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A Harry Kane brace was added to by goals from Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson as England cruised to a 4-0 win over Ukraine in their UEFA Euro 2020 quarter-final tie in Rome on Saturday.
The win sees the Three Lions secure a spot in the last four for the second major tournament in a row.
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Up until this stage of the tournament, England had made a habit of starting their games brightly without finding the net. However, the trend changed in the fourth minute, as Kane latched on to Raheem Sterling’s through ball to give his side the lead.
Ukraine took some time to settle into the game and began to ask some questions of the England defence towards the end of the half. But Gareth Southgate’s men held firm and went into the half-time interval with a deserved lead.
It did not take long for England to extend their lead in the second half. Maguire headed home his side’s second barely a minute after the restart, and Kane added a third four minutes later to put daylight between the two teams.
Jordan Henderson then came on as a second-half substitute and registered his first goal for his country, heading home a corner in the 63rd minute to put England four goals to the good.
With the win effectively in the bag, Southgate was able to rest a few key players as his team saw out the game in Rome and secured yet another clean sheet in the process. England's reward for the win is a semi-final tie against Denmark at the Wembley on Wednesday.
On that note, here are the five major talking points from the game.
#5 Rome provides a neutral setting for a key quarter-final tie
Both teams have had contrasting journeys to the quarter-finals in terms of distance travelled. While England have enjoyed a run of home games at Wembley, Ukraine came into this tie having featured in games in Amsterdam, Bucharest and Glasgow. As such, the Stadio Olimpico served as a neutral venue and added an intriguing level of complexity to this quarter-final tie.
Having become accustomed to playing in front of a crowd dominated by their own fans, England needed to adjust to the loss of their home advantage. Similarly, Ukraine might have gotten used to moving around, but the miles already travelled started to take a toll on their fitness levels as the game wore on.
#4 England showcase their squad depth with notable changes in their starting lineup
From playing Kieran Trippier at left-back in their opening fixture to playing a three-at-the-back formation against Germany, Gareth Southgate has not shied away from making bold calls in his team selection throughout Euro 2020.
As such, it was not entirely unexpected to see Southgate revert to a flat four at the back for this game after opting to go with a three-man defence in the previous one. More interesting, however, were the personnel changes in England's starting lineup.
Jadon Sancho was handed his first start of the tournament as he came in for Bukayo Saka, while the aforementioned Trippier gave way to Mason Mount. The Chelsea midfielder was returning to the fold after spending ten days in mandatory isolation away from the squad.
In the other camp, Ukraine responded with a notable tactical shift of their own. Midfielder Taras Stepanenko dropped to the bench and was replaced by left-back Vitalii Mykolenko, with Oleksandr Zinchenko moving into midfield.
#3 Harry Kane is finding his scoring touch at the most opportune time
After topping the charts in both goals and assists in the 2020-21 Premier League, much was expected of England's Harry Kane going into Euro 2020. As such, it was a surprise to see the England captain look sluggish and off the pace in his team's first few games.
However, Southgate kept faith in his star striker, who repaid his manager’s trust in him by bagging the second goal in England’s 2-0 win over Germany in the Round of 16. With a weight lifted off his shoulders, Kane started scoring more freely, netting a brace against Ukraine.
Ably supported by the equally impressive Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho, Kane helped himself to two goals. His brace not only led England to a thumping victory, but it also bodes well for the Three Lions as they head into the business end of Euro 2020 as one of the firm favourites to lift the title.
#2 England's defence impresses yet again
One of the main reasons for England’s success at Euro 2020 thus far has been their solidity at the back. The Three Lions are the only team in the entire tournament yet to concede a goal, something that will definitely delight the English faithful. They are also the first team in Euro history not to have conceded a goal in their first five games in a single edition of the tournament.
What makes their run of clean sheets even more impressive is the fact that Gareth Southgate has not just chopped and changed in terms of personnel but also in terms of formation during the course of the tournament. Whether playing with a back three or a back four, even in a few different configurations, the English defence has held firm regardless of the opposition.
However, the English backline showed that they have much more to their game than just defensive ability, playing a part in two of the four goals against Ukraine to propel the team to the semi-finals. While Luke Shaw bagged a couple of assists, Harry Maguire popped up with a rare goal to ensure the defenders got their fair share of the spotlight.
While winning the title is the ultimate goal for the team, Southgate and his men will no doubt be looking to extend their impressive defensive record as they progress in the tournament.
#1 A stern Danish test awaits England in the semi-final
Having overcome the trauma of losing one of their star players in Christian Eriksen in their very first game and suffering defeat in their first two matches, Denmark have shown incredible resilience and poise on their way to the semi-final.
During the tournament, the Danes have had impressive performers across the length and breadth of the pitch and are undoubtedly worthy semi-finalists at Euro 2020.
As such, England’s upcoming semi-final clash with Denmark promises to be an extremely engaging affair. That's because both sides head into this tie with a lot of momentum behind them and will be viewing this as a genuine opportunity to get their hands on an international trophy.
