S5 Ep3: Euro 88 special (matchday 2)

Euro 88 was only four days old when the second of group games began, but our old friend jeopardy was already running amok. After a nervous start, the hosts West Germany took on an ailing Denmark in Gelsenkirchen. A few hours later, also in Group A, Italy met Spain in what was felt like a de facto quarter-final. Then, on Wednesday afternoon, we rushed home from school (or, in Gary’s case, grabbed a seat in front of a 15-inch TV with a load of fashionistas) for the big one: England v the Netherlands, a match that both teams could barely afford to draw, never mind lose. In the evening, Ireland produced arguably the finest performance of the Jack Charlton years against the USSR in a game that included a famous goal and a forgotten first touch to die for. Martyn, Gary and Rob rave about a teenage Paolo Maldini, discuss English football’s obsession with individual heroism, question an iconic hat-trick and celebrate a partnership from the future: Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten.

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