7/06/24
Quarter Final
England 1(5) vs. Switzerland 1(3)

Jordan Picks his moment as England banish penalty demons

Ryan Fisher, 23 min ago
England kept their Euro 2024 hopes alive in dramatic fashion, as the Three Lions came from behind before beating Switzerland on penalties in Gareth Southgate’s 100th match in charge of the national team to reach a third major semi-final under his stewardship.

After four unconvincing displays, Southgate finally mixed things up by altering England’s shape, matching Switzerland’s five-at-the-back system. And while the Three Lions continued to struggle to create chances, they were certainly able to assert a greater level of control on the contest after a nervy opening 10 minutes. Supporters in Düsseldorf remained frustrated however as neither outfit were able to register a single shot on target before the break, although Kobbie Mainoo was only denied on the stroke of HT by a brilliant last-ditch block from Granit Xhaka.

Switzerland began to display the kind of attacking prowess that had seen them power past Italy following the restart, with Breel Embolo twice threatening to break the deadlock from close range, though both his efforts were tame and straightforward for Jordan Pickford. The Red Crosses were certainly improving as England began to sit deeper and deeper in their own half, as they’ve so often been accused of under Southgate in major tournaments.

Once more, that pessimism came back to haunt them, as Switzerland broke the deadlock through Embolo with a quarter-hour remaining, tapping in from point-blank range at the back post after Dan Ndoye’s cross had been deflected into his path by John Stones. Southgate now had no choice but to ring the changes from the bench, but it was one of his starters who got him out of jail as Bukayo Saka cut in from the right and beautifully curled an effort into the far corner via the post, restoring parity with 10 minutes of regulation time remaining.

England were now armed with the momentum, but failed to find a way through before 90 minutes were up, consigning them to extra-time for a second consecutive game. This time there’d be no strike to immediately snatch the lead as Harry Kane had managed against Slovakia, but Declan Rice came close to a spectacular goal just five minutes into the extra half-hour as his long-range effort was tipped round the post by Yann Sommer. Long-standing Switzerland talisman Xherdan Shaqiri emerged from the bench soon afterwards, and the 32-year-old came inches away from a stunning winner when he hit the woodwork directly from a corner.

Zeki Amdouni and Silvan Widmer also came close to sending their country into the semi-finals, but England held firm to take the game to a penalty shootout. In front of the Three Lions faithful, Cole Palmer got his team off to the perfect start by confidently dispatching his spot-kick, before Pickford backed him up by saving from Manuel Akanji. England were ultimately flawless from the spot, with Trent Alexander-Arnold converting the decisive penalty to send his country to the semi-finals in Dortmund on Wednesday.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Bukayo Saka (England)

England Switzerland


7/06/24
Quarter Final
Netherlands 2 vs. Türkiye 1

Oranje peel away Turkey skin to stay on Euro gravy train

Ben Sully, 9 min ago
The Netherlands demonstrated great determination to come from a goal down to beat Turkey 2-1 in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals, ensuring they can look forward to their sixth European Championship semi-final appearance.

Turkey were forced to go into their third European Championship quarter-final without the services of their last-16 match-winner, Merih Demiral, who was handed a two-match ban for an offensive gesture. In Demiral’s absence, a determined Turkey side soaked up the early Dutch pressure with a physical approach, defying any pre-match fears that their status as outsiders would see a conservative gameplan.

And that paid dividends with a 35th-minute opener for Turkey in the German capital, as teenage talent Arda Güler collected a loose ball from a corner, and then produced a perfectly weighted cross for Samet Akaydin to head home at the far post. Akaydin’s first international goal ultimately proved enough to give Turkey their first HT lead at the tournament, challenging Ronald Koeman to make an inspired team talk at the break.

The Dutch returned to the break with greater intent, but it was their opponents who went close to grabbing a second just before the hour mark when Güler drove an ambitious long-range free-kick against the upright. Turkey clearly had no qualms about trying their luck from a distance, as Kenan Yıldız also saw his name on the back pages for a fleeting moment, unleashing a menacing 20-yard strike that forced Bart Verbruggen into an uncomfortable stop.

However, all of Turkey’s endeavours were rendered void in the 70th minute, when Stefan de Vrij restored parity with an emphatic header following a well-worked short corner. With momentum firmly in their favour, a confident Netherlands side required just six minutes to complete the turnaround, doing so courtesy of a Mert Müldür own goal. The full-back inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net in an attempt to beat Cody Gakpo to Denzel Dumfries’ dangerous delivery.

With their Euro dreams fading, Turkey unleashed an onslaught in the closing stages, forcing the Dutch backline to make crucial blocks, before Verbruggen made an incredible reaction save to deny Semih Kılıçsoy. Koeman’s troops ultimately clawed their way to the finish line to set up a mouthwatering tie against England, ending Turkey’s memorable journey in the process.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Stefan de Vrij (Netherlands)

Netherlands Turkey