On this day in the Euros, June 10: Viva il Riva

Hosts Italy won the third Euros tournament – the first to be called European Championship as opposed to the European Nations’ Cup. As with all the first five editions, this was a four-team job. Hosts Italy were paired with 1964 runners-up the Soviet Union in the semi, which ended goalless and was decided by a coin-toss – captain Giacinto Facchetti guessing correctly. 

That sent them through to face Yugoslavia, who had beaten world champions England 1-0 thanks to a late goal from Dragan Dzajic (immediately nicknamed Magic Dragan by the English press). The left-winger broke the deadlock on the half-hour, but Angelo Domenghini's 80th-minute free-kick soothed the 68,000 crowd, who had earlier watched England win the bronze-medal game. 

Top Euros Goals

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On this occasion stalemate wasn’t decided by the toss of a coin, but a replay two days later – 10 June 1968. While Yugoslavia made one change to their starting XI, Italy made five, calling upon talents like Sandro Mazzola and Luigi Riva – and Riva, returning from a broken leg, ran the show. 

Riva opened the scoring within 12 minutes, lashing home a left-foot shot, and could have bagged a hat-trick. But the game was effectively over just after the half-hour when Pietro Anastasi flicked up an angled pass and volleyed in gorgeously from the edge of the box. It was a goal good enough to be marked, 68 years later, as one of FourFourTwo’s 50 Most Memorable Euros Goals… we're sure he's delighted. 

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Gary Parkinson is a freelance writer, editor, trainer, muso, singer, actor and coach. He spent 14 years at FourFourTwo as the Global Digital Editor and continues to regularly contribute to the magazine and website, including major features on Euro 96, Subbuteo, Robert Maxwell and the inside story of Liverpool's 1990 title win. He is also a Bolton Wanderers fan.