: "I've kept quiet for a long time while others have spoken. That silence has allowed people to push their own version of events, even though they know it doesn't reflect what was really said and agreed behind closed doors.

"The reality is that promises were made and the club has known my position for a long time. To now act as if these issues are only emerging is misleading.

"When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can't continue. That's where things are for me right now – and why change is in the best interests of everyone, not just myself."

Isak is desperate to leave St James' Park and the feeling is that Liverpool will return with another bid to try and snap him up. But given Arsenal's previous interest and their need to reinforce now, could the Gunners move to hijack that potential deal? Is the money there to get another big-money transfer through the door?

If Arsenal did have the money to spend and could hijack Liverpool's move for Isak it would represent a huge coup. And the Gunners have been told exactly how to do it, too.

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie said: "If some magic happened in the window and [Newcastle] manage to find a top-level replacement from somewhere for Isak and they brought in Wissa, then my understanding is Isak would be allowed to go if Liverpool up their bid.

"I think it would need to be another £25million on top of that [£110m plus add-ons] for Newcastle to sit up and listen."

- Lee Wilmot

PLAYERS MIKEL ARTETA SIGNED FROM CHELSEA

 

ARSENAL HANDED QUADRUPLE SUSPENSION BOOST FOR PSG CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CLASH AS UEFA RULES EXPLAIN

Referee Francois Letexier shows a yellow card to David Raya of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg with Real Madrid (Image: (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images))

Arsenal will be without one player due to suspension for the Champions League semi-final first leg with Paris Saint-Germain

Arsenal may have a number of players doubtful for the Champions League semi-final clash with PSG due to injury, but they can be thankful that UEFA rules mean they do not have players walking a suspension tightrope.

The Gunners will definitely be without six players, with Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori ruled out through injury and Thomas Partey suspended for the first leg clash at the Emirates Stadium.

And there are also doubts over the fitness of the likes of Mikel Merino and Ben White, both of whom were spotted in training at London Colney yesterday, while Jorginho has been absent from the last three matchday squads too.

But while there was confusion over Thomas Partey's suspension for the clash, the Gunners may well be grateful for UEFA rules stopping as many as four other players from walking a suspension tightrope.

Partey picked up his third yellow card in the competition late on in the second leg of the quarter-final win over Real Madrid in the Santiago Bernabeu.

Under UEFA rules, Article 52.04 states : "All yellow cards expire on completion of the quarter-finals. They are not carried forward to the semi-finals."

That led to many thinking Partey would escape a ban, but because he picked up the third yellow before the conclusion of the quarter-final, it is not wiped out and he will therefore miss the first leg against PSG on Tuesday night.

That same rule, however, stops four Arsenal players from walking a tightrope to potentially miss the second leg of the semi-final and even the final, should they get there.

Declan Rice was on two yellow cards heading into the second leg against Los Blancos and managed to avoid a third, getting visibly frustrated with Partey after his needless booking for a coming together with Dani Ceballos late on.

Gabriel Martinelli and Jurrien Timber were also walking tightropes in the quarter-final second leg, but came through unscathed. Goalkeeper David Raya did pick up a second booking for the tournament against Madrid in the second leg, but that was wiped out after the final whistle.

Then only way any Arsenal player will miss the second leg or the final now would be through injury or through a red card in either of the matches with PSG.

Arsenal face PSG in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on April 29 and fans can watch it free with an Amazon Prime subscription or by signing up for a 30-day free trial.

- Lee Wilmot

MIKEL ARTETA REVEALS RETURN PLAN FOR BUKAYO SAKA AHEAD OF REAL MADRID SHOWDOWN

Saka has been sidelined since December (Picture: Getty

Bukayo Saka is stepping up his recovery from a hamstring injury with the Arsenal star aiming to be in peak condition for the Champions League showdown with Real Madrid next month.

Saka has not featured since December, undergoing surgery after tearing his hamstring.

His absence has been a key factor behind Arsenal’s fading title challenge with Kai Havertz also sidelined for the rest of the season.

The England international has been working diligently on his return and it is hoped he will be able to make his comeback following the international break when Arsenal take on Fulham at the Emirates on 1 April.

A week on from that game, Arsenal welcome Real Madrid to north London for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

The return leg follows a week later in Madrid with a home game against Brentford separating the two fixtures.

With most of the Arsenal squad set to head off on international duty after the weekend, Saka will step up the final stages of his rehabilitation before returning to full first-team training.  

Arsenal have missed their talisman (Picture: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

‘He is going to be here [at the Arsenal training ground], hopefully more with ball at his feet than he has had,’ said Arteta.

‘That will mean he is passing the ball and shooting and running and everything. He has done quite a lot already on the pitch working on his own.

‘Next we need to arrange it with people around him in a more competitive training session and see how he goes with that.

‘He’s getting closer, he’s stepping up and making a very good progress I would say. So, let’s see when we start to throw him in with the team, how he reacts and how fit he can get quickly.’

Arsenal have also been boosted by the return of Gabriel Martinelli.

The Brazilian international also suffered a hamstring injury in early February, missing four games.

The Brazil international was back among the subs last Sunday for the 1-1 draw at Manchester United and came off the bench to get 11 minutes under his belt against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday.  

- Tony Mogan

MIKEL ARTETA CONFIRMS ARSENAL LOOKING INTO SIGNING FREE AGENT AFTER SIX OPTIONS EMERGE

Mikel Arteta could enter the free agent market after losing Kai Havertz to injury (Image: Arsenal FC)

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was giving nothing away when he was asked how the club plan to deal with the absence of Kai Havertz, who will not play again this season

Mikel Arteta is refusing to rule anything out after losing Kai Havertz for the rest of the season as Arsenal weigh up entering the free agent market.

The Gunners were already light on attacking options before Havertz tore his hamstring during the club's warm-weather training camp in Dubai. The Germany star was Arsenal's sole recognised senior striker, leaving Arteta with a major problem.

With no new striker signed in the January transfer window, Arteta will now have to weigh up his options. And while that could mean playing somebody out of position, a surprise new signing is another option.

When he was asked if Arsenal would look at the free agent market, Arteta responded: “We’ll explore every possible situation and make a decision from there.”

While Arteta and Arsenal may be open to the idea of exploring the free agent market, it remains to be seen if there are any viable options that the club would consider, even in their current plight.

Former Gunner Carlos Vela, now 35, is one of a handful of unattached players who could be available to ease Arsenal's striker crisis.

Ex-Chelsea man Diego Costa has Premier League experience but didn't make much of an impact after signing a short-term deal with Wolves back in 2022 when they were experiencing a striker crisis of their own.

Havertz will not play again this season after tearing his hamstring ( Image: Getty Images)

Leandro Damiao, Lucas Perez, Mariano Diaz and Maxi Gomez are some of the other forwards currently without a club. None, though, would be considered good enough to lead the line for Arsenal in different circumstances, which underlines the dilemma Arteta and the club currently face.

After stressing that any free agent would have to be able to 'play at our level' and contribute to the team both on and off the pitch, Arteta was asked if, in hindsight, failing to sign a striker in January was a mistake.

"We always put in that situation that we were one or two injuries away from a very risky situation," he responded.

"But when you try your best and think you have done everything you are capable of and have done your homework and try that and don’t achieve it you can have regrets but at least you know you have done it."

- Dan Marsh

ARSENAL CONFIRM KAI HAVERTZ'S DEVASTATING HAMSTRING INJURY AND REVEAL HOW LONG HE IS EXPECTED TO BE OUT

•  Arsenal have confirmed that Kai Havertz will need surgery on his hamstring  

• The German international suffered a hamstring injury during their trip to Dubai 

• LISTEN NOW: It's All Kicking Off! Will Liverpool recover from Everton blow in season-defining week? 

Arsenal have confirmed that Kai Havertz suffered a hamstring injury while training in Dubai - and the prognosis for his time on the sidelines is a major blow.  

Mail Sport exclusively revealed on Tuesday night that the Arsenal star had suffered the worrying hamstring injury scare while on club’s training tripin the United Arab Emirates. 

Well-placed sources indicated that the injury will result in Havertz spending a lengthy period on the sidelines.

Now the club have confirmed that Havertz will have surgery in the coming days befoe undergoing a recovery and rehabilitation programme which will extend into pre-season.

'Everyone at the club is fully focused on supporting Kai to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible,' the club said in a statement on its website.  

The news arrives as a crushing blow to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who is already without several attacking players with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli all missing through injury.

Havertz is the club’s top scorer this season with 15 goals and his absence will hit their ambitions of overhauling Liverpool at the top of the table this season.

Arsenal were criticised for not adding an attacker to their ranks during the January window and the injury to Havertz will only serve to intensify the backlash.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have explored the option of Takehiro Tomiyasu undergoing surgery to cure his long-standing knee problem.

The Japan defender has played just six minutes of football this season, coming on as a late substitute in the Carabao Cup win over Southampton in October following a three month recovery from a knee injury that saw him miss the start of the season.

But he has not featured since that win over the Saints after suffering an injury setback.

Indeed, Mail Sport understands there is emerging concern for Tomiyasu’s long-term fitness with club medics believed to have given serious consideration to the option of an operation for their versatile defender.

It is unclear whether a final decision on surgery has been made - but it has been an option discussed at the club’s London Colney HQ.

A new operation would require a lengthy rehabilitation programme and likely rule Tomiyasu out for a significant period of time.

In 2023, Tomiyasu underwent his first knee operation which kept the 26-year-old out of action for three months.

With that in mind, a second procedure on the joint would arrive as a blow to Tomiyasu, whose time at Arsenal has been beset by injury issues.

Speaking last month head coach Mikel Arteta provided a positive update on Tomiyasu’s fitness saying: ‘Tomi has done some stuff on the pitch, but now because it’s been a long-term injury, we need to see how quickly he can progress and how he reacts.’

But there is now some pessimism regarding Tomiyasu’s fitness amplified by the discussions over a potential operation.

The imminent return to fitness of Ben White will help to soften the blow of Tomiyasu’s ongoing unavailability.

White, who himself underwent knee surgery in November, is set to return and could be named in the squad to face Leicester this weekend.

- LUKE POWER and SAMI MOKBEL

BOY ARRESTED OVER SOCIAL MEDIA ABUSE SENT TO ARSENAL STAR KAI HAVERTZ AND PREGNANT WIFE AFTER MANCHESTER UNITED DEFEAT

Police have arrested a teenage boy in connection with social media abuse sent to Arsenal forward Kai Havertz and his pregnant wife earlier this month, following the club’s exit to Manchester United in the FA Cup.

The forward, 25, missed a chance to win the game in normal time and then had his penalty saved by United's Altay Bayindir in the shootout on January 12.

His partner, Sophia – who is expecting her first child with the Germany international – reposted two abusive messages she had received on social media platform Instagram.

Arsenal then tasked data technology company Signify with determining the identity of the abusers and a police investigation was launched, the Mirror reports.

A Hertfordshire Constabulary spokesperson said: "A 17-year-old boy from St Albans has been arrested on suspicion of malicious communications. He has been bailed while enquiries continue."

Sophia described one message as 'shocking' and urged her half-a-million followers to be 'more respectful'.

"For anyone to think it's okay to write something like this is so shocking to me. I hope you are so ashamed of yourself," Sophia wrote online as she shared the messages..

Speaking prior to his side's Premier League clash against Tottenham at the Emirates last week, manager Mikel Arteta warned of 'terrible consequences' if action was not taken.

- James Holt

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN NO MATCH FOR 'SUPERIOR' ARSENAL - LUIS ENRIQUE

PSG

 Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique said he has no idea how long it will take to turn his side back into a European force after a humbling 2-0 Champions League loss at Arsenal on Tuesday.

The French champions, who lost their talisman Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid in the summer and look like a side in transition, suffered their first defeat of the season.

Goals by Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka put Arsenal in command before half-time and although PSG hit the woodwork twice they were comfortably contained by the Premier League side.

Luis Enrique, who left out forward Ousmane Dembélé for disciplinary reasons, accepted his share of responsibility for the defeat, but appeared to question his side's fighting spirit.

"Today we were far away from the standards you need in this kind of match. Arsenal were much better in terms of pressure, intensity, they won every duel," Luis Enrique told reporters.

"It's impossible to play for a positive result when you don't win any of your duels on the pitch, their defenders anticipated our attackers and our defenders didn't anticipate their attackers. Arsenal were superior."

The Spaniard led PSG to the semifinals of the Champions League last season as they beat his old club Barcelona in the quarterfinals with Mbappé scoring twice and Dembélé also on target to turn the tie around in the second leg.

They are top of Ligue 1 and beat Girona in their opening Champions League group game, but Luis Enrique said Arsenal were a big step up in quality for his side.

"I can't properly evaluate the level of our team, we will have to wait until the end of the season," he said.

"This was our first big rival at a higher level. We knew from the first minute they would press us high and they did it aggressively and we couldn't cope with that pressure.

"[Arsenal manager] Mikel [Arteta] has been here for five years, I've been at Paris for one year and two months. I don't know where we are. I have a clear idea where I want us to be, but I don't know how much time I will need."

- Reuters 

ARSENAL THRASH BAYER LEVERKUSEN AS XHAKA MAKES EMIRATES RETURN

Gabriel Jesus was among the scorers in Arsenal's preseason win over Bayer Leverkusen.

Marc Atkins/Getty Images

Arsenal cruised to a 4-1 win over Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday as they ramped up their preparations for the new season.

Oleksandr Zinchenko, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus all found the net in the first half for Mikel Arteta's side. Kai Havertz then added a fourth after half-time in a preseason friendly that saw former Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka make his return to the club.

Xhaka, who spent seven seasons at Arsenal before departing for Leverkusen last summer, was greeted with a "welcome back" message on the big screen ahead of kickoff. 

Arsenal went in front after less than eight minutes. At the end of a fine team move, Havertz cut the ball back to the edge of the area where Zinchenko dispatched a first-time left-footed shot into the bottom corner of the net.

There was more to admire about Arsenal's play that led to the hosts doubling their lead just a minute later. After Arsenal won the ball back deep in Leverkusen's half, Martin Ødegaard, Jesus and Havertz were all involved in a series of quick passes before Trossard coolly took a touch beyond a defender and finished low from the centre of the box.

Jesus, starting as the No. 9, made it 3-0 seven minutes before half-time, dribbling past a defender and then squeezing a shot past the dive of Leverkusen goalkeeper Matej Kovar from 20 yards out.

Jesus was withdrawn at half-time but earned praise from his manager.

"I said from day one, the first feeling when I saw him after talking to him at the end of the season is that he was something different," Arteta said of Jesus in his post-match news conference. "I could sense it. His energy was different, the way he looks is different, the way he's moving is different. He really wants it.

"Now it's about finding that consistency and doing it in any context, against any opponent, against any formation, any day, every three days, for 90 minutes, for 30 minutes, for 70 minutes. If you are produce in those circumstances? It looks good."

Arteta made four changes at half-time with England internationals Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice among those to enter the action. It didn't take long for Saka to make his mark, delivering a low cross that was cleared right into the path of Havertz to finish from close range in the 65th minute.

Leverkusen substitute Adam Hlozek pulled a goal back in the 76th minute but it was little more than a consolation.

"We can take a lot of positives from the game as well as the result," Arteta said. "The way we performed, there were lots of positive aspects, collectively and individually. 

"A lot of things to learn from it as well. I think we can improve, especially in the second half when we made seven changes. But again, a really good test, a really good team who are really well coached and it was a good performance."

While there was no involvement for Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori following his transfer from Bologna last week, Arteta said he hopes to hand him some minutes when  Arsenal complete their preparations for the new season with another home friendly, against Lyon on Sunday.

Their Premier League campaign kick off at home to Wolves on Aug. 17.

Leverkusen, who completed an unbeaten domestic season in 2023-24, will compete for their first silverware of the new campaign in 10 days' time against VfB Stuttgart in the DFL-Supercup.

Game Information

Emirates Stadium

8:00 PM, August 7, 2024

London, England

Over/Under: 3.5

Attendance: 50,000

Referees: Samuel Barrott

- ESPN 

KAI HAVERTZ' FIANCÉE | SOPHIA WEBER 💕

 

EURO 2024 UPDATES: MBAPPÉ STRUGGLES AGAIN AS FRANCE GET LUCKY

 

Kylian Mbappe cuts a frustrated figure after he again failed to find for against Belgium. Marius Becker/picture alliance via Getty Images

The lead: France vs. Belgium

DÜSSELDORF, Germany -- Thanks to Euro 2024's top scorer -- an own goal by Jan Vertonghen being the ninth time at this tournament a player has put the ball into their net -- Kylian Mbappé will get another chance to make his mark in Germany. Vertonghen deflected substitute Randal Kolo Muani's late effort into his own net as pre-tournament favourites France beat Belgium to advance to the quarterfinals, but the masked Mbappé once again struggled to make an impact.

France fans did everything they could to help him feel comfortable, some sporting masks in solidarity with their star player after he broke his nose in their opening game against Austria, but the Real Madrid forward is struggling to find his best football. He managed five shots against Belgium and now has a tournament-high 15 in total -- joint with Germany's Kai Havertz, who has played one game more -- but has just one goal to show for his efforts: a penalty against Poland.

Having had the chance to play in a behind-closed-doors friendly and against Poland while wearing the mask, the expectation was he would take centre stage against Belgium. However, he looked out of sorts on the left, with coach Didier Deschamps opting to keep Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann pinned to the flanks. The roars of expectation that greeted his early touches slowly petered out, although that was in part due to the fact this quickly turned into a drab affair. Belgium were happy to sit back and wait for their chance. France were unable to create much in the final third other than long-range strikes from Aurélien Tchouaméni, the majority of which landed in the Rhein river.

If anything, it looked like the remaining vanguard of Belgium's Golden Generation might nick it in front of the red wall of Belgian support behind Mike Maignan's goal. Maignan, though, saved brilliantly, first from Romelu Lukaku and then Kevin De Bruyne to keep the game on a knife's edge. Two minutes after De Bruyne's 83rd-minute shot, which was well struck, the winner arrived. Kolo Muani's shot was off target, but it deflected off 37-year-old Vertonghen and found the back of the net. De Bruyne sunk to the floor, aware of how the tie had just been decided by the finest of margins.

At full-time, though, it was still Mbappé the cameras honed in on. A young fan raced onto the pitch, security hunting him down. But Mbappé told them to let him stay for a few seconds and grab his selfie. Then he headed off to celebrate in front of the France fans, finally able to free himself of a mask which he says has been difficult to get used to. He will hope his act of kindness with the selfie-hunter will earn him some good karma in the quarterfinal against Portugal, when he will get another chance to make this tournament his. -- Sam Marsden

Ronaldo, who was in tears after Jan Oblak saved his spot-kick, scored in the shootout and immediately held up his hands to apologise to the Portugal fans for his earlier error. In the end it didn't matter because Costa first denied Benjamin Sesko when the RB Leipzig striker was sent clean through by a Pepe mistake and then saved all three Slovenia penalties in the shootout. Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva scored to set up a quarterfinal tie against France in Hamburg on Friday.

Head coach Roberto Martinez wore a beaming smile as Silva scored the decisive kick, but he will know he's got problems to solve before facing France. The issue of whether Ronaldo should be starting or not aside, his team boast some of the best attacking players in the world but they struggled to break down a stubborn Slovenia side.

Oblak made a fantastic save to stop Ronaldo's penalty, but had very little else to do except watch his defenders crowd the box and head clear the flurry of crosses aimed at the Al Nassr striker.

At times, Ronaldo looked overtaken by desperation as he tried everything to score his first goal of the tournament. He will get another chance against France, but unless Martinez solves some of the issues around how his team attack, Portugal's journey will end there. -- Rob Dawson

The beers are on me

Each of the venues at Euro 2024 is serviced by hundreds of volunteers, and one in particular has become well known for a very special talent.

Fans who have attended games in Germany have been helped around the stadiums by people wearing green jackets, with one working at Cologne's RheinEnergieStadion becoming famous for his ability to carry jugs of beer on his head.

He's been spotted at each of the group games Cologne has hosted, and he was in action again ahead of Spain's round-of-16 4-1 victory against Georgia on Sunday night.

Walking around the stadium with six jugs of beer perched on his head, he was routinely stopped by supporters and other stadium workers to pose for pictures. He obliged everyone before carrying on his journey and, most importantly, not a single drop of beer was spilled.

A Euro 2024 volunteer expertly balances beer on his head. Rob Dawson

Bellingham hits the right notes

England star Jude Bellingham is impacting on the music scene as well as the scoring charts at Euro 2024, with a surge in downloads of the Beatles classic "Hey Jude."

According to data released by Spotify, streams of Hey Jude increased by 35% in the hours after Bellingham's stoppage-time equaliser against Slovakia on Sunday. Bellingham's goal saved England from defeat and elimination before Harry Kane scored to seal a 2-1 win after extra time.

England's win also saw other songs enjoy a spike in popularity, with streams of "Southgate, You're the One" up by 137%.

Streams of Baddiel, Skinner and Lightning Seeds' "Three Lions (Football's Coming Home)" jumped by 146%, and Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" went up by 48%.

Rice hits back at Slovakia

England midfielder Declan Rice carried the fight to Slovakia long after the final whistle of Sunday's win.

As players, staff and match officials exchanged words and handshakes at the final whistle, Slovakia coach Francesco Calzona pushed Rice in the chest as he tried to talk to Turkish referee Umut Meler.

Rice allegedly offered some choice language in return. Lipreading expert Jeremy Freeman has claimed Rice made a derogatory comment about Calzona's baldness, and the pair had to be separated.

Calzona gave his version of events shortly afterward. "Rice was supposed to go to the referees and say goodbye and leave," he began. "I had to speak to the referees and he was carrying on and continuing to speak then he apologised and it all ended there."

Although it didn't. Rice was still clearly irked by prematch suggestions from the Slovakia camp that their greater team unity could outmatch England's individual quality.

"There's that inner fight and spirit in us that a few Slovakian players before the game said that we didn't have," Rice said. "We've got that togetherness, we proved that out there tonight. We'll die for each other out there. We'll do anything to protect this manager, protect each other."

The standard of England's general play has been well short of expectations, despite reaching the quarterfinals, but Rice is making sure their hunger still comes to the fore.

Rock, paper, scissors ... water

As Spain's squad celebrated their win over Georgia in front of their supporters in Cologne, Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal remained in the middle of the pitch playing rock, paper, scissors.

For some reason, there was only one water bottle available and this was their way of settling who got to drink first. First round? Rock and rock, draw. Second round? Paper and paper, draw. Third round? Scissors and paper, the spoils -- and the water -- to Williams.

Williams and Yamal have been two of the stars of Spain's run to a quarterfinal with hosts Germany on and off the pitch. They tore Georgia apart -- Williams scored one goal and assisted another, while Yamal had one assist -- and then treated fans to some of their latest dance moves, which have been TikTok-perfected during the tournament. There is a real bromance developing. It was an extra special night for Williams, too, who had his brother, Athletic Club teammate Iñaki, in the stands cheering him on. -- Sam Marsden

Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams have danced their way through the tournament. Image Photo Agency/Getty Images

Musiala enters Germany record books

Jamal Musiala has already carved his name into Euro 2024 as one of the stars of the tournament, and the Germany forward has now created his own piece of history for the national team, too.

Musiala, 21, is a leading contender for the tournament's Golden Boot award having scored three times for Julian Nagelsmann's team and his goal in Saturday's 2-0 round-of-16 win against Denmark has been recorded as the 1,000th goal scored by Germany in a competitive match.

There are some iconic names on the list of previous German goal scorers including Gerd Muller, Jurgen Klinsmann, Lothar Matthaus and Miroslav Klose, but Musiala now holds the distinction of taking Die Mannschaft to the landmark.

For the record, Germany have conceded 394 goals in competitive football, so they go into Friday's quarterfinal against Spain in Stuttgart with a goal difference of +606.

In matches at a European Championship, Germany have 88 goals and 57 goals conceded (goal difference: +31). -- Mark Ogden

Jamal Musiala celebrates after scoring Germany's 1,000th goal. Ralf Ibing - firo sportphoto/Getty Images

Yakin the fashion icon

Switzerland and their head coach, Murat Yakin, have been a big hit in this tournament after some impressive performances -- including Saturday's 2-0 win over Italy in the round of 16. What has also been a big hit are the glasses worn by Yakin. He has become a bit of a fashion icon on social media and his look is being heavily commented on, especially by women.

Yakin has worn two different pairs of glasses in these Euros. One is a set of retro glasses with a distinctive black frame from the Zurich optician label Götti. The model is called Reyes and costs around €515 euros.

The other set is semi-transparent and from the Swiss designer brand Nirvan Javan. They were made by the opticians at Bellevue Optics in Zurich. The model is called Tokyo 04:01 (JST) and costs €545, according to the website.

Both models have become really popular since Yakin has been seen wearing them. He has also been displaying a Carl F Bucherer watch during the tournament and is an ambassador for the watchmaker from Lucerne. The Patravi TravelTec II model on his wrist is worth ... €11,000. -- Julien Laurens.

Murat Yakin sports his Götti glasses in the win over Italy. Marco Steinbrenner/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

Stat of the day

Jan Vertonghen's own goal was the ninth scored at Euro 2024, the second-most in a single tournament (after 11 at Euro 2020) -- ESPN Stats & Info

Match previews for Tuesday

Romania vs. Netherlands (Munich; 6 p.m. local / midday ET)

Odds (via ESPN BET): Romania +600, Draw +350, Netherlands -230

Having topped Group E to set up a round-of-16 tie against Netherlands in Munich, Romania now believe they can reach at the least the semifinals of Euro 2024 after being handed a favourable path to the final four.

"We have unity, we have courage and we have determination," goalkeeper Florin Nita said. "We achieved our target before the start of this championship, which was to reach the knockout stages, but after this nice period, the others and I all wish from the bottom of our hearts to go as far as possible in this competition. Why not? Beat Netherlands and, afterwards, Turkey or Austria."

The Dutch go into the game with pressure increasing on the team and coach Ronald Koeman to deliver a performance to match the quality of a squad that only got out of their group as a best third-place team.

And forward Memphis Depay, who scored his first goal of Euro 2024 in the group stage defeat against Austria, says the "friction" around the Dutch can work in their favour.

"The atmosphere is good," Depay said. "But a journey is never perfect. A bit of friction is normal. We are together for a month, focused on getting results. If the results aren't what you want, it's logical that you're irritated. Like I said before, if there's no friction then there's no polish." -- Ogden

Austria vs. Turkey (Leipzig; 9 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET)

Odds: Austria -105, Draw +230, Turkey +300

After topping a group that included France and Netherlands, Austria have rapidly been promoted to dark horses in many observers' eyes. Coach Ralf Rangnick, never one to display false modesty, accepts that his crew have turned heads with their intense, high-risk, high-reward style.

Against Turkey, they'll be without the suspended Patrick Wimmer, but it's less of a blow since Rangnick loves to rotate in certain positions. Indeed, two of his more experienced players - both of whom started the first two matches but were rested against the Dutch - Konrad Laimer and Christoph Baumgartner -- are likely to start and be rested for this game.

Indeed, midfielders Marcel Sabitzer, Nicolas Seiwald and Florian Grillitsch and right-back Stefan Posch are the only outfield players who have started all three matches, which speaks to Rangnick's vision of interchangeability and freshness.

Turkey boss Vincenzo Montella will need to cope without the suspended Samet Akaydin and, especially, Hakan Çalhanoglu, his captain. At the back, goalkeeper Mert Günok is still not fully fit but is likely to start ahead of Altay Bayindir, who struggled in Turkey's second group stage match.

On the positive front, Abdülkerim Bardakci is back from suspension and teenage sensations Arda Güler and Kenan Yildiz have looked impressive. -- Gabriele Marcotti

Betting tip (odds via ESPN BET)

Austria impressed a lot in the group stage, and I expect that fine form to continue. They have been labelled the surprise package of the tournament, which is testament to their performances leading up to this tie with Turkey. Austria advance in 90 minutes. -105 -- Dan Thomas

One big read

Fans of Turkey have flooded the streets on their way to the stadiums. Emin Sansar/Anadolu via Getty Images

It was well past 1 a.m. local time in Hamburg on Wednesday night, but there were still cars racing around the city centre, horns beeping, flags fluttering from their windows.

A few hours earlier, Turkey had sealed their passage into the knockout rounds of Euro 2024 with a 2-1 win over Czechia, and the scene around the Hamburg fan park -- in the shadow of the giant World War II anti-aircraft bunker at Feldstrasse -- could have been Istanbul or Ankara rather than Germany.

The scene was re-created in Dortmund ahead of Turkey's first two group games against Georgia and Portugal, and it will be the same in Leipzig when they meet Austria.

Turkey bid to host Euro 2024 only to be beaten in the vote by Germany, but ferocious support all over the country has made this feel like a home tournament.

- Dawson: Can droves of Turkey fans push their team at Euro 2024?

And finally ...

It looked like any football fan in attendance at Glastonbury would have to miss out on watching England's game against Slovakia after festival organisers decided against screening any European Championship fixtures at this year's event.

However, a saviour emerged in the somewhat unlikely form of a famous pop star who just so happened to purchase a flat-screen TV and then rigged it up in the public area in order to stream the game live.

Louis Tomlinson of One Direction reportedly purchased the TV (and a generator with which to power it) from a store on the morning of the England game and initially attempted to set it up in the VIP section of the site. However, his efforts were thwarted by a weak Wi-Fi signal.

He then relocated his television to the campsite, found a stream for the match and sat and watched with his friends and hundreds of fellow supporters as the drama (slowly) unfolded.

Tomlinson is a known football fanatic and has even previously made an appearance for the reserve side of his beloved Doncaster Rovers in 2013.

- ESPN

EURO 2024 UPDATES: SWITZERLAND HAUNT WOEFUL ITALY AGAIN

Switzerland were in complete control throughout and deserve their place in the quarterfinals. Robert Michael/picture alliance via Getty Images

 BERLIN -- Once again, the neighbours to the north haunt Italian nights. Italy's two draws against Switzerland -- two games in which they dominated but missed penalties -- cost them an automatic place at the 2022 World Cup. And now, this: the reigning European champions fell 2-0 in the round of 16 at Euro 2024.

The difference? This time Italy were roundly and comprehensively beaten by a Swiss side that might be less technically gifted (if so, not by much) but are more athletic, more intelligent and -- dare we say it -- better coached.

That's a credit to Swiss boss Murat Yakin, though it wasn't that long ago -- October 2023, following a 3-3 draw against Belarus that saw his side needing goals in the final two minutes to avoid an embarrassing home defeat -- that some were calling for his sacking. On that occasion, Yakin didn't help himself after the match. He was asked about how his backline looked unprepared and said: "We don't need to prepare against such teams [as Belarus]."

Switzerland certainly looked prepared against Italy ... or maybe it was just because the Azzurri were THAT bad.

They punished Luciano Spalletti's decision to drop Jorginho for Nicolo Fagioli in the playmaking role by shutting down his passing lanes; they blunted Italy's press by having Ricardo Rodríguez join Remo Freuler and Granit Xhaka in the build-up; and the constant, pacy threat of Dan Ndoye and Ruben Vargas pinned the opposition full-backs deeper than they should have been.

You can, of course, chalk up both goals to defensive errors. Freuler wasn't tracked quickly enough when he cut into the box to score the opener. And the entire backline suffered a defensive brain fart inside 27 seconds of the second half when giving Vargas all the time in the world to bend it around goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma for the second. But that would be exonerating the rest of the Italy side from responsibility for the way they were second best in every other area of the pitch.

The signature moment of the game? Not the goals, but one moment, late in the first half, with Switzerland a goal up and Italy pushing for an equalizer, when Xhaka went on a rampaging forward run, pressing one opponent, then another, until he got all the way to Donnarumma. The ball went out of play and Xhaka pumped his arms as the red half of the stadium roared.

When your 31-year-old captain, playing in his 64th game of the season for club and country, does something like that -- with hunger, energy and intelligence -- it sets the tone. And it underscored just what Switzerland had in droves and Italy lacked entirely. -- Gab Marcotti

Sights and sounds around Euro 2024

VAR takes Andersen from hero to zero

DORTMUND, Germany -- Poor Joachim Andersen. The Denmark defender went from hero to zero in the 2-0 round-of-16 defeat against Germany on Saturday in the space of two minutes and all because of VAR.

Germany ultimately coasted into the quarterfinals thanks to a Kai Havertz penalty and stunning Jamal Musiala goal, but it could all have been so different had Andersen not been the victim of an incredible, heartbreaking twist of fate in the Westfalenstadion.

The Crystal Palace defender thought he had scored his first international goal when he capitalised on a goalmouth scramble to put the ball past Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in the 48th minute. Andersen celebrated as you would expect -- he had just put his country into the lead against the Euro 2024 host nation and Denmark were ready to fight tooth and nail to hold onto their advantage -- but those celebrations were cut short by referee Michael Oliver signalling that the VAR officials (Premier League referees Stuart Attwell and David Coote) were reviewing the goal due to a possible offside.

After an agonising wait, Andersen's goal was ruled out. The semiautomated VAR footage showed Thomas Delaney to be perhaps a millimetre offside in the build-up. It was so close, and although the decision was correct, it was the kind of offside that would never have been given before VAR because the margin was so tight that it could not be spotted by the naked eye and the advantage so minimal that it wouldn't have warranted being disallowed.

Joachim Andersen had a goal ruled out and conceded a penalty, both in controversial VAR decisions, in the span of two minutes. Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

Yet those are the rules, and Andersen had his dream moment erased from the record books. It got worse for the 28-year-old less than two minutes later.

A cross into the penalty area by Germany defender David Raum brushed the fingernails of Andersen as he turned away. The ball did not deviate and nobody inside the ground shouted for a penalty.

Once again, though, VAR intervened. "Snicko," the new tool at the VAR's disposal that can record the slightest of touches, flagged up a possible infringement, forcing referee Oliver to watch it back.

If Oliver had been bold enough, he would have shaken his head and ruled out a penalty. Andersen's arm was not in an unnatural position, but he was penalised nonetheless and the spot kick was awarded.

Havertz scored the penalty to put Germany ahead and they never looked back, but you can bet that Andersen will spend the rest of his career looking back and cursing VAR. -- Mark Ogden

Austria birthday cake

Austria coach Ralf Rangnick was given a "pie and a beautiful song" by his squad to celebrate his 66th birthday on Saturday.

The former Manchester United interim manager has restored his reputation as one of the game's foremost tactical thinkers by guiding Austria into the Euro 2024 knockout stages, topping a group that included France and Netherlands.

And Rangnick has also been credited with forging a tight bond within his squad, turning the Austrians into a formidable outfit at the tournament. The German's popularity among his players was shown by winger Andreas Weimann promising to mark his birthday with a song.

As for the pie, Austria is famous for its pastries and cakes, so deciding whether to go for a strudel or a Sachertorte may have led to the first major disagreement among the players since arriving in Germany. -- Mark Ogden

More than 40,000 march to Germany-Denmark

More than 40,000 Germany supporters performed a 3 kilometre fan march to Borussia Dortmund's Westfalenstadion ahead of Saturday's round-of-16 clash against Denmark.

The march, led by the Germany Fan Club Bus, began in the city centre at 2 p.m. local time before arriving at the stadium three hours later, having swollen to its eventual size of around 40,000 supporters.

Fan marching to games is a tradition in German football, known as the FanMarsch, and although the march in Dortmund was a pre-planned event, supporters were encouraged to join in spontaneously with organisers handing out flags and drinks along the route. -- Mark Ogden

Germany's mosquito problem

On top of everything that his Germany team is going through as host of Euro 2024, coach Julian Nagelsmann could have really done without bug bites. But Germany's training base in Herzogenaurach, near Nuremberg in the south of the country, has become infested by mosquitoes to the point that the players don't want to leave their bedrooms.

The mosquitos arrived suddenly a few days ago -- the camp is situated by a forest with a pond, while the humid weather hasn't helped either -- and don't want to leave.

Some players have been bitten quite badly by the swimming pool where a big screen has been installed for them to watch the matches. The hotel has sprayed a cocoa-based repellent to try and help, but it has created a disgusting smell and doesn't seem to have worked either.

"We are facing an unusual epidemic," said Nagelsmann in his news conference Friday, ahead of the match against Denmark. "We need more wind so the mosquitoes go, otherwise we can't stay outdoors." -- Julien Laurens

Stat of the day

Remo Freuler's opening goal for Switzerland came after a 31-pass sequence, the longest that ended in a goal at the European Championship since 1980.

Meanwhile, Ruben Vargas' second goal (45:27) for Switzerland is the second-fastest goal scored to start the second half of a European Championship match after Romania's Marcel Coras vs. Germany (45:21) in 1984 -- ESPN Stats & Information

Match previews for Sunday

England vs. Slovakia (Gelsenkirchen; 6 p.m. local / midday ET)

Odds (via ESPN BET): England -230, Draw +333, Slovakia +700

England will want to take advantage of the so-called easier side of the bracket -- France, Germany, Portugal and Spain all watch on from the other half -- and their task begins in Gelsenkirchen against Slovakia. Gareth Southgate's side will have positive recent memories of the Arena AufSchalke given that is where England won their only game so far at this tournament: a 1-0 victory over Serbia on matchday one. They might have ended up topping Group C, but England's underwhelming level of performance in all three matches has attracted criticism for failing to match both pre-tournament expectations and the sheer quality of their individual attacking players. In that context, a game against the second-lowest-ranked team left in the competition only applies further pressure on this talented group to deliver.

Southgate knows that with his contract up at the end of the year, each knockout game could be his last in the job, and talks are set to take place over his future later this summer. The decision up until now has almost entirely been his alone to make, but fail to beat Slovakia and the judgements will be harsher than anything the 53-year-old has experienced so far. Kobbie Mainoo could come into the midfield, while Anthony Gordon and Cole Palmer are pushing for inclusion after lively cameos.

Slovenia have never reached a major tournament quarterfinal since the country became independent in 1993. -- James Olley

Spain vs. Georgia (Cologne; 9 p.m. local / 3 p.m. ET)

Odds: Spain -500, Draw +550, Georgia +1000

Based on FIFA's rankings, there is no bigger mismatch in the round of 16 than Spain vs. Georgia. The eighth-best team in the world takes on the 74th, and everything points toward a Spain win.

Luis de la Fuente's side breezed through its group, beating Italy, Croatia and Albania without conceding a goal. Spain also know Georgia well, having beaten them 7-1 in qualifying for Euro 2024 in September. With Rodri dictating things in midfield and Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams adding a new dimension on the wings, Spain have emerged as one of the favourites to lift the trophy.

But, as Georgia coach Willy Sagnol says, "This is another game and so many things can happen." Georgia's energetic style had earned them the neutrals' support even before they beat Portugal to make it into the knockout stages in their first appearance at a major tournament. And there is talent in the squad, too. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is the danger man, Georges Mikautadze is the tournament's top scorer with three goals, and young goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili has excelled.

"We have nothing to lose -- for me, we have already won Euro 2024," Sagnol said. -- Sam Marsden.

Betting tip (odds via ESPN BET)

There are some great stories about this Spain side and one of the best is 16-year-old winger Lamine Yamal doing his homework in between matches. Yamal lit up LaLiga for Barcelona last season and doesn't look the least bit intimidated on an even bigger stage. Yamal to score any time vs. Georgia comes in at +180. -- Dan Thomas

One big read

Fans have embraced the look of Spain left-back Marc Cucurella. Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images

Whether at Spain's Euro 2024 training camp in Der Öschberghof in the Black Forest or on a tram to one of their games in Germany, one player has emerged as the central figure: Marc Cucurella.

For the 1-0 group-stage win against Italy in Gelsenkirchen, Spain supporter Juanma Romero and four friends all sported wigs in admiration of the Chelsea left-back's trademark long hair. "The Cucurella Boys," Romero wrote on X with an image of them posing inside the Arena AufSchalke.

By the time Spain played their third and final group game against Albania, the wigs had multiplied. They were no longer just in black, either, but also in Spain red and yellow. A group of Germany fans had even adopted Cucurella's hair for the game and, at any given opportunity, led Spanish supporters in chants of "Cucu-rella" on the tram on the way to the Arena Düsseldorf.

The wigs and chants have come accompanied with memes and songs. One meme is simple: legendary Brazil left-back Roberto Carlos with Cucurella's hair superimposed on his head. "We're alike in everything except the hair," Cucurella joked this week in an interview with Spanish media.

And finally ...

Benjamin Sesko is 6-foot-5 but still pretty quick. Getty

UEFA has compiled its statistics for Euro 2024's group stage and found that Slovenia striker Benjamin Sesko is the fastest player at the tournament so far.

Sesko, 21, is yet to score at Euro 2024 but managed to reach a sprint speed of 35.9 km/hr to top the list, ahead of Valentin Mihaila of Romania (35.8 km/hr) and Switzerland's Dan Ndoye (35.7 km/hr). The striker was linked with a summer move to both Arsenal and Manchester United before deciding to extend his stay at RB Leipzig and signing a new long-term contract.

Other notable names on the list of Euro speedsters are Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund (fourth), Milan winger Rafael Leão (fifth) and Real Madrid summer signing Kylian Mbappé (ninth), while Nuno Mendes (Portugal), Jeremie Frimpong (Netherlands) and Kieran Tierney (Scotland) also feature inside the top 10. -- Rob Dawson

- ESPN

GERMANY RIDE LUCK VS. DENMARK BUT EVENTUALLY IT WILL RUN OUT

Kai Havertz scored from the penalty spot en route to Germany's 2-0 win over Denmark on Saturday in Dortmund. Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images

 DORTMUND, Germany -- Julian Nagelsmann is riding his luck as Germany head coach. It's taken him to the quarterfinals of Euro 2024, but sooner or later, he will need more than good fortune to take the host nation much further in the competition.

It needed a ferocious thunderstorm -- play was suspended for 22 minutes in the first half because of lightning and incessant rain in Dortmund -- and two VAR decisions in Germany's favour to knock Denmark out of their stride in a round-of-16 tie that Nagelsmann's team ultimately won 2-0 thanks to a Kai Havertz penalty and a Jamal Musiala solo goal. Had the Danes enjoyed some of Nagelsmann's luck and had one, or even both, of the VAR decisions gone their way, Germany could have been sent packing from their own party and the recriminations would already be underway.

"We were favourites, that makes it difficult, and we had so many adversities to overcome," Nagelsmann said after the match. "They did that and it makes me proud. The players are getting rid of their old memory stick and remembering how good they are.

"We told the team that there were still phases where we were not working at 100%. We must remain more patient and wait for our good moments."

Nagelsmann, the former RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich manager, is under contract as Germany coach until the end of the 2026 World Cup. He might just settle on his best team by then.

For this game, he made the shock decision to drop Florian Wirtz from the team in favour of Leroy Sané and also resisted calls to hand Niclas Füllkrug, Germany's goal-scoring super-sub, a first start in the tournament.

"Against Switzerland, we didn't sprint and offer enough depth," Nagelsmann told German broadcasters before the game when asked about Wirtz's demotion to the bench. "Leroy is a player who embodies both. [Wirtz] also always has good runs, but he wants to have the ball at his feet more and then create things with two touches.

"Leroy offers a lot of depth because of his speed. He can bring what we were missing a little against Switzerland. We are deciding between two world-class players, so the decision can only be a good one."

Füllkrug, meanwhile, was always unlikely to start because Nagelsmann typically opts for Havertz. This was another game in which the Arsenal forward missed a hatful of chances either side of scoring from the penalty spot.

Sané? He offered the pace that Nagelsmann wanted but tended to run down blind alleys and failed to take advantage of his natural attributes. "It was his first game for a long time, but he got better in the second half," Nagelsmann said.

The end result, in which Havertz scored, will allow Nagelsmann to justify his selection, but the coach is now facing some big decisions going into Friday's quarterfinal against either Spain or Georgia in Stuttgart.

Barring the biggest upset at a Euros since Iceland eliminated England at Euro 2016, Spain are likely to overcome Georgia to face the Germans, and that would be a stern test of Nagelsmann and his squad. Germany can win that game, they can win the whole tournament, but Nagelsmann needs to find a way to kick-start his team, and it is difficult to imagine him doing that without Wirtz in the lineup.

Denmark were able to enjoy periods of midfield dominance, and Christian Eriksen was given the time and space to pick holes in Germany's defence. If he had better players around him, the Manchester United midfielder could have inflicted real damage for his team.

Spain possess the options that Denmark do not, so they will take advantage if they end up facing Germany, but the Danes could also have won this game but for the interruption of the storm and the interference of VAR.

Joachim Andersen thought he had given Denmark the lead when he scored in a goalmouth scramble on 48 minutes, but VAR ruled the goal out after a fractional offside was spotted. Thomas Delaney, the Denmark midfielder, made the mistake of allowing the edge of his toe to stray offside by millimetres, so he was ruled offside.

Technically correct, yes, but there was no advantage gained and it was a goal that would never have been challenged, never mind ruled out, without VAR. While Denmark rued the decision, Germany took advantage, and within two minutes they had VAR to thank again when officials Stuart Attwell and David Coote urged referee Michael Oliver to review a handball by Andersen following a David Raum cross.

Again, no advantage was gained by Denmark by the apparent infringement. It was Andersen's fingernail that scraped the ball, but it registered on the Snickometer that has been introduced to catch handballs. Andersen was deemed to have his arm in an unnatural position -- check it out and you'll wonder where he was expected to have it -- and Oliver agreed with his colleagues in the VAR room and pointed to the penalty spot.

"Throughout the game we worked our way into it and then suddenly it is my little toe offside and then the handball," Delaney said. "It goes fast in modern football with VAR."

Havertz, who had previously done little beyond miss good chances, scored the penalty, and from that point on, Germany never looked back. Musiala added a second on 68 minutes to make the game safe, and the final 20 minutes were routine for the hosts, who then started to cut loose to paint a misleading impression of the game.

Sometimes teams and coaches get lucky. Denmark had no luck, but Germany benefited from the big decisions going their way. Because of that, Nagelsmann's selection and his inability to settle on his best team became a debate that can be saved for another day.

Make no mistake, though, that debate will come sooner or later..- 

- Mark Ogden, Senior Writer, ESPN FC

HAVERTZ LEADS ARSENAL ROUT OF CHELSEA TO MAINTAIN TITLE CHALLENGE

Kai Havertz celebrates one of his two goals for Arsenal against former club Chelsea.

 Ruthless Arsenal threw down the gauntlet in the Premier League title race with a 5-0 thrashing of London rivals Chelsea to roar three points clear at the top of the table on Tuesday.

Any remaining doubts about Arsenal's staying power were answered emphatically as Leandro Trossard gave them an early lead before Ben White and Kai Havertz scored two each in a dazzling spell after the break to sweep aside a dazed Chelsea.

It was a powerful statement by Arsenal who have recovered impressively from a home defeat by Aston Villa and bowing out of the Champions League and with four games remaining they are piling the pressure on Liverpool and Manchester City.

Arsenal have 77 points from 34 games with Liverpool, who face Everton on Wednesday, on 74 from 33. Reigning champions Manchester City have 73 points but have two games in hand starting with a trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on Thursday.

It was the sixth time Arsenal have scored five or more in a Premier League game this season and in such a tight race they have a huge goal difference advantage which could prove crucial to the outcome.

"Very happy with the win, with the amount of chances and goals we scored," Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, whose side face arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, said. "And with the clean sheet as well it shows the consistency.

"We will enjoy it and rest and get ready for the next one."

For ninth-placed Chelsea it was their heaviest ever defeat by Arsenal and a hammer blow in their bid to creep into a European place just days after their narrow FA Cup semifinal defeat by Manchester City. 

"The team showed a lack of capacity to resist, that is what is the problem," Mauricio Pochettino, who gave a first Premier League start to young right back Alfie Gilchrist, said.

"Arsenal are a very good team. But I think we allowed them to play."

Arsenal were brimming with energy in the opening half, peppering Chelsea's goal with 13 attempts and would have led by more than one at the interval but for Chelsea's Serbia goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.

Roared on by The Emirates crowd the hosts needed four minutes to settle any nerves as a marauding Declan Rice drove into the heart of the area and weighted his pass perfectly for Trossard to fire home.

Petrovic would have been disappointed to be beaten from a narrow angle but made amends with a flurry of saves in quick succession to deny Bukayo Saka and Trossard and then reacted incredibly to keep out a close-range deflection.

Despite being under siege, a Chelsea side without 20-goal Cole Palmer had their moments and Axel Disasi somehow failed to connect from in front of goal from a flicked on corner.

Nicolas Jackson hit the post and then inexplicably failed to head in a brilliant Conor Gallagher cross.

But Arsenal tuned up the heat in the second half and Chelsea could not cope.

White made it 2-0 in the 52nd minute after Rice's shot deflected to him and Havertz was then played through by an exquisite pass from captain Martin Ødegaard and finished in style.

Former Chelsea forward Havertz made it 4-0 with a low finish and White then nonchalantly side-footed a volley home from an angle.

"The second one was a bad touch and it went in," he joked.

It could have got far worse for Chelsea as Arsenal ran riot but the home fans left in euphoric mood as a first title in 20 years began to look within reach.

- Reuters