England has been heavily criticized during the EC, but it is worth noting that the “Three Lions” still won their group and ended up on the “easy” side of the playoff tree. In the round of 16, there was victory once morest Slovakia following extra time.
In the quarter-finals Switzerland awaited, who cleaned up Italy in the round of 16.
The opening minutes were quite tentative, both England and Switzerland got a feel for the ball and they had some semi-decent attempts at scoring.
After just over ten minutes, England took hold of the baton and the “Three Lions” owned possession. With a quarter to go, the whites called for a penalty when Harry Kane went to the grass following a duel with Fabian Schär. Referee Daniele Orsato waved in disapproval.
The first half was a war of positions where the really hot chances, apart from a position for Kobbie Mainoo just before the break, were missing. The score was 0-0 at half time.
– We have demanded a performance. Now I think we look like a team that knows how to press. This is a big improvement. You can feel that a goal is hanging in the air, said English icon Rio Ferdinand in the BBC.
The biggest exclamation point in the first half was Bukayo Saka, who time and time once more made his way around the right flank.
– Michel Aebischer doesn’t know what to do with Bukayo Saka, said profiler Micah Richards in the BBC and continued:
– Saka has been brilliant, everything he has done has been creative.
Just over ten minutes into the second act, Switzerland created a situation. Breel Embolo stormed onto a cross and attempted a flick-on header. But the forward didn’t get a full hit with his forehead and following the ball caught an English defender, Jordan Pickford was able to save.
The chance was the start of a Swiss game advantage.
With just over 20 minutes remaining, Harry Kane was cautioned following putting his arm in a turn on Manuel Akanji. The striker might hardly believe his eyes.
– From my side, it doesn’t look like a yellow card. Kane puts his arm around Akanji. He tries to get around. It was hard, said former England international Matthew Upson in the BBC.
With a quarter to go, Switzerland took the lead. The scorer was Breel Embolo, who fanned himself forward on a play from the right.
But England came back. Saka equalized in the 80th minute and he did so by breaking in from the right wing and drilling the ball into the far end.
1-1 was the score following normal time and in the absolute final stage Switzerland had a great opportunity. The match went to extra time.
Early in the first added quarter, Declan Rice had a venomous finish from distance. Yann Sommer answered that for a giant save.
– Good save from Sommer. It was heading into one corner. That’s a brilliant save on the shot by Rice, Upson said.
In the 101st minute, Jude Bellingham also had a finish towards goal. But the star didn’t quite get the momentum on the shot and Sommer was able to save with ease.
The first overtime quarter remained scoreless.
In the second quarter, substitute Xherdan Shaqiri sent a corner straight towards the goal. It took the wood. After that, Switzerland had another bid of 2-1.
But following 120 minutes of play the score was still 1-1 and penalties were required to separate the teams. The match went to penalties and there England were slightly sharper. Manuel Akanji was the only one to miss out.
– He is not the first or the last to miss. Things like this make you stronger. We will back him every day here. Support and push, says Granit Xhaka and continues:
– England is an underestimated team. They can win the whole EC
What happened following you scored?
– Nothing. Against a team like this, with such quality, if you sleep even once, you will be on the back foot. For 120 minutes we were ready to give everything and we know that Saka has quality with his left foot. In general, we showed good character and we played a good match, Xhaka told Fotbollskanalen.
The penalties were nice revenge for Bukayo Saka, who missed the decisive penalty in the EC final once morest Italy in 2021.
– It’s up there (among career best moments), absolutely. It was special because we came back and it went to penalties. The last time it went to penalties for us in the EC, we all know how it went, so I’m very proud of everyone, Saka explained to the BBC.
The Arsenal star goes on to explain how he continued to believe in victory, even following the Swiss’s lead:
– I believed it. It felt like we were dominating the game and I thought the chance would come. It did and I was the one who took it, so that makes me proud of myself too.
Punishment:
1. Cole Palmer – Goal
2. Manuel Akanji – miss
3. Jude Bellingham – goal
4. Fabian Schär – goal
5. Bukayo Saka – mål
6. Xherdan Shaqiri – goal
7. Ivan Toney – Goal
8. Zeki Amdouni – mål
9. Trent Alexander-Arnold – goal
The Netherlands or Turkey await in the semi-finals. That match will be played on Wednesday.
Startelvor:
England: Pickford – Walker, Stones, Konsa – Trippier, Rice, Mainoo, Saka – Bellingham, Foden – Kane.
Switzerland: Sommer – Schär, Akanji, Rodriguez – Ndoye, Freuler, Xhaka, Aebischer – Rieder, Vargas – Embolo.
