Euro 2020: England beat Denmark; reach first major final since ‘66

England beat Denmark o reach the final of the UEFA Euro 2020; this will be their first ever Euro final appearance, and the first major final since their FIFA World Cup final in 1966, which they ended up winning 4-2 against West Germany. This semi final was of much essence to them, as they failed to go past this stage in the 2018 World Cup, when they lost to Croatia. However, in this case, a late goal from Harry Kane sufficed.

Denmark were lined up in their usual 3-4-3 formation, which became a routine since the time Christian Eriksen was taken off. Before that, they were seen operating in a 4-2-3-1, with Eriksen deployed as the central attacking midfielder. The Danish were successful in the first part of their plan, as Mikkel Damsgaard opened their account with a brilliant freekick. However, the second part of their plan, which involved desperate defending to keep England out, was easier said than done.

Gareth Southgate’s side, who were lined up in a 4-2-3-1 on the night, made sure to orchestrate their relentless attacks in order to get the goals. With Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel in goal for Denmark, it proved to be a tedious task for England to score. After a penetrative attack, which led Simon Kjaer to clear the ball, for it to only end up in his own net, Southgate’s men found it difficult to score another.

It went up all the way to the extra time, before England were awarded a penalty, which caused a lot of controversy. In the build up to the penalty, there were two balls on the pitch, with the other one being up close to the original ball in play. Experts say that the play must have been stopped. This went on to Sterling getting inside the Denmark penalty area, and going down with minimal contact. It is a collective opinion among top coaches and pundits that it wasn’t a penalty.

Harry Kane stepped up to take it, with Schmeichel saving it. However, the England skipper turned it in on the rebound. A 2-1 score-line was enough for the Three Lions to get to the final. They will now face Italy, who beat Spain in the semifinal.