Italy first team to enter knockouts, Wales edge Turkey

ROME, June 16 Italy became the first side to assure their place in the knockout stages of Euro 2020 thanks to a 3-0 win against Switzerland in Rome on Wednesday.

The result means they will now contest top spot in Group A in their final group game against Wales, who beat Turkey earlier in the day.

Manuel Locatelli was Italy's hero with two goals as Roberto Mancini's side produced another assured and aggressive display of attacking football.

In Group A's other match at the Olympic Stadium in Baku, Aaron Ramsey and Connor Roberts each scored a goal for Wales as they won 2-0 against Turkey.

Both sides traded attacks in the first half, but Wales looked more dangerous in front of goal and marked the opener on 42 minutes when Ramsey chested down Gareth Bale's chip into the box before tapping the ball past Turkey goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir.

Turkey's Burak Yilmaz should have restored parity early in the second half, but the captain wasted a golden chance from close range following a corner. At the hour mark, Wales were awarded a penalty but Bale put the spot-kick over the bar.

Bale had a large share in Wales' second goal though, as the striker danced through Turkey's penalty box before squaring to Connor Roberts, who sealed the deal in the dying seconds of injury time.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, Russia wrapped up their first victory in Group B after beating Finland 1-0 thanks to a goal from Aleksey Miranchuk on home soil in Saint Petersburg.

Finland started their second game in a lively manner, as Joel Pohjanpalo looked to have broken the deadlock with only five minutes played but the striker's opener was flagged offside.

Russia needed some time to gain a foothold into the contest but took a deserved lead through Miranchuk, who benefitted from Artyom Dzyuba's good build-up work before curling the ball past Finland goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky and into the top-left corner.

After the break, Russia continued on the front foot while Finland were lacking in attacking ideas.

Russia remained the more dangerous outfit and they should have added more goals to their lead, but Rifat Zhemaletdinov and Daler Kuzyaev failed to score from promising positions.

(Xinhua)