Euro 2024 daily recap: Spain, Italy take early lead in Group of Death

The first full day of games kicked off at Euro 2024 on Saturday, with three marquee matchups between Hungary and Switzerland, Spain and Croatia and, finally, Italy and Albania.

Here’s a recap of everything that happened on the second day of group play at Euro 2024, with stats from FOX Sports Research:

• Switzerland improved to 2-1-3 (W-L-D) in opening group stage matches at the Euros (since the group stage began in 1980) with its 3-1 win over Hungary.
• Kwadwo Duah and Michel Aebischer both scored their first-ever international goals, with the latter becoming the first Swiss player to both score and assist a goal in the same match at the Euros.
• Aebischer’s goal was his first goal of the 2023-24 season, as he failed to score for Bologna in 40 appearances (36 Serie A, four Italian Cup).
• Dominik Szoboszlai wore the captain’s armband today for Hungary, making him the youngest captain in Euros history at 23 years old.
• Hungary has one win against Switzerland in the last 35 years, coming in 1998.

• Spain scored all three of its goals in the first half, something it had never done at the Euros.
• Spain is 18-1-4 (W-L-D) all-time at the EUROs when scoring first, with its lone loss coming in 2016 — coincidentally against Croatia.
• Álvaro Morata’s goal made him the first Spaniard to score at three different editions of the Euros (2016, 2020, 2024). It was also his seventh career goal at the Euros, making him the fifth player ever to hit that mark.
• Only Cesc Fàbregas has been involved in more Euros goals (8) for Spain than Morata (7).
• Lamine Yamal became the youngest player in Euros history to record an assist, at 16 years old. Yamal’s assist was also just the second time in Euros history that a Barcelona player (Yamal) has assisted a Real Madrid player (Dani Carvajal).
• Carvajal’s goal made him the oldest goalscorer for Spain ever at the Euros (32 years, 156 days).
• Croatia lost by three goals, tying their largest margin of defeat ever at the Euros (it lost 3-0 to Portugal in 1996).

• Italy improves to 5-1-4 (W-L-D) all-time in opening group stage matches at the Euros, with the lone loss coming in 2008 (since the group stage began in 1980).
• Italy is now unbeaten in their last seven matches, going 5-0-2 (W-L-D).
• Nicolò Barella scored, making him the fourth Italian to score at two Euros tournaments (Antonio Cassano, Andrea Pirlo, Leonardo Bonucci). Barella has scored in 10 matches for the national team, and Italy has won all 10. He is now the only player on the current Italy roster to score 10 goals for the national team.
• With Barella and Alessandro Bastoni both scoring, this is the first time that two Inter Milan players have scored in the same match for Italy at the Euros. The two goals came within the first 16 minutes of the match, the earliest that Italy has scored two goals in a Euros match. The previous record was 31 minutes in 1968.
• Nedim Bajrami’s goal after 23 seconds for Albania is the fastest goal in Euros history.

Best of the Day

Assist of the Day: Lamine Yamal, Spain

Had Yamal’s cross come even a millisecond later than it did, Carvajal almost certainly would have been offside, but the 16-year-old played it perfectly and all Carvajal had to do was finish it off.

Save of the Day: Thomas Strakosha, Albania

Though it came in a losing effort, Strakosha was outstanding for Albania, recording three saves.

Goal of the Day: Nicolò Barella, Italy

One touch is all Barella needed to put Italy ahead against Albania. The ball rolled to his feet and he blasted it toward goal.

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