Harry Kane scored an extra-time penalty to see off Denmark 2-1 in a thrilling match played at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday. It is the first time England made it to a men’s major event final since winning the World Cup in 1966.
Impressive Raheem Sterling was felled in the box in a tussle with Denmark players, and the referee Danny Makkelie pointed straight to the spot. There was concern and outrage from the opposing Denmark players but after a quick VAR check, the decision stood.
To add to the suspense, Kasper Schmeichel stopped Harry Kane’s penalty attempt, but the England striker quickly pounced on the rebound to score, sending a packed Wembley to delirium. It was the kind of fun and fulfillment that comes with sports betting as in-play betting during the extra time was always in favor of England.
Gareth Southgate’s side had to come back from a goal down to win, and as the game entered extra time, a controversial penalty settled the game.
The game cooled down after a frantic start, with Denmark sitting back and England doing most of the attacking. Sterling was at the center of everything good for England as the home crowd roared in support of the lions.
All of England’s excellent early effort was nearly undone by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s blunder. His poor throw was easily retrieved after a simple save and under no pressure, but Denmark couldn’t find a space to shoot into what would have been an empty net.
After that, the Danes got into the game and took the lead on the half-hour mark thanks to a spectacular Damsgaard free-kick. The set piece was near-perfect, lashed over the wall and past Pickford’s reach.
The London crown was shaken, as that marked the first goal conceded for England in this Euro edition. Live odds on Betway and other top betting platforms started to balance, but that was short-lived.
England was energized, and minutes after Sterling was denied an equalizer by Schmeichel’s superb save, defender Kjaer turned Bukayo Saka’s cross in for an own-goal, the eleventh for the tournament. Sterling would have had a tap-in if Kjaer hadn’t diverted the ball into the net.
Simon Kjaer’s own goal in the first half wiped out Mikkel Damsgaard’s stunning free-kick in a game that saw Denmark produce another great performance that has defined their campaign.
The match was eerily identical to England’s last European Championship quarterfinal, which it lost to Germany in 1996. That match, too, was played in front of a sold-out Wembley Stadium, but the outcome was drastically different.
Southgate missed the game-winning penalty that night, but 25 years later, the 50-year-old has led his country to its first European Championship final.
“I’m so proud of the players,” Southgate told the UEFA website. “It was an incredible occasion to be a part of. The fans were incredible all night.”
The Three Lions will meet Italy in the finals after Roberto Mancini-led Azzurris’ shootout victory over Spain on Tuesday. There is no better time to bet on the finals with Betway, your true Euro 2020 betting partner.
While Italy has appeared dominant at Euro 2020, England will be hoping that the home crowd at Wembley will spur them on to a historic win on Sunday.
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