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A contentious Harry Kane penalty in extra-time sent England through to the final of the European Championships for the first time as Gareth Southgate’s men beat Denmark 2-1 in their UEFA Euro 2020 semi-final clash on Wednesday evening.
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The home side made the brighter start to the game but it was the visitors who landed the first blow. Mikkel Damsgaard broke the deadlock in spectacular fashion, hammering home a powerful free-kick in the 30th minute.
The goal seemed to spur England into action and they were back on level terms less than 10 minute later. Bukayo Saka got in behind the Danish defense on the right and sent in a precise cross that Simon Kjaer diverted into his own goal.
The second half could not match the intensity of the first. Both sides came close to taking the lead but neither keeper was unduly tested as the game entered extra time.
The first moment of excitement arrived in the 102nd minute when Raheem Sterling went down in the box under the challenge of Joakim Maehle to win England a penalty. Replays indicated that the contact on Sterling was minimal but the decision stood. Having seen his initial effort saved by Kasper Schmeichel, Kane reacted fastest to slot home the rebound and send his side into the lead.
Southgate’s men proceeded to shut up shop and see out the remainder of the game in relative comfort. Their reward is a mouth-watering clash against Italy in the final on Sunday evening, their first appearance in a major tournament final since 1966.
On that note, here are the hits and flops from a thrilling semi-final clash.
#1 Hit: Mikkel Damsgaard
Although his promotion to the Danish starting eleven came about under rather unfortunate circumstances, Damsgaard grabbed the opportunity with both hands and made the football world take notice.
Starting on the left of a front three, the lively Sampdoria attacker caused the English defense constant problems by dropping into pockets of space. He always made himself available to receive a forward pass whenever Denmark started to put an attack together.
However, it was his set-piece ability that really helped him stand out, as he thundered home the competition’s first goal from a direct free-kick from range to open the scoring on the half-hour mark. In the process, he also became the first player to breach the English defense in the whole tournament. He looked to be a prime candidate to do so again right until he was replaced midway through the second half.
#2 Flop: Kasper Dolberg
Having barely featured in the group stage, Dolberg was handed a start in Denmark’s round of 16 clash against Wales and announced himself on the Euro 2020 stage with a well-taken brace. He followed that up with another goal in the quarter-finals and thus lined up against England with a lot of momentum behind him.
Unfortunately for Dolberg, the English defense effectively put the shackles on him in this game and forced him to battle for each touch he got on the ball. A couple of hopeful pot-shots from distance was all the Nice striker could manage by way of attacking contributions before being taken off in the 67th minute.
#3 Hit: Kyle Walker
While he has not been the most convincing defender in the tournament thus far, Kyle Walker chose the perfect moment to put in his most commanding and effective performance at right-back for the Three Lions.
Known for using his ferocious recovery pace to make crucial tackles and interceptions, the Manchester City man was consistently in the right place at the right time. Walker managed to snuff out a series of potentially threatening Danish attacks.
With energy levels flagging in the second half, Walker’s pace and energy helped him stand out yet again as he seemed to manage both his defensive and attacking assignments with relative ease. Although his deliveries into the box left a little to be desired, that was the only tiny shortcoming in an otherwise excellent display.
#4 Flop: Joakim Maehle
Already something of a novelty as a right-footed player playing at left wing-back, Joakim Maehle is among a select group of players of whom not much was known before. However, he really made a positive impression in this tournament.
Offering electric pace and never-ending desire from the left flank, Maehle has chipped in with goals as well as assists at crucial times. He was definitely a person of interest for England to monitor going into this game.
However, faced with the formidable combination of the pacy Kyle Walker and the energetic Bukayo Saka, the Atalanta wide man struggled to find any joy down the left flank in an attacking sense. He did not fare much better defensively either and spent most of his time on the pitch pinned back inside his own half. He had to deal first with Saka and then Sterling, who he brought down to give away the decisive penalty.
#5 Hit: Raheem Sterling
A slightly underwhelming domestic campaign had cast doubts over Raheem Sterling’s place in England’s starting lineup for the Euros. But the Manchester City attacker has silenced all his doubters with a series of superb displays in attack for the Three Lions.
Amidst scoring England’s first three goals of the tournament and claiming an assist to boot, Sterling has been one of the best players at the Euros. He further strengthened that claim with yet another ‘sterling’ performance against Denmark.
Starting the game on the left wing and ending it 120 minutes later on the right, Sterling showcased boundless levels of energy, searing pace, mesmerizing trickery and superb instinctive positioning as he troubled the Danish defense all night.
Despite struggling to find much to purchase from a solid backline at the start of the game, Sterling did not let his intensity drop even as players around him started to fade away. He was rewarded for his tireless effort midway through the first half of extra time. Yet another dazzling burst saw him pull away from Joakim Maehle in the box only for the Danish wing-back to bring him down in the box and concede the decisive penalty.
