The European Championship has seen unforgettable moments in European football history, with legendary teams leaving their mark on matches that are still remembered today. From epic comebacks to life-or-death duels, we present the 10 best matches in the history of the European Championship:
- Germany vs. Netherlands (Euro 1988): An intense duel that culminated in a 2-1 victory for the Netherlands in the semi-final, eliminating Germany from the tournament it was hosting and taking revenge for the 1974 World Cup final.
- France vs. Portugal (Euro 1984): Possibly the best match of Euro 1984. In the semi-finals, France emerged victorious in a thrilling match that ended 3-2 in favour of the hosts.
- France vs. Italy (2000): In the final of Euro 2000, France and Italy faced each other in an epic match that was decided in extra time with a golden goal from Trezeguet, securing victory for France and lifting consecutive World Cup and Euro titles.
- Spain vs. Italy (Euro 2008): In the 2008 quarter-finals, Spain and Italy put on a total football spectacle, with Spain emerging the winner in a penalty shoot-out that changed the history of Spanish football.
- France vs. Portugal (Euro 2000): In the semi-finals, France beat Portugal 2-1 in a match that was ultimately decided by a golden goal from Zinedine Zidane, taking France to the final.
- Germany vs. Czechoslovakia (Euro 1976): In the 1976 final, Czechoslovakia was crowned champion after beating Germany in a penalty shootout that would go down in history thanks to Antonin Panenka.
- Italy vs. Netherlands (Euro 2000): Italy defeated the Netherlands in the semi-final in a match that ended 3-1 on penalties. Before that, the Italians were down to 10 in the first half and the Dutch missed two penalties in regular time.
- Portugal vs. England (Euro 2004): With both teams tied and two goals in the last ten minutes of extra time, penalties saw Portugal advance to the semi-finals after the legendary image of David Beckham's slip.
- France vs. Yugoslavia (Euro 1960): The first edition of the tournament left us with a match that will be hard to forget. Yugoslavia gave us a lesson in football by coming back from 4-2 down to beat France in the last 15 minutes of the match, making it to the final where they would end up lifting the trophy.
- Germany vs. USSR (Euro 1972): The best Germany in history came in the 1970s. At that time, the Teutons dominated the world by winning the Euro and World Cup. Led by Franz Beckenbauer and Müller, the Germans beat the Soviet Union in the final that year.
These matches have left an indelible mark on the history of the European Championship, demonstrating the excitement and passion that this tournament inspires in fans around the world.
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