UEFA Euro 2012 knockout stage facts for kids
The knockout stage of the UEFA Euro 2012 was the exciting final part of the tournament. It started on June 21, 2012, and finished on July 1, 2012. Eight teams made it through to this stage. These teams were the top two from each of the four groups. Unfortunately, the host nations, Poland and the Ukraine, did not qualify for this thrilling knockout round.
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Teams That Made It
Eight strong teams earned their spot in the knockout stage. They had played well in their groups to get here. Here are the teams that qualified:
| Group | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| A |  Czech Republic |
 Greece |
| B |  Germany |
 Portugal |
| C |  Spain |
 Italy |
| D |  England |
 France |
How the Tournament Unfolded
The knockout stage was a series of single-elimination matches. This means if a team lost, they were out of the tournament. The teams battled through quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finally, the grand final.
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 21 June – Warsaw | ||||||||||
| Czech Republic |
0 | |||||||||
| 27 June – Donetsk | ||||||||||
| Portugal |
1 | |||||||||
| Portugal |
0 (2) | |||||||||
| 23 June – Donetsk | ||||||||||
| Spain |
0 (4) | |||||||||
| Spain |
2 | |||||||||
| 1 July – Kyiv | ||||||||||
| France |
0 | |||||||||
| Spain |
4 | |||||||||
| 22 June – Gdańsk | ||||||||||
| Italy |
0 | |||||||||
| Germany |
4 | |||||||||
| 28 June – Warsaw | ||||||||||
| Greece |
2 | |||||||||
| Germany |
1 | |||||||||
| 24 June – Kyiv | ||||||||||
| Italy |
2
|
|||||||||
| England |
0 (2) | |||||||||
| Italy |
0 (4)
|
|||||||||
Quarter-Finals: The First Big Battles
The quarter-finals were the first matches in the knockout stage. Four teams moved on to the semi-finals.
Czech Republic vs Portugal
On June 21, 2012, Czech Republic played against Portugal in Warsaw. Portugal won the match 1–0. The only goal was scored by Cristiano Ronaldo in the 79th minute.
Germany vs Greece
Germany faced Greece on June 22, 2012, in Gdańsk. Germany had a strong performance, winning 4–2. Goals for Germany came from Philipp Lahm, Sami Khedira, Miroslav Klose, and Marco Reus. Greece scored with Georgios Samaras and Dimitris Salpingidis.
Spain vs France
On June 23, 2012, Spain played France in Donetsk. Spain won 2–0. Both goals were scored by Xabi Alonso, one in the first half and another from a penalty in injury time.
England vs Italy
England and Italy met on June 24, 2012, in Kyiv. The game was very tight and ended 0–0 after extra time. Italy won the match 4–2 in a penalty shootout. Key moments included Ashley Young and Ashley Cole missing their penalties for England.
Semi-Finals: Getting Closer to the Cup
Only four teams remained for the semi-finals. The winners would go to the final.
Portugal vs Spain
Portugal played against Spain on June 27, 2012, in Donetsk. This was another very close match that ended 0–0 after extra time. Spain won the penalty shootout 4–2. Cesc Fàbregas scored the winning penalty for Spain.
Germany vs Italy
Germany faced Italy on June 28, 2012, in Warsaw. Italy won this exciting match 2–1. Mario Balotelli scored both goals for Italy in the first half. Germany got one goal back from a penalty by Mesut Özil in injury time.
The Grand Final: Spain vs Italy
The final match was played between Spain and Italy on July 1, 2012, in Kyiv. Spain played incredibly well and won the tournament.
| 1 July 2012 21:45 UTC+3 |
Spain |
4–0 | Italy |
Olympic Stadium, Kyiv Attendance: 63,170 Referee: Pedro Proença (Portugal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Silva  14'Alba 41'Torres 84'Mata 88' |
Report |
Spain won the final match with a score of 4–0. The goals for Spain were scored by David Silva, Jordi Alba, Fernando Torres, and Juan Mata. This victory made Spain the first team to win three major international tournaments in a row (Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, and Euro 2012).
