Euro 2016: Group Results, Standings, Tables and Updated Schedule After Friday
Spain booked their place in the knockout stages of Euro 2016 on Friday after trouncing Turkey 3-0 as Alvaro Morata grabbed a brace to go along with Nolito's well-taken first-half strike.
Manager Vicente del Bosque's men moved back above Croatia and two points clear at the top of Group D ahead of next Tuesday's climactic showdown against the second-placed Croats.
Croatia couldn't seal qualification for the Euro 2016 knockout stages on Friday after they let slip a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Czech Republic.
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Ivan Perisic and Ivan Rakitic put Croatia in the ascendancy after netting either side of the break, but a 92nd-minute penalty from Tomas Necid rescued a point for Czech Republic following Milan Skoda's equaliser.
Italy maintained their winning start to Euro 2016 on Friday and sealed their place in the next phase of the tournament following a 1-0 victory over Group E foes Sweden, where Eder's 89th-minute winner stole the show.
Sweden continued to show some sense of overreliance on superstar striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but manager Erik Hamren's side couldn't provide their frontman with the chances he needed to make the breakthrough.
Read on for a breakdown of the latest table standings and Friday's results, complete with recaps of the day's fixtures.
| Italy | 1-0 | Sweden |
| Czech Republic | 2-2 | Croatia |
| Spain | 3-0 | Turkey |
| 1 | Spain | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 6 |
| 2 | Croatia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 |
| 3 | Czech Republic | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 1 |
| 4 | Turkey | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0 |
| 1 | Italy | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 6 |
| 2 | Republic of Ireland | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Sweden | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 1 |
| 4 | Belgium | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0 |
Spain 3-0 Turkey
In what was a far cry from their tight and at times turgid 1-0 win over the Czech Republic, Spain were far more convincing on Friday as they walloped Turkey 3-0 thanks in large part to Morata's masterclass display.
The Juventus striker notched his brace on either side of Nolito's predatory second strike in Nice, France, and Unibet highlighted exactly how prominent that particular attacking duo have been for the team lately:
It was a Turkish blunder that gifted Nolito his goal in the 37th minute, but ESPN FC's Dale Johnson showed Morata's second to be entirely of the team's own making—and a thing of beauty at that:
If Spain had failed to showcase their attractive best against the Czechs, these were the reigning champions at their destructive best, cool and calm throughout.
All they need now is a point or more against Croatia to assure them of the top spot in Group D, while Turkey's hopes of progressing hang on June 21's clash against Czech Republic in the hope they can steal third.
Czech Republic 2-2 Croatia
What started out as a rudimentary win for Croatia turned into a nightmarish draw after manager Ante Cacic's men surrendered a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 against Czech Republic in Saint-Etienne, France.
The two Ivans, Perisic and Rakitic, exemplified the best of Croatia's opening 60 minutes, a display that led the BBC's John Bennett to note Croatia's qualities as potential Euro 2016 dark horses:
However, the dynamic of the game changed in the final 15 minutes, starting with Skoda's superbly headed equaliser on the back of a sensational Tomas Rosicky cross.
Referee Mark Clattenburg was called into action when a section of the Croatia support appeared to throw flares on the pitch, delaying what had otherwise been a great game, per Goal's Robin Bairner:
That disruption certainly didn't do Croatia any favours, either, after Domagoj Vida appeared to handle the ball while jostling for a header in his own area.
Per the Telegraph's James Ducker, Necid stepped up to convert the spot-kick and rescue a deserved point:
"Incredible turnaround of events. Necid equalises from pen spot to make it 2-2. What are those mindless Croatia fans thinking now?
— James Ducker (@TelegraphDucker) June 17, 2016"
Croatia dazzled for patches of Friday's performance, but their complacency was clear, and the decision to haul Luka Modric off after 60 minutes is one that may garner criticism.
Czech Republic, meanwhile, can afford to have new belief in their Euro 2016 hopes as they head into their final group-stage decider against Turkey next Tuesday.
Italy 1-0 Sweden
After showing so much promise in their opening win against Belgium, Italy were frustrated for the majority of Friday's clash against Sweden until Eder's last-gasp finish snatched three points at the death.
The Azzurri spent much of the encounter in the ascendancy and capitalised when Simone Zaza headed down to an onrushing Eder, who peeled from his marker before thumping the winner low and hard into Sweden's bottom-right corner:
Sweden are still yet to have a shot on target at Euro 2016 after 180 minutes of play, and Ibrahimovic was again frozen out in front of a well-structured Italian back line.
The London Evening Standard illustrated just how much Hamren's side have struggled to muster an attacking presence when it matters:
Marco Parolo came close to stealing the opener in the 82nd minute, when he headed Emanuele Giaccherini's inch-perfect cross off the Swedish crossbar, but Eder made sure Italy took maximum points nonetheless.
The Italians can perhaps afford the luxury of resting some of their stars in their final Group E match against the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday, while Sweden remain sat on one point and take on Belgium the same day.
