Euro 2020

ENGLAND fans celebrated knocking Germany out of the European Championship by posting hilarious memes. The Three Lions secured a famous win as they dumped their arch rivals out with a 2-0 win.
Credit: Twitter
Credit: Twitter

Captain Harry Kane was fiannly among the goals after Raheem Sterling opened the scoring with his third of the tournament.
The 45,000 fans at Wembley were on their feet in jubilation with the rest of the nation sent into meltdown.
And the celebrations continued online with some amazing memes with England through to the quarter-finals in Rome against Ukraine.
Thomas Muller, who squandered a golden chance to equalise, was particularly targeted with some brutal trolling.
Manager Gareth Southgate’s ‘redemption’ was also referenced, 15 years after his Euro 96 penalty shootout heartbreak.
The former centre-back missed England’s decisive penalty at Wembley, with Germany progressing to and winning the final.
And while he can never forget the pain of the spot-kick, he enjoyed a level of revenge with Germany sent packing.
Southgate, 50, told the BBC: “I’m just so pleased.

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“I was looking at the big screen and I saw Dave Seaman up there.
“For the team-mates that played with me, I can’t change that, so that’s always going to hurt.
“But what’s lovely is that we’ve given people another day to remember and now we’ve got to go and do it in Rome.” More

ENGLAND will play Ukraine in the Euro 2020 quarter-finals after they snatched a dramatic last-gasp extra-time winner against Sweden.Artem Dovbyk broke Swedish hearts just seconds before penalties by powering in a sensational header to set up a clash with the Three Lions in Rome on Saturday.
Artem Dovbyk made no mistake from close range in added time of extra-timeCredit: Reuters
Artem Dovbyk scored a dramatic last-gasp winnerCredit: Getty
Man City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko opened the scoring with a cracking effortCredit: Getty
The game looked destined to go to penalties before Oleksandr Zinchenko’s brilliant delivery was met by Dovbyk.
Andriy Shevchenko’s Ukraine have now reached the last eight for the first time in their history.
Zinchenko’s opener for Ukraine and Emil Forsberg’s leveller for the Swedes ensured their tactical battle of an encounter stretched into extra time.
At least it gave England boss Gareth Southgate plenty of time to spend analysing Ukraine who – on occasion – can be extremely effective.
And an extra 30 minutes in their legs will do England’s chances no harm at all.
Despite playing with four at the back for all three of their group stage games, Ukraine decided to switch to a three at the back to provide extra cover.
After all, of the teams to reach the last 16, no side have faced more shots on target than Ukraine with 16.
For a young manager like Shevchenko it showed he has the tactical bravery to switch it up in big games.
Sweden stuck with their rigid but tried and tested 4-4-2 that saw them top a group that included Spain.
Ukraine opened the scoring on 27 minutesCredit: Getty
Sweden star Emil Forsberg rifled his country levelCredit: Reuters
Forsberg scored his fourth goal of the tournamentCredit: AP
That space down the right for Ukraine was gladly used by Andriy Yarmolenko as he drifted in and out of dangerous positions in the early stages of the first half.
In the 10th minute his pull-back in the box for an unmarked Roman Yaremchuk forced Robin Olsen into a smart stop down to his right.
But then we saw the benefits of Forsberg’s positioning and his licence to stay forward and roam as he began to find space himself drifting infield.
Another Swede with attacking freedom is Alexander Isak, whose give and go with Dejan Kulusevski resulted in a fine curling effort that just grazed the far post.
But Sweden were failing to learn their lessons with Yarmolenko, and they were punished in the 27th minute with a goal Southgate’s side would have been proud to conjure up.
Mykola Shaparenko’s inch-perfect cross-field switch picked out Yarmolenko unmarked on the edge of the box before the West Ham creator found Zinchenko with the outside of his boot.
The Manchester City wing-back struck it first time with the sweetest of hits – powerful enough to force its way through the hands of Olsen.
His celebration said it all, running over to Shevchenko with his finger pursed to his lips, as he became the youngest ever scorer for Ukraine at the Euros.
Emil Forsberg hit the woodwork twice in the second halfCredit: PA
Sweden were reduced to ten men when Marcus Danielson was sent off in extra-time for this challengeCredit: AFP
Sweden responded just before the break from the man they turn to in times of trouble.
Drifting inside once more, collecting a ball off Isak from 25 yards, Forsberg let rip and his deflected effort left Heorhiy Bushchan rooted as the ball bulged the net.
His fourth goal at the Euros means his surprise contention for the Euros Golden Boot continues, and his fifth in his last five games in all competitions for his country.
Remarkably, he had recently gone 11 games without a goal. Those days are long gone.
Sweden pressed their advantage in the second half, but amazingly refused to man-mark Ukraine’s only real creative threat in Yarmolenko.
Once again in the 55th minute he was found free and allowed to drive into the box as he teed up Serhiy Sydorchuk to smack the post with a curling effort.
But Ukraine were being penned back, and it was Sweden’s turn to tease their own fans with the lead by smacking the upright.
Breaking on the counter, Forsberg cut inside to hit the base of the post, and then moments later in a replicated move he thumped the crossbar.

Sandwiched in between that was a was a wasted effort from Isak as his first-time connection with Albin Ekdal’s ball over the top was fluffed.
Bushchan was then forced into his first real save of the half after being saved by his posts – tipping over a fired effort from Kulusevski.
The game headed to extra-time and was looking like a stalemate before momentum shifted hen Sweden defender Marcus Danielson was sent off in the 98th minute.
He had initially won the ball but his follow through clattered Artem Besedin and he was off after a VAR review.
It still looked to be heading to a shootout, but one final attack saw Dovbyk dramatically steal the headlines late on and set up a meeting with the Three Lions.
Harry Kane sends Wembley wild as fans clamber over each over in amazing scenes as England beat Germany at Euro 2020 More

SWEDEN defender Marcus Danielson was sent off for a potential leg-breaker on Ukraine’s Artem Besedin in their crunch Euro 2020 clash.The 32-year-old was given his marching orders via a VAR review into his challenge in extra time with the scores level – only for his country to lose the game seconds before a penalty shoot-out.
Sweden star Marcus Danielson was sent off for a rough challenge on Ukraine’s Artem BesedinCredit: Reuters
The defender’s forceful tackle garnered split opinion on social mediaCredit: Getty

That’s not a red card. He’s perfectly entitled to clear that ball. Slow motion once again turning an innocuous challenge look more than it was. Ridiculous.— Gary Lineker 💙 (@GaryLineker) June 29, 2021

Says the bloke who never tackled. It was a recklessly high challenge that could have broken his opponent’s leg. Definite red card. https://t.co/tEmwHisPJb— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 29, 2021

Danielson was initially awarded a yellow after his attempted clearance ended with him catching Besedin on the follow-through.
However, Italian referee Daniele Orsato was advised to have another look at the tackle on the pitch-side monitor.
And replays showed that although Danielson got the ball first, his studs were high and they caught Besedin’s leg – bending it awkwardly.
The centre-back – who plays his club football at Chinese Super League club Dalian Professional – was furious with the decision.
Gary Lineker and Joey Barton were among those watching at home who clearly had sympathy for Danielson as he took to social media to claim it was never a red card.
Lineker tweeted: “That’s not a red card. He’s perfectly entitled to clear that ball.
“Slow motion once again turning an innocuous challenge look more than it was. Ridiculous.”
Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey told SunSport he did think it was a red.
And plenty agreed with him that Danielson should have been being given his marching orders after Besedin’s knee hyperextended under the pressure and he was forced to come off.

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Mark Halsey’s viewMARCUS DANIELSON can have no complaints after the Sweden defender was sent off for serious foul play in extra-time against Ukraine.
When you lunge at the ball with one or two feet you run the risk of being red carded for a challenge of this type.
Danielson was high and, although he won the ball first, his follow through caught Artem Besedin.
It was a challenge which endangered a player’s safety with excessive force and met the criteria for a dismissal for me.
I thought it was a good use of VAR by Italian official Massimiliano Irrati, who advised countryman Daniele Orsato to consult the pitchside monitor.
Once Orsato saw the challenge again there was no doubt he was going to dish out a red card to Danielson.

Never a red that! Nonsense— Joey Barton🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (@Joey7Barton) June 29, 2021

Lineker’s friend Piers Morgan replied to the BBC pundit saying: “Says the bloke who never tackled.
“It was a recklessly high challenge that could have broken his opponent’s leg. Definite red card.”
Danielson’s red card meant he became only the fourth player to receive his marching orders in extra-time of a Euros match.
And Ukraine finally made the extra man count with Artem Dovbyk’s stopping header enough to set up a quarter-final clash against England.
Jurgen Klinsmann congratulates England and admits Three Lions deserved to beat Germany in classy message More

JOSE MOURINHO believes France manager Didier Deschamps made one crucial error that led to his team’s shock Euro 2020 elimination.Les Tricolores, who were considered by many as the favourites to win the tournament, crashed out of the competition after losing to Switzerland on penalties.
France manager Didier Deschamps saw his team crash out of Euro 2020Credit: AFP
Jose Mourinho believes France manager Didier Deschamps made one crucial errorCredit: The Sun
Les Bleus looked set to qualify for the quarter-finals after Karim Benzema’s brace and Paul Pogba’s screamer cancelled out Haris Seferovic’s opener.
But then Deschamps decided to take off Antoine Griezmann, who had been very influential, and replaced him with Moussa Sissoko on 88 minutes, shortly after Seferovic’s second goal.
Mourinho claims that was a critical mistake as managers shouldn’t remove their best players from matches that could go to extra-time.
And the former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham boss was proven right, as Mario Gavranovic equalised shortly after.
France star Antoine Griezmann was taken off in the dying moments of the match – with the score still at 3-2Credit: Getty
France ace Moussa Sissoko replaced Antoine GriezmannCredit: AP

The game went to penalties where Kylian Mbappe failed to score the deciding spot-kick as Switzerland knocked out the reigning world champions.
Mourinho told talkSPORT: “I believe France had a little bit of fun, which in football I think you must have after the game, not during the game. They had fun too early.
“They were playing fantastic, the way they changed the result, amazing, Benzema’s first goal was incredible, Pogba’s third goal was top. But then I think they had a little bit of fun.
“I also believe Deschamps made one mistake that I think about many, many times.

“When you’re in a game where there’s a possibility of extra-time you have to be very careful with the changes you make.
“When you make a change on minute 89 and you take off one of your best players, Griezmann, who was playing amazingly well and you change Griezmann for Sissoko.
“If this is a points game without extra-time that’s OK.
“But when there’s the possibility of extra-time that’s a big game because then you make that change, they equalise in minute 91 or 92, you go to extra-time and then you want to shoot yourself because you left Griezmann out of extra-time.
“Then in extra-time you have the unlucky situation you cannot control of Benzema getting injured or feeling something and you lose your two top attacking players.

“And then during extra-time you never felt France could win it because they didn’t have the power to do it.
“I think in this moment that Deschamps knows he made that mistake, which is something that can happen to every one of us, but experience helps us.
“When you have extra-time as a possibility still open you don’t take off one of your best players.”
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Jose Mourinho reveals why France went out of Euro 2020 More