England return to Wembley two wins from a first UEFA European Championship title after recording their biggest-ever victory at the tournament with a 4-0 demolition of Ukraine in the quarter-finals in Rome.
Having successfully negotiated a trip to the Stadio Olimpico with a flourish, Gareth Southgate’s team is to have the support of about 60,000 fans when they take on Denmark for a place in the final on Wednesday.
Three years on from a bitter FIFA World Cup semi-final loss to Croatia, England have the chance to move on from that disappointment and end a long wait for silverware.
Photo: AFP
With the remainder of the competition to be played in London and COVID-19 restrictions severely limiting traveling fans, they are unlikely to get a better opportunity of adding to the 1966 World Cup win.
“Teams have to go on a bit of a journey and they have to go through some pain sometimes to progress,” Southgate said. “We’ve had some great nights over the last four years, but we’ve also had some painful ones and that’s definitely helped us prepare for another tournament.”
Unlike in Russia, where Harry Kane’s hot start soon became a distant memory as England entered the knockout phase, the Tottenham striker looks to have rediscovered his form at the perfect moment.
“To come here, prepare differently, play in a historic stadium on a night that was beautiful for football with the weather inspired the players,” Southgate said. “They gave a fantastic performance — not only the players who started, but the players who came into the game.”
“The recognition in moments like tonight was that we didn’t want to take a backwards step. We really wanted to grasp an opportunity. I thought the players were decisive and ruthless all night,” he added.
England matched their four-goal total output from their four previous games in just 90 minutes, as they ripped apart a vulnerable Ukraine backline.
Jadon Sancho looked sharp on his first start of Euro 2020, with Raheem Sterling again impressing, and Mason Mount showed no sign of rust after missing the past two games after being forced to quarantine.
Such was the dominance of England’s display that Jack Grealish, who played a vital role coming off the bench in the victory over Germany, was kept in reserve, along with Phil Foden.
“We are on the right track for sure, but we haven’t done nothing yet,” Kane said. “We have got a massive semi-final to look forward to now at Wembley.”
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