England WIN thrilling penalty shootout against Switzerland to reach Euro 2024 semi-final after Saka’s late heroics

JORDAN PICKFORD was England’s spot-kick hero as Gareth Southgate’s side won a tense shoot-out to reach the European Championship semi-final. 

The Everton keeper made a brilliant save from Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji from Switzerland’s first penalty.

14

14

14

14

14

14

14

14

14

And all five of England’s takers - Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold - hit the target. 

For Saka there was a Stuart Pearce moment as the exorcised the ghost of his miss in the last Euros final, when England were defeated by Italy.

Saka had cancelled out Breel Embolo’s late opener to force extra-time and then played his part in England’s third shoot-out win in four attempts under Gareth Southgate, who celebrated his 100th match as manager in style.  

Without having played particularly well since the first half of their opener againsr Serbia, England have reached a third semi-final in four tournaments, in Dortmund on Wednesday.  

England had been better than in their chaotic last-16 victory over Slovakia but they were still far too passive in the second half of normal time and ragged by the end of extra-time. 

Southgate changed to a 3-4-2-1 formation but there was still only one, enforced, alteration in personnel - Ezra Konsi into defence in place of the suspended Marc Guehi. 

No Palmer and no Alexander-Arnold at right-back. He is rarely radical. 

Playing Saka as a right wing-back and Trippier on the left seemed to negate the attacking benefits of the new system - there was no real width. 

BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS

14

14

14

14

Switzerland had stuffed Italy last week and went within minutes of defeating Germany in the group stage - and yet they were also the only team to fail to beat Scotland. 

It was a plodding start. England had a lot of the ball but didn’t do much with it. 

---

14

EURO 2024 LIVE: KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM GERMANY

---

They wasted set-pieces, squandered final balls and lacked express pace. 

Mainoo and Bellingham had their moments, threatening to spark something but the Swiss were obdurate, giving little away.

Bellingham won a corner from which England passed it all the way back from Jordan Pickford - thus summing up their entire tumbleweed campaign in the space of ten seconds. 

Fabian Schar was booked for body-checking Bellingham, then Saka wriggled past Michel Aebischer and centred low for Kobbie Mainoo, whose shot was blocked.

It was better than the shambles against Slovakia but there was little to set pulses racing and there were no shots on target from either side in the first half. 

Breel Embolo finally managed that for the Swiss but he shot straight at Pickford. 

The Swiss were beginning to exert pressure, their outnumbered supporters making most of the noise, and England were making unforced errors and finding themselves pinned back. 

Kane was lumbering around and had been well shackled by Manuel Akanji.

Eventually, the England skipper was booked after a foul on the Manchester City man. 

The frustration was building. Switzerland boss Murat Yakin made a double change but, as ever, Southgate stuck rigidly with his starting eleven, despite any obvious suggestions of them creating chances. 

The warning signs had been there but England didn’t heed them and 14 minutes from time, the damage was done. 

With remarkably little pressure from Southgate’s men Schar freed Dan Ndoye down the right, Konsa - who had been looking shaky for some time - failed to react and Ndoye’s low centre, Stones failed to clear and Embolo poked in at the far post. 

It was a soft goal to concede but England had been passive and static for too long.  

After the horse had bolted, Southgate got to work on the barn door. 

Trippier, Konsa and Mainoo were dragged off and replaced by Eberi Eze, Cole Palmer and Luke Shaw, finally fit for his first appearance in more than four months. 

Suddenly, England played as if rockets had been inserted up their jacksies - and within five minutes, they were level. 

It was a sweeping crossfield move which ended with Declan Rice feeding Saka, who netted a trademark finish, swaying, feinting, cutting inside and pinging a low shot in off the far post. 

Bellingham had dropped deeper into midfield, Shaw was in the back three and Eze a wing-back. 

The equaliser and the changes gave England the impetus. There was a snap in their passes, a spring in their step, an attacking purpose to their game. 

In injury-time, a cross from Schar sparked panic in the England defence but Embolo couldn’t react. 

Early in extra-time, Rice let rip from 25 yards and Yann Sommer went full-stretch to turn it around the post - his first save of the match.

This was England with the fabled handbrake off and soon Bellingham was testing Sonner again, though his shot was comfortably saved. 

Kane, looking utterly exhausted, was barged into the dugout by Akanji, colliding with Southgate as he tumbled.

The England boss took that opportunity to replace Kane with Ivan Toney, then introduced Alexander-Arnold for Foden as the seconds ticked down towards the shoot-out. 

England finished raggedly and a Xherdan Shaqiri’s corner crashed against the England bar before Zeki Amdouni’s powerful drive was pushed away by Pickford.