SPOT KINGS
England WIN thrilling penalty shootout against Switzerland to reach Euro 2024 semi-final after Saka’s late heroics
Scroll down to see the goals and winning penalty
JORDAN PICKFORD was England’s spot-kick hero as Gareth Southgate’s side won a tense shoot-out to reach the European Championship semi-final.
The Everton keeper made a brilliant save from Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji from Switzerland’s first penalty.
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And all five of England’s takers - Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold - hit the target.
For Saka there was a Stuart Pearce moment as the exorcised the ghost of his miss in the last Euros final, when England were defeated by Italy.
Saka had cancelled out Breel Embolo’s late opener to force extra-time and then played his part in England’s third shoot-out win in four attempts under Southgate, who celebrated his 100th match as manager in style.
Without having played particularly well since the first half of their opener againsr Serbia, England have reached a third semi-final in four tournaments, in Dortmund on Wednesday.
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England had been better than in their chaotic last-16 victory over Slovakia but they were still far too passive in the second half of normal time and ragged by the end of extra-time.
Southgate changed to a 3-4-2-1 formation but there was still only one, enforced, alteration in personnel - Ezra Konsi into defence in place of the suspended Marc Guehi.
No Palmer and no Alexander-Arnold at right-back. He is rarely radical.
Playing Saka as a right wing-back and Trippier on the left seemed to negate the attacking benefits of the new system - there was no real width.
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Switzerland had stuffed Italy last week and went within minutes of defeating Germany in the group stage - and yet they were also the only team to fail to beat Scotland.
It was a plodding start. England had a lot of the ball but didn’t do much with it.
Tom Barclay England Player Ratings
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I know we needed penalties... but England showed vs Switzerland why they can WIN Euro 2024, says Jack Wilshere
IT TOOK penalties to put us through but, before the drama, England showed us why they have the ingredients to do something special, writes Jack Wilshere.
It was a win by the narrowest of margins but this was overall our best performance of Euro 2024.
If we can build on the progress we made, especially in the first half, we could WIN the tournament.
It was not a complete display. There were nervy moments and waiting so long to make changes could have cost us.
But we saw what a good team England can be if they do the right things and put players in the right positions.
The first half was England’s best since the first 45 against Serbia. Maybe even better.
One of the keys to that was our press and the effect it had on Granit Xhaka.
For the first time in four games we were pressing high, winning the ball back in better areas and putting Switzerland on the back foot.
In previous matches, our forwards were pressing but the gaps between our lines were too big.
That was leaving huge gaps for Declan Rice and whoever was partnering him to cover.
This time there was better structure and organisation.
There seemed to be more of a plan for when to drop into a block and when to jump out to press.
Now England have the opportunity to build momentum and show why they can win this tournament.
Read all of SunSport columnist Jack's Euro 2024 articles.
They wasted set-pieces, squandered final balls and lacked express pace.
Mainoo and Bellingham had their moments, threatening to spark something but the Swiss were obdurate, giving little away.
Bellingham won a corner from which England passed it all the way back from Jordan Pickford - thus summing up their entire tumbleweed campaign in the space of ten seconds.
Fabian Schar was booked for body-checking Bellingham, then Saka wriggled past Michel Aebischer and centred low for Kobbie Mainoo, whose shot was blocked.
It was better than the shambles against Slovakia but there was little to set pulses racing and there were no shots on target from either side in the first half.
Breel Embolo finally managed that for the Swiss but he shot straight at Pickford.
The Swiss were beginning to exert pressure, their outnumbered supporters making most of the noise, and England were making unforced errors and finding themselves pinned back.
Kane was lumbering around and had been well shackled by Manuel Akanji.
Eventually, the England skipper was booked after a foul on the Manchester City man.
The frustration was building. Switzerland boss Murat Yakin made a double change but, as ever, Southgate stuck rigidly with his starting eleven, despite any obvious suggestions of them creating chances.
The warning signs had been there but England didn’t heed them and 14 minutes from time, the damage was done.
With remarkably little pressure from Southgate’s men Schar freed Dan Ndoye down the right, Konsa - who had been looking shaky for some time - failed to react and Ndoye’s low centre, Stones failed to clear and Embolo poked in at the far post.
England player ratings: Saka the saviour for Three Lions but subbed Kane stuggles in penalties thriller vs Switzerland
BUKAYO SAKA showed huge courage as he dug England out of a hole and through on penalties against Switzerland, writes Tom Barclay.
The Three Lions looked to be going out when Breel Embolo had put Swiss ahead on 75 minutes.
But Arsenal star Saka dragged England back into five minutes later with a stunning effort off the post.
To penalties it went - just like it did between these two sides five years ago in the Nations League.
And just like back then, Jordan Pickford made a save - repelling the Swiss’s first effort from Manuel Akanji.
England were perfect from then on, with Cole Palmer, Jude Bellignam, Saka, Ivan Toney and finally Trent Alexander-Arnold sending the Three Lions into the semi-final.
Here's how the players rated...
Jordan Pickford: 7
Had his heart in his mouth when Xherdan Shaqiri’s corner deep into extra-time hit the post and bar, but then pulled off a smart stop to take it to penalties.
Saved Manuel Akanji’s first spot-kick by diving low to his left.
Kyle Walker: 6
Spent most of the game on the right side of a three which meant he could not get forward. Embolo got in front of him for Switzerland’s opener. Won the toss so the penalties were taken in front of the England fans.
John Stones: 6
Crisper passing in the first half, much better than his sloppy Slovakia display, but his deflection on Dan Ndoye’s cross diverted it to Embolo.
Ezri Konsa: 6
Was decent in the first half of his maiden start at a major tournament but, like the rest of the team, went into his shell after the break.
Kieran Trippier: 6
Had been expected to play right wing-back but was once again on the left.
Solid defensively but, as has been the case throughout the tournament, offered little going forward on his unnatural side.
Declan Rice: 7
Anticipated, and subsequently, won a number of 50-50s at the base of England’s midfield.
It was his decoy run that opened up the space for Saka to find the corner, before his 25-yard wonderstrike was denied by a flying Yann Sommer save in extra-time.
Kobbie Mainoo: 6
Some decent drives forward from midfield. Looked as if he would fire home an opener just before the break after
Bukayo Saka’s nice cutback, but was denied by Granit Xhaka’s excellent block.
Bukayo Saka: 8 and STAR MAN
Did not play at left wing-back as expected, but was England’s most dangerous attacking player throughout - and none more so when he came to the rescue with his 80th-minute leveller which flew in off the post.
Showed huge courage in the shoot-out as he stroked home his penalty beautifully, three years on from missing in the last Euros final.
Jude Bellingham: 6
Produced a few graceful dribbles which showcased his quality in the first half but pretty quiet.
Looked knackered but showed big cojones with his low penalty.
Phil Foden: 6
Admitted before the game that his central role would suit him better and it seemed to in the first 20 minutes, but faded after that.
Harry Kane: 4
This system just does not suit him. He needs runners, but does not look like he is going to get them.
Just could not get into the game and was subbed out of it in extra-time, seconds after he was sent crashing into his manager on the touchline.
SUBS
Cole Palmer (for Konsa, 78): 7
One of three players to come on in reaction to Switzerland’s opener - why did it take so long, Gareth? Dispatched England’s first spot-kick with aplomb.
Luke Shaw (for Trippier, 78): 6
First minutes of football since February, slotting in on the left side of back three as Southgate went for broke.
Eberechi Eze (for Mainoo, 78): 6
Carved out a nice bit of space for himself in the dying moments but fired wide.
Ivan Toney (For Kane, 109): 7
It was no surprise to see him come with the prospect of penalties on the horizon - what was more of a shock was that it was for spot-kick maestro Kane. Was knocked over in the box right at the end of extra-time, but nothing was given. Confident penalty.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (for Foden, 115): 7
Thrown on late into extra-time. Belted home his spot-kick to win it.
Gareth Southgate: 4
The adjusted back three system worked to a certain extent, but still the approach looked to be to keep it tight and rely on a moment of magic.
Saka provided that for the leveller, but given the talent at his disposal, it seemed very limited.
Took an age to make a change - prompted only by Switzerland going ahead. But got his subs right when it came to the penalty shoot-out.
It was a soft goal to concede but England had been passive and static for too long.
After the horse had bolted, Southgate got to work on the barn door.
Trippier, Konsa and Mainoo were dragged off and replaced by Eberi Eze, Cole Palmer and Luke Shaw, finally fit for his first appearance in more than four months.
Suddenly, England played as if rockets had been inserted up their jacksies - and within five minutes, they were level.
It was a sweeping crossfield move which ended with Declan Rice feeding Saka, who netted a trademark finish, swaying, feinting, cutting inside and pinging a low shot in off the far post.
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Bellingham had dropped deeper into midfield, Shaw was in the back three and Eze a wing-back.
The equaliser and the changes gave England the impetus. There was a snap in their passes, a spring in their step, an attacking purpose to their game.
In injury-time, a cross from Schar sparked panic in the England defence but Embolo couldn’t react.
Early in extra-time, Rice let rip from 25 yards and Yann Sommer went full-stretch to turn it around the post - his first save of the match.
This was England with the fabled handbrake off and soon Bellingham was testing Sonner again, though his shot was comfortably saved.
Kane, looking utterly exhausted, was barged into the dugout by Akanji, colliding with Southgate as he tumbled.
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The England boss took that opportunity to replace Kane with Ivan Toney, then introduced Alexander-Arnold for Foden as the seconds ticked down towards the shoot-out.
England finished raggedly and a Xherdan Shaqiri’s corner crashed against the England bar before Zeki Amdouni’s powerful drive was pushed away by Pickford.
Meet England's Euro 2024 Wags
England Wags range from childhood sweethearts to recently blossoming love stories.
Katie Goodland (Harry Kane's wife)
The fitness instructor has been married to the England captain since 2019 and joined him in Germany with their four children after he joined Bayern Munich.
Laura Celia Valk (Jude Bellingham's girlfriend)
The stunning Dutch model, 25, has more than half a million Instagram followers and is said to be absolutely smitten with the Real Madrid star.
Rebecca Cooke (Phil Foden's girlfriend)
Foden's childhood sweetheart and the mother of his two kids tends to keep out of the spotlight, but is a regular at England games.
Dani Dyer (Jarrod Bowen's girlfriend)
England's most famous Wag, former Love Island winner and daughter of Eastenders' Danny Dyer.
Iris Law (Trent Alexander-Arnold's girlfriend)
Dani Dyer isn't the only actor's daughter dating an England star. Iris' dad is Hollywood legend Jude Law.
Megan Davison (Jordan Pickford's wife)
Megan has been with Pickford since he was 14 years old. The couple married in 2022 and have one son.
Olivia Naylor (John Stones' girlfriend)
The 33-year-old former beautician has stepped back from her role after giving birth to a baby son.
Read more about the Wags supporting England at Euro 2024 here
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