ROME: Italy's defender Alessandro Bastoni vies for a header with Wales' forward Gareth Bale during a UEFA Euro 2020 Group A football match at the Olympic Stadium yesterday. - AFP

OME/BAKU: Matteo Pessina scored as Italy made it three wins out of three at Euro 2020 by beating 10-man Wales 1-0 to finish top of Group A yesterday with both teams advancing to the last 16. Pessina's goal means Italy will play the runner-up from Group C in the next round, with Wales facing the team that comes second in Group B.

In his 35th game in charge of the Azzurri who failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Roberto Mancini's side also matched an 80-year Italian record. Italy extended their unbeaten run to 30 games - 25 wins and five draws - a feat last achieved under two-time World Cup winning coach Vittorio Pozzo between 1935 and 1939.

It was also an 11th consecutive win with a clean sheet for Italy who had already booked their ticket to the knockout rounds with a game to spare. Italy will play Ukraine or Austria at Wembley on June 26 for a spot in the quarterfinals. Wales, semi-finalists in 2016, suffered in a game they played a man down for most of the second half after Ethan Ampadu was sent off for a foul on Federico Bernardeschi.

Real Madrid's Gareth Bale, Wales' all-time leading scorer with 33 international goals, could not add to his tally missing a chance for the equaliser in the final quarter of an hour. Wales coach Robert Page made three changes to his starting line-up, Ben Davies, Chris Mepham and Kieffer Moore dropping to the bench with the trio one booking away from suspension.

Mancini also brought in fresh players for their final group game with eight changes, and a three-man frontline with Federico Chiesa, Andrea Belotti and Federico Bernardeschi. Paris Saint-Germain's Marco Verratti proved decisive on his return from injury after a six-week layoff. Belotti threatened after 12 minutes but Wales goalkeeper Danny Ward held firm with Emerson Palmieri then missing a chance from a distance.

Rafael Toloi fired another which took a deflection off his Atalanta teammate Pessina, into the arms of Ward, while Chiesa missed an opportunity to latch on a Belotti shot across goal. But Pessina broke through six minutes before half-time with a flick off a Verratti free-kick leaving Ward with no chance. It was the first goal for Italy in a major competition for the Atalanta player who had been called up as a late addition after Stefano Sensi's injury.

Francesco Acerbi replaced Leonardo Bonucci at half-time with an eye towards the knockout rounds. Bernadeschi missed a chance for a second after the break with a free-kick from distance hitting the post. And Wales' task got even more difficult when Ampadu was sent off 10 minutes after the break for a late challenge which caught Bernadeschi's ankle. Cardiff City striker Moore came off the bench after an hour in place of Joe Morrell with Bale reverting back to midfield. Bale missed a golden chance to level after 75 minutes with Moore crossing for the unmarked skipper who volleyed over.

Meanwhile, Xherdan Shaqiri scored twice as Switzerland beat Turkey 3-1 in Baku yesterday, but they will have to wait to see if they reach the last 16 of Euro 2020 as one of the four best third-placed teams. Wales held on to second place in Group A thanks to a superior goal difference after their 1-0 loss to Italy.

Shaqiri's goals came after Haris Seferovic's first-half opener and either side of Irfan Kahveci scoring Turkey's only goal of the tournament. Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic made two changes from Wednesday's heavy loss to Italy, including giving Steven Zuber his first start of the championship.

Turkey boss Senol Gunes brought centre-back Merih Demiral back after dropping the Juventus defender last time out, with his side looking to avoid a third straight competitive defeat for the first time since Euro 1996. Switzerland opened the scoring in the sixth minute, silencing the 17,000 crowd supporting Turkey due to close historical and diplomatic ties between Ankara and Baku.

Seferovic buried a low effort past Turkish goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir for his 22nd international goal, after Zuber's dummy. Zuber was involved again for the second 20 minutes later, as Seferovic held up possession and his pass deflected to the Eintracht Frankfurt winger's feet.

The former Hoffenheim man then fed Shaqiri who curled a sublime effort past a helpless Cakir. Shaqiri should have doubled his account for the match less than two minutes later when a bursting run put the Liverpool midfielder clear with just the goalkeeper to beat, but Cakir saved with his foot.

Zuber on-form

Just after the half-hour mark, left-back Mert Muldur tested goalkeeper Yann Sommer with a shot from outside the area but the 32-year-old, who became a father for a second time earlier this week, parried away. Switzerland's advantage was halved on the hour mark to send the crowd wild. Hakan Calhanoglu fed Kahveci who shimmied outside the area before firing a left-footed strike into the top corner for his first international goal. But Switzerland restored their two-goal lead six minutes later as Shaqiri claimed his second.

The 29-year-old, who scored just once in 22 club appearances this season, netted again from another Zuber assist following a quick counter-attack. With 20 minutes to play, Switzerland still needed a two-goal swing to move above Wales into second place. Petkovic added fresh legs to his attack by replacing goal-scorers Shaqiri and Seferovic with Ruben Vargas and Mario Gavranovic. But Switzerland failed to find the required goals and their fate is in the hands of other sides' results. - AFP