<p>Spain keeper Unai Simon said he has gone through a torturous process trying to comprehend his tremendous error against Croatia at Euro 2020 but showed gratitude to his teammates, including fellow keeper David de Gea, for lifting his spirits.</p>

<p>Simon, who replaced De Gea as Spain's number one keeper last year, let a Pedri backpass from around the halfway line bobble past him into the net to give Croatia a 1-0 lead in the epic last-16 game, which Spain went on to win 5-3 after extra time.</p>

<p>"It has tortured me a little. Sincerely, I've seen it six or seven times and I can't find an explanation, I just controlled it badly," Simon told a news conference.</p>

<p>"People asked if the sun was in my eyes but it wasn't, I had lots of space to control the ball, I wanted to play out from the back but my feet stopped dead.</p>

<p>"I don't know how many times I've tried to control the ball in my life and the ball had never gone in before. It's an accident but something that can be redeemed very easily."</p>

<p>Simon managed to redeem himself by making two decisive saves later in the game as Spain overcame the shock of Croatia scoring twice late on by proving the stronger side in extra time and reaching the quarter-finals, where they will face Switzerland.</p>

<p>Manchester United's De Gea is no stranger to being criticized for his performances in a Spain shirt and at halftime, he went over to comfort Simon, who also thanked the rest of the squad for rallying behind him.</p>

<p>"He calmed me down a lot, the fact he came over to support and encourage me helped a lot. When a goalkeeper like that comes over to you and says that to you all you can do is improve and go again," Simon added.</p>

<p>"The great groups are forged in adversity and I'm proud to form part of this team because the way they supported me on the pitch and in the dressing room says a lot about the type of group we are."</p>


Spain keeper Unai Simon said he has gone through a torturous process trying to comprehend his tremendous error against Croatia at Euro 2020 but showed gratitude to his teammates, including fellow keeper David de Gea, for lifting his spirits.

Spain keeper Unai Simon said he has gone through a torturous process trying to comprehend his tremendous error against Croatia at Euro 2020 but showed gratitude to his teammates, including fellow keeper David de Gea, for lifting his spirits. Simon, who replaced De Gea as Spain's number one keeper last year, let a Pedri backpass from around the halfway line bobble past him into the net to give Croatia a 1-0 lead in the epic last-16 game, which Spain went on to win 5-3 after extra time. "It has tortured me a little. Sincerely, I've seen it six or seven times and I can't find an explanation, I just controlled it badly," Simon told a news conference. "People asked if the sun was in my eyes but it wasn't, I had lots of space to control the ball, I wanted to play out from the back but my feet stopped dead. "I don't know how many times I've tried to control the ball in my life and the ball had never gone in before. It's an accident but something that can be redeemed very easily." Simon managed to redeem himself by making two decisive saves later in the game as Spain overcame the shock of Croatia scoring twice late on by proving the stronger side in extra time and reaching the quarter-finals, where they will face Switzerland. Manchester United's De Gea is no stranger to being criticized for his performances in a Spain shirt and at halftime, he went over to comfort Simon, who also thanked the rest of the squad for rallying behind him. "He calmed me down a lot, the fact he came over to support and encourage me helped a lot. When a goalkeeper like that comes over to you and says that to you all you can do is improve and go again," Simon added. "The great groups are forged in adversity and I'm proud to form part of this team because the way they supported me on the pitch and in the dressing room says a lot about the type of group we are."

Euro 2020: Unai Simon 'tortured' by error but appreciates team mates' solidarity

<p>Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon gifted Croatia with a goal in the Round of 16 clash after scoring a bizarre own goal at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The incident took place in&nbsp;the 20th minute of the match when Pedri hit a long back pass back towards the goalkeeper (Simon), however, Unai failed to control the ball despite getting a touch and let into his own net.</p>

<p>Unai became the ninth player to score an own goal in Euro 2020, making it the most for a single edition of the tournament.</p>

<p>Twitteratis could not keep calm after Unai's own goal and took to social media to troll the Spanish goalkeeper.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Unai Simon what have you done <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CROESP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CROESP</a> <a href="https://t.co/I6iSWmpLMh">pic.twitter.com/I6iSWmpLMh</a></p>
— Alex Mc (@aa_mcintosh22) <a href="https://twitter.com/aa_mcintosh22/status/1409547726841421837?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">OMG... That is one of the most bizarre own goals ever, Unai Simon misses the pass from his own teammate! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ESP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ESP</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EURO2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EURO2020</a> <a href="https://t.co/OJXtnxOOVb">pic.twitter.com/OJXtnxOOVb</a></p>
— fangazzetta (@fangazzetta) <a href="https://twitter.com/fangazzetta/status/1409547626610049028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Unai Simon playing for Spain today!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Spain?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Spain</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EURO2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EURO2020</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CROSPA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CROSPA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Simon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Simon</a> <a href="https://t.co/74ctWUNR6d">pic.twitter.com/74ctWUNR6d</a></p>
— Pranav (@Pranav8055) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pranav8055/status/1409549354663223299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">"Unai Simon is better than De Gea" <a href="https://t.co/kuyw76tdfz">pic.twitter.com/kuyw76tdfz</a></p>
— David De Gea FC (@DeGeaFran4ever) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeGeaFran4ever/status/1409549363576283144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sergio Ramos would have stopped that Pedri pass, would have stopped Unai Simon from taking a bad touch and would have cleared the ball off the line in my book.</p>
— TC (@totalcristiano) <a href="https://twitter.com/totalcristiano/status/1409549597551345678?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Unai Simon seeing his team mates miss chances to score a goal <a href="https://t.co/F3mKCjAe0v">pic.twitter.com/F3mKCjAe0v</a></p>
— Troll Football (@TrollFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/TrollFootball/status/1409549703838982145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>However, Spain did not take time to score an equaliser as Paris Saint-Germain forward Pablo Sarabia scored from close range.</p>

<p>In the end,<b>&nbsp;</b>Unai Simon's own goal did not matter as Spain beat&nbsp;Croatia&nbsp;5-3 in extra time in a thrilling encounter to enter the quarterfinal.</p>

<h2><strong>Teams:</strong></h2>

<p><strong>Croatia: </strong>Dominik Livakovic; Duje Caleta-Car, Domagoj Vida, Josip Juranovic, Josko Gvardiol; Mateo Kovacic, Luka Modric (captain), Marcelo Brozovic, Nikola Vlasic; Ante Rebic, Bruno Petkovic</p>

<p><strong>Spain:</strong> Unai Simon; Cesar Azpilicueta, Eric Garcia, Aymeric Laporte, Jose Gaya; Sergio Busquets (captain), Koke, Pedri; Pablo Sarabia, Alvaro Morata, Ferran Torres&nbsp;</p>


Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon gifted Croatia with a goal in the Round of 16 clash after scoring a bizarre own goal at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen. The incident took place in the 20th minute of the match when Pedri hit a long back pass back towards the goalkeeper (Simon), however, Unai failed to control the ball despite getting a touch and let into his own net.

Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simon gifted Croatia with a goal in the Round of 16 clash after scoring a bizarre own goal at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen. The incident took place in the 20th minute of the match when Pedri hit a long back pass back towards the goalkeeper (Simon), however, Unai failed to control the ball despite getting a touch and let into his own net. Unai became the ninth player to score an own goal in Euro 2020, making it the most for a single edition of the tournament. Twitteratis could not keep calm after Unai's own goal and took to social media to troll the Spanish goalkeeper. Unai Simon what have you done #CROESP pic.twitter.com/I6iSWmpLMh — Alex Mc (@aa_mcintosh22) June 28, 2021 × OMG... That is one of the most bizarre own goals ever, Unai Simon misses the pass from his own teammate! #ESP | #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/OJXtnxOOVb — fangazzetta (@fangazzetta) June 28, 2021 × Unai Simon playing for Spain today!#Spain #EURO2020 #CROSPA #Simon pic.twitter.com/74ctWUNR6d — Pranav (@Pranav8055) June 28, 2021 × "Unai Simon is better than De Gea" pic.twitter.com/kuyw76tdfz — David De Gea FC (@DeGeaFran4ever) June 28, 2021 × Sergio Ramos would have stopped that Pedri pass, would have stopped Unai Simon from taking a bad touch and would have cleared the ball off the line in my book. — TC (@totalcristiano) June 28, 2021 × Unai Simon seeing his team mates miss chances to score a goal pic.twitter.com/F3mKCjAe0v — Troll Football (@TrollFootball) June 28, 2021 × However, Spain did not take time to score an equaliser as Paris Saint-Germain forward Pablo Sarabia scored from close range. In the end, Unai Simon's own goal did not matter as Spain beat Croatia 5-3 in extra time in a thrilling encounter to enter the quarterfinal. Teams: Croatia: Dominik Livakovic; Duje Caleta-Car, Domagoj Vida, Josip Juranovic, Josko Gvardiol; Mateo Kovacic, Luka Modric (captain), Marcelo Brozovic, Nikola Vlasic; Ante Rebic, Bruno Petkovic Spain: Unai Simon; Cesar Azpilicueta, Eric Garcia, Aymeric Laporte, Jose Gaya; Sergio Busquets (captain), Koke, Pedri; Pablo Sarabia, Alvaro Morata, Ferran Torres

Football: Twitter erupts after Unai Simon scores a bizarre own goal in Euro 2020 - WATCH

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/barcelona-real-madrid-draw-as-clasico-marred-by-violence-269061">Real&nbsp;Madrid</a>&nbsp;hit the woodwork three times but could only draw 0-0 at home to&nbsp;Athletic&nbsp;Bilbao in a frustrating final game of 2019 which meant they slipped two points&nbsp;behind&nbsp;La Liga leaders Barcelona.</p>

<p>Real's top scorer Karim Benzema had a shot cleared off the line in a lively first half while Toni Kroos came within inches of scoring when he waltzed through the defence and hammered a shot which&nbsp;Athletic&nbsp;keeper Unai Simon deflected on to the bar.</p>

<p>Substitute Nacho Fernandez rattled the bar in the second half while Serbian forward Luka Jovic left Simon flat-footed with a late header but watched as the ball bounced off the post and Sergio Ramos scuffed the rebound back at the goalkeeper.</p>

<p>Athletic, who beat champions&nbsp;Barca&nbsp;earlier this season, gave an astute performance in defence and also gave their hosts a few scares, with Kenan Kodro having a goal ruled out for offside and Inaki Williams forcing Thibaut Courtois to make a diving save.</p>

<p>It was&nbsp;Real's third draw in a row after 1-1 and 0-0 stalemates away to Valencia and&nbsp;Barca&nbsp;respectively, games in which they also played well but lacked composure in front of goal.</p>

<p>"I feel bad for the players because of the effort they put in. We are annoyed that we couldn't score with all the chances we had,"&nbsp;Real&nbsp;coach <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/champions-league-gears-up-for-final-16-draw-after-record-breaking-group-stage-268079">Zinedine Zidane</a> told reporters.</p>

<p>"The ball isn't going in for us at the moment but there's no need to be pessimistic. We have to remember this has been a good season for us. We've had a little bit of a sour ending to the year but we can't wait for 2020 to start."</p>

<p>Zidane's side are second in the standings on 37 points after 18 games, two&nbsp;behind&nbsp;Barca&nbsp;who beat Alaves 4-1 on Saturday.&nbsp;Athletic&nbsp;are seventh with 28.</p>

<p>"We are left with a bad taste because we hit the woodwork three times and had some other opportunities, so it's a&nbsp;real&nbsp;shame that we couldn't pick up three points," added&nbsp;Real&nbsp;goalkeeper Courtois.</p>

<p>"Athletic&nbsp;set up to frustrate us, we know how they like to play but when you have so many chances it's hard not to feel like it is two points dropped.</p>

<p>Athletic&nbsp;coach Gaizka Garitano did not shy away from the fact that fortune had favoured his side, who have not won at the Bernabeu since 2005.</p>

<p>"To get anything from here you have to have a bit of luck, but we ended the game very well," he said.</p>

<p>"To get a point here while creating chances in attack and not conceding any goals is not easy at all."</p>


Real Madrid hit the woodwork three times but could only draw 0-0 at home to Athletic Bilbao in a frustrating final game of 2019 which meant they slipped two points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Real Madrid hit the woodwork three times but could only draw 0-0 at home to Athletic Bilbao in a frustrating final game of 2019 which meant they slipped two points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona. Real's top scorer Karim Benzema had a shot cleared off the line in a lively first half while Toni Kroos came within inches of scoring when he waltzed through the defence and hammered a shot which Athletic keeper Unai Simon deflected on to the bar. Substitute Nacho Fernandez rattled the bar in the second half while Serbian forward Luka Jovic left Simon flat-footed with a late header but watched as the ball bounced off the post and Sergio Ramos scuffed the rebound back at the goalkeeper. Athletic, who beat champions Barca earlier this season, gave an astute performance in defence and also gave their hosts a few scares, with Kenan Kodro having a goal ruled out for offside and Inaki Williams forcing Thibaut Courtois to make a diving save. It was Real's third draw in a row after 1-1 and 0-0 stalemates away to Valencia and Barca respectively, games in which they also played well but lacked composure in front of goal. "I feel bad for the players because of the effort they put in. We are annoyed that we couldn't score with all the chances we had," Real coach Zinedine Zidane told reporters. "The ball isn't going in for us at the moment but there's no need to be pessimistic. We have to remember this has been a good season for us. We've had a little bit of a sour ending to the year but we can't wait for 2020 to start." Zidane's side are second in the standings on 37 points after 18 games, two behind Barca who beat Alaves 4-1 on Saturday. Athletic are seventh with 28. "We are left with a bad taste because we hit the woodwork three times and had some other opportunities, so it's a real shame that we couldn't pick up three points," added Real goalkeeper Courtois. "Athletic set up to frustrate us, we know how they like to play but when you have so many chances it's hard not to feel like it is two points dropped. Athletic coach Gaizka Garitano did not shy away from the fact that fortune had favoured his side, who have not won at the Bernabeu since 2005. "To get anything from here you have to have a bit of luck, but we ended the game very well," he said. "To get a point here while creating chances in attack and not conceding any goals is not easy at all."

La Liga: Real Madrid frustrated by Athletic, fall behind Barcelona

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Euro 2020: Unai Simon 'tortured' by error but appreciates team mates' solidarity

Football: Twitter erupts after Unai Simon scores a bizarre own goal in Euro 2020 - WATCH

La Liga: Real Madrid frustrated by Athletic, fall behind Barcelona