EURO on this day: 6 July
Friday, July 5, 2024
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On this day: The only man to score at five different EUROs, Cristiano Ronaldo helped Portugal reach the 2016 final, while France and Yugoslavia had a scoring spree.
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Portugal 2-0 Wales
(Ronaldo 50, Nani 53)
2016 semi-finals, Lyon
Cristiano Ronaldo scored one and set up the other as Portugal struck twice in four minutes early in the second half to book their place in the UEFA EURO 2016 final.
For the first 50 minutes, Wales were perhaps the better team in Lyon, with Gareth Bale running the Portuguese back line ragged during one five-minute spell midway through the first half. Ronaldo had seen enough, thumping in a header – his record-equalling ninth finals goal – then cracking in a low drive that Nani diverted in.
"This is the second time Portugal have reached a final," said Ronaldo. "Dreaming is free and that is why we have to dream." It was a dream that would finally become a reality when Fernando Santos's men saw off the hosts to lift the trophy four days later.
France 4-5 Yugoslavia
(Vincent 12, Heutte 43 62, Wisnieski 53; Galić 11, Žanetić 55, Knež 75, Jerković 78 79)
1960 semi-finals, Paris
The opening game of the inaugural tournament produced an encounter barely matched for drama since – it remains the highest-scoring game in EURO history to this day.
Early blows were traded before France went 2-1 up just ahead of half-time, yet there was little sign of the explosion of goals to come. Les Bleus doubled their advantage twice – either side of Ante Žanetić's 55th-minute effort – to lead 4-2 just past the hour mark, but Tomislav Knež punched a hole in the French back line with a quarter-hour remaining and the floodgates opened. Two goals in a minute from Dinamo Zagreb striker Dražan Jerković then silenced the Parc des Princes.
Other EURO fixtures on 6 July
1960 semi-finals: Czechoslovakia 0-3 USSR
2020 semi-finals: Italy 1-1 Spain (aet, Italy won 4-2 on pens)
