Euro 2024

OLLIE WATKINS incredibly predicted his dramatic winner against Netherlands that has sent England marching into the Euro 2024 final.The Aston Villa striker, 28, lashed home a stunning stoppage-time goal to hand Gareth Southgate’s men a 2-1 victory in Dortmund.Cole Palmer set up Ollie Watkins’ dramatic late winner in England’s Euros semi-finalCredit: GettyHAS OLLIE WATKINS WON IT FOR ENGLAND?! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿ASTON VILLA’S OLLIE WATKINS IS A SUPERSTAR SHOOTER! 🤩🎯#Euro2024 | #NEDENG pic.twitter.com/67Zpbwg6QQ— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 10, 2024

Watkins’ brilliant finish has sent England to Sunday’s final in Berlin against SpainCredit: AFPBut the crucial moment came as no surprise to Watkins – who claims he told fellow late substitute Cole Palmer they were going to be involved in a goal.Watkins, who lashed home Palmer’s pass, said: “I swear on my life, my kid’s life, I said to Cole Palmer: we’re coming on today and you’re gonna set me up.”The former Exeter and Brentford man had played just 20 minutes at the Euros before he came off the bench against the Dutch.But his 81st-minute cameo proved to be decisive as his surreal winner sent England fans wild.READ MORE ON ENGLANDSpeaking in his post-match press conference, Watkins said: “Lost for words really.”When you score there are emotions that come through your body but this is just a different feeling. It was in slow motion when I ran to celebrate with the boys.”I didn’t want to get off the pitch at the end, I wanted to soak it all in as it doesn’t happen often.”He went on to add: “The ball came into me, hold up is not the strongest side of my game but the goal was my bread and butter.Most read in Euro 2024CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS”I said to Cole Palmer we were both going to go on the pitch and he would set me up and it happened.”You don’t get that opportunity very often and I had to be greedy and take the shot. I don’t think I have hit the ball so sweet like that before.”The Sun’s Charlie Wyett praises England as Ollie Watkins 90th minute winner puts Three Lions into Euro 2024 finalIt was Watkins’ fourth goal in 14 England caps and adds to an incredible season.He scored 27 goals and assisted 13 in 53 appearances for Villa, inspiring them to Champions League qualification.England ratings vs HollandENGLAND stormed into the final against Spain thanks to Ollie Watkins’ last-minute strike in the 2-1 win over Holland.It was a brilliant team performance, but how did each player rate?SunSport’s Tom Barclay ran the rule over Southgate’s boys, and here’s how he rated them.Jordan Pickford: 7Bigger goalkeepers may have got a stronger hand to Xavi Simons’ early stunner – though that was being hypercritical. Solid stop to deny Virgil van Dijk after the hour.Kyle Walker: 7Looked re-energised after some lumbering displays and bombed on at times in the first half, despite his role on the right of a back three. Last-ditch tackle on Cody Gakpo was spot on.John Stones: 7Strong in possession. He looks to have benefited from regular game-time after rarely featuring for Manchester City in the last few months.Marc Guehi: 6Came back into the side after suspension ruled him out of the Switzerland game. Had an unenviable task of making the big man Wout Weghorst after the break.Bukayo Saka: 7Razor-sharp in the first half, winning tackles, making runs and dribbling the ball proficiently. Less of an impact after the break, had a goal ruled out for offside and was booked.Declan Rice: 6Lost possession for Simons’ thunderous opener but grew into the game, mopping up where necessary. Poor pass when Kane was open midway through the second half.Kobbie Mainoo: 8Was England’s youngest-ever player to play in a major-tournament semi-final, aged 19years 82 days, and had a stormer in the first half. Great bursts forward, vital tackles, and his interplay with Foden was a joy.Kieran Trippier: 6We all know by now that he is playing out of position, so again he was limited going forward and reliable defensively. Subbed at half-time for the more natural Shaw.Phil Foden: 7The first 45 minutes was by far and away his best half of the tournament. Thought he’d scored when his shot was cleared off the line by Denzel Dumfries, and cracked the post with a cracker. But was then surprisingly subbed.Jude Bellingham: 5Back at the ground where he made his name but struggled to make much of an impact on his old stomping ground. Fortunate it was not he that was subbed.Harry Kane: 6Won and dispatched the penalty to go joint top-scorer in the tournament with three goals. Had looked more mobile initially but still tired badly after the break and was taken off.SUBSLuke Shaw (for Kieran Trippier, half-time): 6Looked assured for a man who has been out for so long.Ollie Watkins (for Harry Kane, 81): 9 and STAR MAN Surprisingly given the nod over Ivan Toney as striker sub as Southgate looked for more pace in behind. Brilliant finish into the corner to win the game – you could not ask more from him.Cole Palmer (for Phil Foden, 81): 7Had his big chance in the final minutes but shanked it horribly wide – but then fed Watkins for his wonderful winner.Gareth Southgate: 8His switch to a back three against Switzerland helped dig out the win there, and here it had his team finally playing some great football in the first half. The team went into their shells again as the game wore on and you feared the worst – but you have to say his decision to bring on Ollie Watkins was a masterstroke.  More

AND we all thought England had just the one generational talent.Kobbie Mainoo was effectively brought to Germany as a work experience kid but has emerged as the key kid behind this country’s attempt to rewrite history.Kobbie Mainoo was a stand out performer as England beat the Netherlands to reach the final of Euro 2024Credit: AFPJude Bellingham may not be the Three Lions’ only generational talentCredit: ReutersAfter just five senior starts, England’s new boy wonder will now have a teenage tear-up against Spain’s Lamine Yamal in the Euro 2024 final.Against the Netherlands, he did not merely become England’s youngest ever player to feature in a semi-final of a major tournament, aged 19 years and 82 days.Here, he took this semi-final by the scruff of the neck, delivered a performance which was a joy to watch, particularly in the first half, and now England are in their first final on foreign soil.If Jude Bellingham thought he was certain to be England’s main posterboy over the next decade, he has someone else who has now emerged in his wing mirror within just a few weeks.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLTo bag an FA Cup winners’ medal at the age of 19 was impressive. To then win Euro 2024 a couple of months later would be extraordinary.As we saw with Manchester United, Mainoo has now fitted seamlessly into the team and provided a perfect mix of both style and substance.Give it a couple of years, and you can only imagine how good this lad is going to be.For much of this tournament, the focus has been on the disappointing form of Harry Kane, Bellingham and Phil Foden.Most read in Euro 2024EURO 2024 FREE BETS AND OFFERSSo Mainoo, to a degree, had almost been off the radar. But against the Dutch, In tight, congested spaces, he was a class apart. When he was put under pressure, remained cool, navigated his way out of difficult situations and drove forward.Man Utd fans say ‘the aura is crazy’ after Kobbie Mainoo’s brilliant response about his ‘nickname’Despite what was at stake, Mainoo once again looked extraordinarily composed and was England’s best player in the first half. He won possession, he rode tackles and he drove forward like an old master.He nearly delivered an assist at 1-1 with some brilliant play. He received the ball from Foden, turned and drove forward before returning the ball to his team-mate but the shot was hacked off the line by Denzel DumfriesMainoo delivered a terrific block to snuff out some serious danger in a lightning-quick Dutch counter attack.In the second half, he had less space in midfield but nevertheless still had bags of energy and kept his discipline positionally – and then he let subs Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins deliver the business.It is still mind-boggling that Mainoo is now heading to Berlin on Sunday, when you consider he only made his United debut against Charlton in the Carabao Cup in January 2023. His first Premier League start was just eight months ago.Yet it was his dazzling midfield form in an otherwise dysfunctional United team which earned him his first cap as a substitute against Brazil in March. He was then man-of-the-match in a ridiculously-good performance in the 2-2 draw with Belgium.Mainoo made his England debut off the bench against Brazil in MarchCredit: GettyHe was named Player of the Match for his performance against Belgium for his second capCredit: GettyThe teenager scored an FA Cup final goal at Wembley to help Manchester United lift the trophy last seasonCredit: GettyMainoo’s form dipped in the last few weeks of the season. It was probably because he was knackered carrying some of his team-mates.But he then saved them again in the FA Cup final against Manchester City with a man-of-the-match performance in a 2-1 win.A bit like Adam Wharton, he was part of England’s 26-man squad to soak up the experience, to learn what it is like to feature in a major tournament and maybe, if needed, to have a few cameo roles off the bench.And the fact he was effectively Southgate’s third-choice to partner Declan Rice here in Germany tells you exactly where he stood in a squad of 26.The Trent Alexander-Arnold midfield failed in the two opening games against Serbia and Denmark. Conor Gallagher – despite some bright performances as a sub in those games – really struggled in his start against Slovenia.Apart from a strong appearance as a substitute by Palmer, Mainoo’s performance against Slovakia was the only bright spot in a dismal and extremely fortunate win over Slovakia in the last 16.There was always a worry about Mainoo’s movement when England do not have possession but that will come with experience, like it would for any other central midfielder.Yet Mainoo has solved the problem for Southgate and now England can continue to dream big. And it is totally unthinkable from where you consider how they played in the group stages when they stunk out Germany.READ MORE SUN STORIESIn Sunday’s final, England’s experienced players will be able to draw on the pain of both the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020.For Mainoo, this will be a completely new experience but do not expect him to wilt. He’ll absolutely love it.Mainoo did the dirty work to allow Watkins and Palmer to shine when England won the game late onCredit: ReutersMainoo and the rest of the Three Lions will face Spain in the Euro 2024 final on SundayCredit: Getty More

SUPER-SUB Ollie Watkins put England into their first ever major final on foreign soil with a belting late finish.The Aston Villa man thundered in a brilliant strike on the turn to set up Sunday’s clash with Spain in Berlin.Harry Kane got England back in the game after going behind early onCredit: AFPSuper sub Ollie Watkins scored a last-gasp stunner to send England throughCredit: EPAEngland will face Spain in the finalCredit: PAEngland had a nightmare start when Xavi Simons rattled in a stunner with just seven minutes on the clock.But Gareth Southgate’s side responded by playing their best football of the tournament by a country mile.They perhaps got a little lucky with the penalty that got them back into it, as VAR alerted ref Felix Zwayer to Denzel Dumfries catching Harry Kane’s foot after the England captain had fired a shot over.Zwayer went to his monitor and awarded the spot-kick, which Kane buried.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLPhil Foden then crashed the post with a wonderstrike and had a shot cleared off the line by Dumfries, who also headed against the crossbar.The game looked to getting away from England but then Watkins buried a pass from fellow sub Cole Palmer to make history.BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSJordan Pickford – 7Jordan Picford made some key saves to help England progressCredit: AFPBigger goalkeepers may have got a stronger hand to Xavi Simons’ early stunner – though that was being hypercritical. Solid stop to deny Virgil van Dijk after the hour.Kyle Walker – 7Looked re-energised after some lumbering displays and bombed on at times in the first half, despite his role on the right of a back three. Last-ditch tackle on Cody Gakpo was spot on.Most read in Euro 2024John Stones – 7Strong in possession. He looks to have benefited from regular game-time after rarely featuring for Manchester City in the last few months.Ollie Watkins scores 90th minute winner vs Netherlands to put England into Euro 2024 FINALMarc Guehi – 6Came back into the side after suspension ruled him out of the Switzerland game. Had an unenviable task of making the big man Wout Weghorst after the break.Kieran Trippier – 6We all know by now that he is playing out of position, so again he was limited going forward and reliable defensively. Subbed at half-time for the more natural Shaw.Declan Rice – 6Lost possession for Simons’ thunderous opener but grew into the game, mopping up where necessary. Poor pass when Kane was open midway through the second half.Kobbie Mainoo – 8Kobbie Mainoo ran the show during his time on the pitchCredit: EPAWas England’s youngest-ever player to play in a major-tournament semi-final, aged 19years 82 days, and had a stormer in the first half. Great bursts forward, vital tackles, and his interplay with Foden was a joy.Bukayo Saka – 7Razor-sharp in the first half, winning tackles, making runs and dribbling the ball proficiently. Less of an impact after the break, had a goal ruled out for offside and was booked.Jude Bellingham – 5Back at the ground where he made his name but struggled to make much of an impact on his old stomping ground. Fortunate it was not he that was subbed.Phil Foden – 7The first 45 minutes was by far and away his best half of the tournament. Thought he’d scored when his shot was cleared off the line by Denzel Dumfries, and cracked the post with a cracker. But was then surprisingly subbed.Harry Kane – 6Kane expertly converted his first-half spot kickCredit: GettyWon and dispatched the penalty to go joint top-scorer in the tournament with three goals. Had looked more mobile initially but still tired badly after the break and was taken off.SubsLuke Shaw (on for Trippier half-time) – 6Looked assured for a man who has been out for so long.Ollie Watkins (on for Kane 80 mins) – 9Surprisingly given the nod over Ivan Toney as striker sub as Southgate looked for more pace in behind. Brilliant finish into the corner to win the game – you could not ask more from him.Cole Palmer (on for Foden 80 mins) – 7Had his big chance in the final minutes but shanked it horribly wide – but then fed Watkins for his wonderful winner. Ezri Kona (on for Saka 91 mins) – N/AConor Gallagher (on for Mainoo 91 mins) -N/AREAD MORE SUN STORIESGareth Southgate: 8His switch to a back three against Switzerland helped dig out the win there, and here it had his team finally playing some great football in the first half. The team went into their shells again as the game wore on and you feared the worst – but you have to say his decision to bring on Ollie Watkins was a masterstroke. Kobbie Mainoo: From work experience kid to England hero… and latest generational talentBy Charlie WyettAND we all thought England had just the one generational talent.Kobbie Mainoo was effectively brought to Germany as a work experience kid but has emerged as the key kid behind this country’s attempt to rewrite history.After just five senior starts, England’s new boy wonder will now have a teenage tear-up against Spain’s Lamine Yamal in the Euro 2024 final.Last night, he did not merely become England’s youngest ever player to feature in a semi-final of a major tournament, aged 19 years and 82 days.Here, he took this semi-final by the scruff of the neck, delivered a performance which was a joy to watch, particularly in the first half, and now England are in their first final on foreign soil.If Jude Bellingham thought he was certain to be England’s main posterboy over the next decade, he has someone else who has now emerged in his rear-view mirror within just a few weeks.To bag an FA Cup winners’ medal at the age of 19 was impressive. To then win Euro 2024 a couple of months later would be extraordinary.As we saw with Manchester United, Mainoo has now fitted seamlessly into the team and provided a perfect mix of both style and substance.Give it a couple of years, and you can only imagine how good this lad is going to be.For much of this tournament, the focus has been on the disappointing form of Harry Kane, Bellingham and Phil Foden.So Mainoo, to a degree, had almost been off the radar. But against the Dutch, in tight, congested spaces, he is a class apart.When he was put under pressure, remained cool, navigated his way out of difficult situations and drove forward.Despite what was at stake, Mainoo once again looked extraordinarily composed and was England’s best player in the first half. He won possession, he rode tackles and he drove forward like an old master.He nearly delivered an assist at 1-1 with some brilliant play. He received the ball from Foden, turned and drove forward before returning the ball to his team-mate but the shot was hacked off the line by Denzel Dumfries.Mainoo delivered a terrific block to snuff out some serious danger in a lightning-quick Dutch counter attack.In the second half, he had less space in midfield but nevertheless still had bags of energy and kept his discipline positionally – and then he let subs Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins deliver the business.It is still mind-boggling that Mainoo is now heading to Berlin on Sunday, when you consider Mainoo only made his United debut against Charlton in the Carabao Cup in January 2023. His first Premier League start was just eight months ago.Yet it was his dazzling midfield form in an otherwise dysfunctional United team which earned him his first cap as a substitute against Brazil in March. He was then Man of the Match in a ridiculously-good performance in the 2-2 draw with Belgium.Mainoo’s form dipped in the last few weeks of the season. It was probably because he was knackered carrying some of his team-mates. But he then saved them again in the FA Cup final against Manchester City with a Man of the Match performance in a 2-1 win.A bit like Adam Wharton, he was part of England’s 26-man squad to soak up the experience, to learn what it is like to feature in a major tournament and maybe, if needed, to have a few cameo roles off the bench.And the fact he was effectively Southgate’s third-choice to partner Declan Rice here in Germany tells you exactly where he stood in a squad of 26.The Trent Alexander-Arnold midfield failed in the two opening games against Serbia and Denmark. Conor Gallagher – despite some bright performances as a sub in those games – really struggled in his start against Slovenia.Apart from a strong appearance as a substitute by Palmer, Mainoo’s performance against Slovakia was the only bright spot in a dismal and extremely fortunate win over Slovakia in the last 16.There was always a worry about Mainoo’s movement when England do not have possession but that will come with experience, like it would for any other central midfielder.Yet Mainoo has solved the problem for Southgate and now England can continue to dream big. And it is totally unthinkable from where you consider how they played in the group stages when they stunk out Germany.In Sunday’s final, England’s experienced players will be able to draw on the pain of both the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020.For Mainoo, this will be a completely new experience but do not expect him to wilt. He’ll absolutely love it. More

FOR weeks on end, we had been screaming at Gareth Southgate to make substitutions.And here in Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion, on the outskirts of Utopia, the England manager went and made the greatest double substitution in the history of his national team.Ollie Watkins scored a stunning last-minute winner for EnglandCredit: GettyIt was a remarkably dramatic end to a back-and-forth semi-finalCredit: GettyWatkins was the unlikely hero for Gareth Southgate’s menCredit: PAWatkins came on for captain Harry Kane and immediately made an impactCredit: EPAGareth Southgate has guided England to back-to-back Euros finalsCredit: ReutersXavi Simons gave Netherlands the lead with a brilliant strikeCredit: ReutersThe venomous effort flew beyond the dive of England keeper Jordan PickfordCredit: AFPSimons’ seventh-minute strike was the perfect start for the DutchCredit: GettyEngland were awarded a penalty after the referee deemed Denzel Dumfries had fouled Kane following a reviewCredit: PAKane dispatched the penalty into the bottom corner to bring the Three Lions levelCredit: AFPIt is Kane’s third goal of the Euros despite a difficult campaign for the England manCredit: GettyDumfries cleared Phil Foden’s effort off the line with keeper Bart Verbruggen beatenCredit: EPAThe match swung back and forth throughoutWatkins had just four touches but scored the all important winnerThe goal was his only touch inside the boxWith 81 minutes on the clock, and England being pinned back by the Dutch after an excellent first half, Southgate sent on Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer in place of England’s all-time record scorer, Harry Kane, and the Footballer of the Year, Phil Foden.And then, in the 90th minute, Palmer passed to Aston Villa hitman Watkins,who swivelled and drilled a shot into the bottom corner.Suddenly, the Netherlands were defeated and England were in Never-Never Land – Sunday’s final against Spain in Berlin.Southgate had been criticised and ridiculed in recent weeks but here was making a masterful tactical switch which earned England a second successive Euros final.READ MORE ON ENGLANDEngland have now come from behind to win in three successive knock-out matches.This team’s bottle is undoubted – and here, as Kane’s penalty levelled Xavi Simons’ early opener – they turned on the style with an outstanding first half full of verve and purpose.This was one of those rarest of nights – England in a major semi-final overseas.Like Turin with Gazza’s tears in 1990 and Moscow in 2018, when England tossed away a lead against Croatia during Southgate’s feelgood waistcoat era.Most read in Euro 2024CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSThe weight of history seemed to hanging heavily in the air, or maybe it was just the intense humidity which forced a spectacular cloudburst an hour before kick-off.Dortmund’s famous Yellow Wall was turned orange and England’s supporters were outnumbered to such an extent that this felt like an away match.England fans heartbroken as Simons gives Netherlands lead in Euro 2024 Semi Final Southgate, ever-cautious, selected his usual team – only Marc Guehi returning from a ban in place of Ezri Konsa.He had been convincing himself, if not the rest of us, that they’d been playing well.Still, now England were here, it hardly mattered how they’d arrived. All that mattered was this.They played ‘Three Lions’ before kick-off. Thirty years of hurt were threatening to become sixty years unless this team could stick the history books, and the formbook, through the shredder.Yet the first time the Dutch attacked, they scored after seven minutes.Declan Rice was mugged by Xavi Simons, who advanced and rocketed a shot past Jordan Pickford into the far corner.Weirdly, though, England had started the game far more fluently than in any match since their opener against Serbia.Saka, their goalscorer and man of the match in the quarter-final win over Switzerland, was full of delicious devilment.And after Kane had a powerful drive pushed away from the bottom corner by Bart Verbruggen, it was Saka who plotted the course towards England’s equaliser.The Arsenal man darted inside from the right, headed into a scrum of orange, then saw his pass deflected to Kane, who shot wide before he was caught by the boot of Denzel Dumfries.At first, ref Felix Zwayer wasn’t interested but he was sent to his monitor and awarded what was very much a new-school slow-mo VAR penalty.Kane stepped up and drilled it low to Verbruggen’s right. Doubted by most of us, the England captain was suddenly tied for the lead in the Golden Boot standings with three goals.It meant that England had scored all 13 of their penalties – including Saturday’s shoot-out – since Kane’s miss against France in Qatar.Southgate’s men had conceded first in three successive knock-out matches but equalised each time.Soon they were an inch away from taking the lead.Kobbie Mainoo – such a positive addition to the England midfield – turned his man, surged forward and slipped a pass to Phil Foden, who attempted to pass it into the net but was denied by a Dumfries clearance on the line.After four tedious matches in a row, this was a belter – and soon both sets of goalposts were being rocked.From a Dutch corner, Dumfries took a mighty leap and headed against the bar.Declan Rice was a key man for EnglandMainoo was everywhere for England against NetherlandsThen, Foden – in the sort of space he hadn’t been afforded all tournament – crashed a curling shot against the top of the post.Like Foden, Mainoo was magnificent, twice winning the ball back on the edge of the Dutch area.It was an insult that Southgate ever started right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, then Conor Gallagher, ahead of him.England were vibrant, urgent, unrecognisable. They passed the ball, and pressed the opposition as if they meant it. Where had all this been before now?At half-time, Southgate sent on Luke Shaw in place of Kieran Trippier, an authentic left-back to balance a team with its tails up.Ronald Koeman introduced big Wout Weghorst – reversing national stereotypes, like Graham Taylor imploring ‘can we not knock it?’ in 1993.John Stones was ever-present with his passing for EnglandMidway through the half, the Dutch began to get a foothold, winning a string of free-kicks, one of which was met by Van Dijk’s boot, forcing Pickford into a diving save.Bellingham, whose frustrations had clearly been growing, was lucky to escape with a yellow card for a wild challenge on Stefan De Vrij.England had been pinned back but suddenly they had the ball in the Dutch net.Foden fed Kyle Walker, who cut back for Saka to ram home but the linesman felt Walker was marginally offside and the robots concurred.Southgate withdrew a flagging Kane for Watkins and, surprisingly, hooked Foden rather than Bellingham to bring on Cole Palmer.READ MORE SUN STORIESAnd then it happened, with 90 minutes on the clock, Palmer slipped a diagonal pass to Watkins, who turned De Vrij within a blink of an eye and drilled a shot low into the far corner.The England subs invaded the pitch en masse. It was a moment that will live in the memory for decades.HAS OLLIE WATKINS WON IT FOR ENGLAND?! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿ASTON VILLA’S OLLIE WATKINS IS A SUPERSTAR SHOOTER! 🤩🎯#Euro2024 | #NEDENG pic.twitter.com/67Zpbwg6QQ— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 10, 2024 More