ENGLAND will play their seventh tournament semi-final in Dortmund on Wednesday night.
The Three Lions are targeting their second successive European Championship final, having gone the distance three years ago.
They face the Netherlands at Westfalenstadion with Sunday’s event at Olympiastadion Berlin in sight.
It will be Gareth Southgate’s third as England manager, six years on from his first.
He also took part in one as a player – but it was an occasion to forget.
SunSport recalls the other six semi-finals – and remembers where it went right and wrong for the Three Lions.
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1966 Portugal (Wembley) W 2-1
This was the big test for Alf Ramsey’s “wingless wonders” and one they passed thanks to a masterclass by Bobby Charlton.
Charlton steered home the opener from outside the box after Roger Hunt chased down Ray Wilson’s ball over the top and keeper Jose Pereira blocked.
His second was slammed into the bottom corner after Geoff Hurst pushed into his path. Portuguese superstar Eusebio pulled one back from the spot after Jack Charlton handled off the line but England held on.
And, of course, the Three Lions would go on to win what is to this day their only major tournament.
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1968 Yugoslavia (Florence) L 1-0
Alan Mullery became the first England player to be sent off as this European Championship semi-final descended into a kicking match.
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A forgettable game saw Alan Ball force one panicky clearance against the Yugoslav bar but few real chances before Dragan Dzajic sneaked in behind Bobby Moore to prod the winner past Gordon Banks with four minutes left.
Mullery was then dismissed for kicking out at Dobrivoje Trivic. Goals from Charlton and Hurst earned a 2-0 win over the Soviet Union in the third place game.
England player ratings: Saka the saviour for Three Lions but subbed Kane stuggles in penalties thriller vs Switzerland
BUKAYO SAKA showed huge courage as he dug England out of a hole and through on penalties against Switzerland, writes Tom Barclay.
The Three Lions looked to be going out when Breel Embolo had put Swiss ahead on 75 minutes.
But Arsenal star Saka dragged England back into five minutes later with a stunning effort off the post.
To penalties it went – just like it did between these two sides five years ago in the Nations League.
And just like back then, Jordan Pickford made a save – repelling the Swiss’s first effort from Manuel Akanji.
England were perfect from then on, with Cole Palmer, Jude Bellignam, Saka, Ivan Toney and finally Trent Alexander-Arnold sending the Three Lions into the semi-final.
Here’s how the players rated…
Jordan Pickford: 7
Had his heart in his mouth when Xherdan Shaqiri’s corner deep into extra-time hit the post and bar, but then pulled off a smart stop to take it to penalties.
Saved Manuel Akanji’s first spot-kick by diving low to his left.
Kyle Walker: 6
Spent most of the game on the right side of a three which meant he could not get forward. Embolo got in front of him for Switzerland’s opener. Won the toss so the penalties were taken in front of the England fans.
John Stones: 6
Crisper passing in the first half, much better than his sloppy Slovakia display, but his deflection on Dan Ndoye’s cross diverted it to Embolo.
Ezri Konsa: 6
Was decent in the first half of his maiden start at a major tournament but, like the rest of the team, went into his shell after the break.
Kieran Trippier: 6
Had been expected to play right wing-back but was once again on the left.
Solid defensively but, as has been the case throughout the tournament, offered little going forward on his unnatural side.
Declan Rice: 7
Anticipated, and subsequently, won a number of 50-50s at the base of England’s midfield.
It was his decoy run that opened up the space for Saka to find the corner, before his 25-yard wonderstrike was denied by a flying Yann Sommer save in extra-time.
Kobbie Mainoo: 6
Some decent drives forward from midfield. Looked as if he would fire home an opener just before the break after
Bukayo Saka’s nice cutback, but was denied by Granit Xhaka’s excellent block.
Bukayo Saka: 8 and STAR MAN
Did not play at left wing-back as expected, but was England’s most dangerous attacking player throughout – and none more so when he came to the rescue with his 80th-minute leveller which flew in off the post.
Showed huge courage in the shoot-out as he stroked home his penalty beautifully, three years on from missing in the last Euros final.
Jude Bellingham: 6
Produced a few graceful dribbles which showcased his quality in the first half but pretty quiet.
Looked knackered but showed big cojones with his low penalty.
Phil Foden: 6
Admitted before the game that his central role would suit him better and it seemed to in the first 20 minutes, but faded after that.
Harry Kane: 4
This system just does not suit him. He needs runners, but does not look like he is going to get them.
Just could not get into the game and was subbed out of it in extra-time, seconds after he was sent crashing into his manager on the touchline.
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Cole Palmer (for Konsa, 78): 7
One of three players to come on in reaction to Switzerland’s opener – why did it take so long, Gareth? Dispatched England’s first spot-kick with aplomb.
Luke Shaw (for Trippier, 78): 6
First minutes of football since February, slotting in on the left side of back three as Southgate went for broke.
Eberechi Eze (for Mainoo, 78): 6
Carved out a nice bit of space for himself in the dying moments but fired wide.
Ivan Toney (For Kane, 109): 7
It was no surprise to see him come with the prospect of penalties on the horizon – what was more of a shock was that it was for spot-kick maestro Kane. Was knocked over in the box right at the end of extra-time, but nothing was given. Confident penalty.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (for Foden, 115): 7
Thrown on late into extra-time. Belted home his spot-kick to win it.
Gareth Southgate: 4
The adjusted back three system worked to a certain extent, but still the approach looked to be to keep it tight and rely on a moment of magic.
Saka provided that for the leveller, but given the talent at his disposal, it seemed very limited.
Took an age to make a change – prompted only by Switzerland going ahead. But got his subs right when it came to the penalty shoot-out.
1990 West Germany (Turin) D 1-1 (West Germany won 4-2 on penalties)
Arguably England’s best performance under Bobby Robson ended in heartache and tears.
Chances came and went at both ends in a whirlwind game before Andreas Brehme’s free-kick looped off Paul Parker to drop beyond a helpless Peter Shilton.
But Gary Lineker then turned Parker’s hopeful ball forward into an assist as he fired past Bodo Illgner.
Paul Gascoigne was in bits after the booking that would have ruled him out of the final and shoot-out misses by Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle were fatal.
1996 Germany (Wembley) D 1-1 (Germany won 6-5 on penalties)
Another story of what might have been as Gareth Southgate joined the long list of shoot-out victims.
Terry Venables’ side made the perfect start when Gascoigne’s corner was flicked on by Tony Adams for Alan Shearer to score.
But Germany soon levelled through Stefan Kuntz and both sides had narrow escapes in normal and extra-time.
Penalties again and while Shearer, David Platt, Pearce, Gascoigne and Teddy Sheringham all scored, Germany were equally strong.
Southgate’s shocker made Andreas Moller the one to win it.
2018 Croatia (Moscow) L 1-2
Another near-miss for England, who ran out of legs and smarts just when it mattered most.
Kieran Trippier’s sensational free-kick put Southgate’s side in front and they had the chances to put the Croatians away in the first half.
But they all went begging and Luka Modric and Co wrested control.
Ivan Perisic stole in front of Kyle Walker to nudge the leveller and in extra-time Mario Manduzic ran in behind a slow-reacting defence to beat Jordan Pickford. So near, so far.
2021 Denmark (Wembley) W 2-1
“Sweet Caroline” has never been sung so loud and so long than after this epic evening.
The Danes went in front from a terrific Mikkel Damsgaard free-kick but Simon Kjaer put through his own goal as he tried to prevent Raheem Sterling converting Bukayo Saka’s cross.
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Extra-time brought the key moment, when Sterling went down in the box under pressure from Mathias Jensen.
Skipper Harry Kane’s penalty was saved by Kasper Schmeichel but he knocked home the rebound to earn the first England final since 1966.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
