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Italy tie Sweden 1-1 at Euro Championship
Italy played without suspended star Francesco Totti and tied Sweden 1-1 on Friday at the European Championships.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored in the 85th minute to rally Sweden. He leaped on a bouncing ball in the penalty area and flicked it with his right heel behind goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. Antonio Cassano, who started in place of Totti, gave Italy the lead in the 37th minute with a glancing header. Totti watched the game from the stands, wearing a track suit and sitting with his girlfriend. He had been suspended for three games for spitting in the face of Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen in Monday's 0-0 tie. Totti is coming off a spectacular season at AS Roma in which he scored a career-high 20 goals for the Italian league team. In Friday's other Group C game, Denmark beat Bulgaria 2-0 in Braga. This latest result could make it difficult for Italy to advance with one game remaining in Group C. Denmark and Sweden lead with four points and Italy has two. Bulgaria is winless and eliminated. Italy plays Bulgaria on Tuesday and Sweden faces Denmark. Italy must win to have any chance of reaching the quarterfinals. Christian Panucci set up Italy's goal, sending a left-footed cross into the box that Cassano headed into the net from six yards out. Cassano, who is 21 and considered one of Italy's best young talents, blew a kiss to Totti after the goal. Italy carried most of the play in the first half. Christian Vieri headed two shots over the crossbar in the first half and Alessandro Del Piero had at least two good chances. Sweden had its best early chance in the 13th minute. Fredrik Ljungberg broke down the left side and back-heeled the ball to Ibrahimovic, who shot over the crossbar from eight yards with Buffon looking vulnerable. In the 77th minute, Sweden missed a good chance on a blistering shot by Mattias Jonsson. Buffon made a great save, stretching out his right hand to knock the shot aside. In the earlier game, Jesper Groenkjaer came off the bench midway through the first half and scored Denmark's second goal in the second minute of second-half injury time. He missed Monday's 0-0 tie with Italy because of the death of his mother. Jon Dahl Tomasson scored into an empty net from close range a minute before halftime for the opening goal. Bulgaria hardly threatened but was furious when it was denied a free kick near the end. Stilian Petrov's outburst led to a red card eight minutes from the finish. |
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