Euro 2024 - live: England news and analysis with Gareth Southgate’s side preparing for semi-finals
The Three Lions are through to the last four in Germany and a tie against Netherlands awaits
Euro 2024 is entering its final week and only four nations remain involved - with England still one of them following a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Switzerland in Dusseldorf. Gareth Southgate had to turn to his substitutes and squad players to get them a late equaliser and subsequent win from 12 yards, with Trent Alexander-Arnold drilling in the decisive effort.
Now they’ll face Netherlands in the last four after their comeback win over Turkey - while Spain and France will meet in the other semi-final.
Gareth Southgate spoke after the game about his pride in the squad overcoming challenges and pointed out this side has overcome the demons of previous tournaments when it comes to penalties: “We’ve been in four and we won three. We got crucified for the one we lost but it’s outcome based,” he said after knocking out the Swiss. “We have more regular penaly takers now than then [against Italy] and more who have been in shootouts. We have a calm process but the players still have to deal with it the way they did.”
Now it’s all about recovery ahead of Wednesday’s meeting in Dortmund, and honing the tactics to help them reach a second men’s European Championship final in three years. Follow all the latest news and England analysis and reaction below:
England’s record on penalties following shootout win against Switzerland
Argentina, 1998 World Cup
Paul Ince and David Batty missed as England’s miserable penalty record was extended on a dramatic night that saw them earn a 2-2 draw despite David Beckham’s sending off.
England’s record on penalties following shootout win against Switzerland
Germany, Euro 96
The wave of euphoria in England’s home tournament finally expired with defeat to Germany in a semi-final shootout, with current Three Lions coach Gareth Southgate famously missing the decisive kick.
England’s record on penalties following shootout win against Switzerland
Spain, Euro 96
After a goalless quarter-final, Fernando Hierro hit the crossbar with Spain’s first penalty before David Seaman denied Miguel Angel Nadal.
England scored four from four thanks to Alan Shearer, David Platt, Stuart Pearce and Paul Gascoigne, with Pearce’s cathartic celebrations providing the enduring memory as he laid to rest the ghost of his World Cup miss.
England’s record on penalties following shootout win against Switzerland
West Germany, 1990 World Cup
Bobby Robson’s side held eventual champions West Germany to a 1-1 draw in Turin, but could not match their opponents from 12 yards.
All four Germans converted but Stuart Pearce saw his effort saved and Chris Waddle blazed over the bar as England’s run ended in the semi-finals.
Amiable and bland? How Cody Gakpo joined the ranks of Netherlands’ most talismanic forwards
Marco van Basten, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert… Cody Gakpo? The man who has spent parts of the past season as Liverpool’s fifth-choice forward may not seem a worthy successor to some of the Dutch striking greats. But three Netherlands players have won the Golden Boot in the European Championships; Van Basten on his own in 1988, Bergkamp and Kluivert sharing it with others in 1992 and 2000 respectively. As Euro 2024 entered the quarter-finals, Gakpo was on course to become the fourth.
And if that feels unexpected, it may be a still greater surprise that Gakpo has already scored more goals in major tournaments than the great Van Basten: the Netherlands’ finest No 9 – Johan Cruyff being their definitive false nine – scored five in 1988, but none in the 1990 World Cup or Euro ’92. Two tournaments in, Gakpo has three in each, six from just nine games. His shot conversion rate is a hugely impressive 37.5 percent.
How Cody Gakpo joined the ranks of Netherlands’ most talismanic forwards
The Liverpool striker has three goals in four games at Euro 2024 and is a realistic contender to emulate his fellow Dutchmen in winning the golden boot
Wout Weghorst changes the game to send Netherlands past Turkey to Euro 2024 semi-final with England
For the second time in two days, the home team went out of Euro 2024. If Germany are the hosts, the Turkish diaspora had made Berlin feel as if it stood on the banks of the Bosphorus. They were little more than 20 minutes from a semi-final in Dortmund which, given the Ruhr’s vast Turkish population, could have seemed like another home game.
But then came the Dutch comeback. The Netherlands eliminated the West German hosts in Euro ’88. They silenced the Turkish locals in Euro 2024. Two goals in seven minutes set up a showdown with England and takes Ronald Koeman closer to the double of winning the European Championship as player and manager.
Wout Weghorst changes the game to send Netherlands past Turkey to semi-finals
Netherlands 2-1 Turkey: The Dutch fired balls into the box in the direction of their giant substitute striker as they mounted a late comeback
Jordan Pickford’s secret penalty cheat sheet revealed after England sink Switzerland at Euro 2024
Jordan Pickford used a secret sheet of notes taped to a drinks bottle to help England triumph over Switzerland in their Euro 2024 quarter-final.
The match finished 1-1 at full-time after Breel Embolo’s second-half goal was soon matched by Bukayo Saka’s trademark finish, and it stayed that way through extra time. But England put together a perfect penalty shootout, scoring all five of their kicks to progress to the semi-finals.
Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Ivan Toney scored before Trent Alexander-Arnold converted the winning kick, after Pickford had saved Switzerland’s first penalty from Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji.
Jordan Pickford’s secret penalty cheat sheet revealed after England sink Switzerland
Jordan Pickford’s drinks bottle helped England beat Switzerland in their quarter-final penalty shootout
Bukayo Saka moves past England heartbreak to become heartbeat of Euro 2024 team
As Bukayo Saka stepped up for the penalty against Switzerland, a lot of the England staff were conscious of the weight on his shoulders. Some tried not to mention it, but it did hang there. He’d taken many for Arsenal in response to that Euro 2020 miss, but it was nothing like this.
“I know there’s a lot of nervous people watching, like my family…” Saka himself said afterwards. That’s enough of a thought to flash through your mind in itself.
Bukayo Saka moves past heartbreak to become heartbeat of England team
After missing his penalty in the Euro 2020 final shootout, Saka struck perfectly against Switzerland – having already saved his nation in normal time
‘You did it for me and Marcus’: Jadon Sancho delights in Bukayo Saka penalty redemption for England
Jadon Sancho has praised Bukayo Saka for his redemptive penalty for England football team at the European Championship that went some way to banishing the memories of their high-profile shootout misses at the previous tournament in 2021.
Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Saka either missed or had their spot kicks saved in the shootout won by Italy at the Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium. They are all Black players and they received vicious racist abuse on social media afterward.
‘You did it for me and Marcus’: Sancho delights in Saka penalty redemption
The duo - along with Marcus Rashford - missed spot-kicks in the Euro 2020 final
Ivan Toney shows off ‘no-look’ skills in England camp after netting famous penalty at Euro 2024
Ivan Toney has been showing off his “no-look” skills in the England camp after netting a famous penalty at Euro 2024.
The Three Lions reached the semi-finals by beating Switzerland in a shootout and fans were quick to notice that Toney dispatched his spot-kick without even looking at the ball.
Brentford’s star striker has since been labelled “cold” on social media - but it turns out there’s plenty more he can do without looking.
On Monday 8 July, England shared a hilarious video of Toney reading, playing basketball, darts and Connect Four - all without taking his eyes the camera.
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