England make history with Wembley win

England 2-1 Denmark London

(Damsgaard 30', Sterling 39', 105' Kane)

The belief never wavered and, come the final whistle, England's faith was rewarded. With 60,000 fans inside Wembley, it took an extra-time winner from Harry Kane to secure a 2-1 win over Denmark as the Three Lions reached the final of the men's European championship for the first time.

"It was a top performance," said Sterling after the game. "We had to dig in deep. It was the first time we conceded but we responded well and showed good spirit.

"It's another step in the right direction. We have to focus on the weekend now. It's step-by-step. We know what football means to this country. The energy, the atmosphere...It was top.

"Now we have Italy. We will celebrate a little bit then focus on Italy."

The Azzurri will provide the opposition on Sunday, but on Wednesday London was lit up after an emotional 120 minutes at Wembley.

 

Forced to come from behind

Denmark had taken the lead through Mikkel Damsgaard's stunning free kick, but it lasted just nine minutes when Bukayo Saka's low cross was turned into his own net by Simon Kjaer. It was the eleventh own goal of the Euros.

After a goalless second half, England secured a place in their first tournament final since 1966 in extra-time when Raheem Sterling was brought down in the box by Joakim Maehle. 

Denmark keeper Kasper Schmeichel had provided the heroics throughout the 120 minutes and saved Kane's penalty, but the England captain pounced on the rebound to drive home the winner.

 "Unbelievable - what a game though, credit to Denmark. We dug deep and we got there when it mattered. We reacted really well - we're in a final at home, what a feeling," Kane said after the game. "We know it's going to be a very tough game against Italy we've had a great tournament so far. One more game to go at home and we can't wait."

  

The belief that football is coming home has never been stronger. 

Relive the action on Page 2...

 

FULL TIME England 2-1 Denmark

Kane's extra-time penalty has won it for England, who have reached the final of the European championships for the first time where they will meet Italy on Sunday.

115' — Pickford scrambles

Braithwaite's shot from distance is deflected as Pickford tips around the post. While Schmeichel's made more saves, Pickford's have been just as crucial for the home side.

111' — No chance taken so far

England have gone from applying all the pressure to managing the game well. Mature isn't a word that's often be linked with England, but it suits tonight.

SECOND HALF IN EXTRA TIME

It's advantage England as Southgate springs a surprise by taking off Grealish, a second-half substitute, for Trippier. A defensive move, albeit it a strange choice with more tired legs out there for the Three Lions, who are looking to make history.

HALF TIME IN EXTRA TIME!

Questions will be asked about the awarding of the penalty, but having defended to their hilt, Denmark will now have to risk it all. England are 15 minutes from their first major final since 1966 and the fans in attendance are rising to the occasion.

105' GOAL! England 2-1 Denmark

Schmeichel saves Kane's spot kick, but the rebound is turned home by England's captain. Is football coming home? 

103' PENALTY FOR ENGLAND?

Sterling goes on a mazy run into the box from the byline and is brought down in the box. It's checked and it stands. Is that because it couldn't be judged as a "clear and obvious" error?

98' — Southgate makes his move

Foden and Henderson have entered the fray for England as the pressure continues to mount for the hosts. Schmeichel is producing a performance the history books will remember though as he denies Grealish from distance before Sterling blazes over after England's attack was recycled.

94' — Not so fun fact

Both sides have a poor record in extra-time at the Euros. While Denmark have triumphed once in three attempts, England were successful in just one of four. The first chance of extra-time goes England's way as Kane tests Schmeichel from a tight angle.

EXTRA TIME!

We're underway at the start of an extra 30 minutes of action at Wembley. Southgate has more substitutes at his disposal and you have to think Foden and Sancho would be worth bringing off the bench at some point.

FULL TIME! England 1-1 Denmark

For the second night running, 90 minutes fails to separate two sides in the Euro 2020 semifinals despite England applying a lot of pressure in the closing stages. Last night between Italy and Spain, extra-time offered up few highlights. Will it be different tonight?

95' — Easy save

Not for the first time and perhaps not for the last, Maguire meets a set-piece with his head, but it's a routine save for Schmeichel compared to some of the stops he's pulled off tonight.

90' — Time keeps adding up

We might be on course for another half an hour at the rate, but for now it's six minutes added on. The nerves are showing on the faces of English fans the producers cut to even if the players aren't showing it on the pitch.

85' — Waiting on a winner

It's absorbing stuff as England turn the screw and you can feel the tension rising in the crowd at Wembley. The home fans sense their side could finish strong here against opponents that have been on the back foot for much of the second half. 

79' — One final push

We're heading into the decisive period and Denmark are on their heels. Another 30 minutes of extra time doesn't look that appealing to the Danes.

75' — Semifinal repeat?

15 minutes reamin. Is the second Euro 2020 semifinal also going to end in a 1-1 draw at the end of normal time? England are looking the likelier to score a winner before the final whistle at present.

72' — Speaking of fresh legs...

...Harry Kane is looking incredibly leggy up front for the hosts and he's not getting in the box when England have the ball in wide areas. England are going to need something special to beat Schmeichel tonight. 

68' — Fresh legs up front

Denmark head coach Hjulmand blinks first one the sidelines as he makes the first three changes of the game with Noorgaard, Poulsen and Waas entering the fray. Southgate responds by bringing on Grealish for Saka.

63' — Injecting pace

Denmark have struggled to handle the pace of Saka and Sterling tonight. With Foden and Sancho on the bench you wonder when Southgate will look to add fresh legs against a tiring Danish backline.

58' — Keepers excelling

Pickford at one end, Schmeichel at the other. Both keepers have lost their clean sheet, but they're underlining just how hard it's going to be to beat them again as Denmark's No1 claws Maguire's goalbound header off the line. 

54' — Two saves in quick succession

Pickford had a torrid time with Everton during the domestic campaign, but is acquitting himself well at the Euros. A sharp save denies Dolberg before a strong punch clears the danger. Have England solved their problems between the sticks?

49' — Clash of centre-backs

Set-pieces have already played a big part in tonight's encounter, but we've got an early break in play as Maguire catches Kjaer with an elbow when attacking a corner. Maguire isn't happy, but he can't lead with the arm like that and receives a yellow card for his troubles.

SECOND HALF!

We're back underway at Wembley as the home fans start the second period with a rousing rendition of 'God save the Queen'. How crucial was that equaliser for England before half-time?

DID YOU KNOW?

With nine goals at Euro 2020, 'own goal' is the tournament's top scorer. Wouldn't it be great if they break up the golden boot into nine pieces? 

HALF TIME! England 1-1 Denmark

Clean sheets are out the window as Euro 2020 continues to deliver spell-binding encounters. The second half should be a corker. 

39' GOAL! England 1-1 Denmark

We thought it was Sterling who got the goal, but it's actually a Kjaer own goal after brilliant work by Saka down the right. Vindication for Southgate's decision to drop Jadon Sancho from the starting line-up?

37' — Schmeichel vs. Sterling

The Danish keeper is 2-0 up against the England frontman after making a world class save his father Peter would have been proud of.

30' GOAL England 0-1 Denmark

A stunner to break the deadlock. Damsgaard steps up to take a free-kick from 25 yards out and hits a sweet strike that moves in the air to bamboozle Pickford and hand Denmark the lead. You could say England's rear-gaard has been broken. A goal to change the game. How will the hosts respond? 

25' — Scrappy affair

Both sides are giving the ball away far too often under the slightest bit of pressure. With a lot of players struggling to hold onto the ball, it's gotten a bit scrappy which serves Denmark better.

20' — Proving the point

Jordan Pickford has misplaced all three passes he's made so far. He has made a save though.

18' — Nerves on show

Things have settled since a frantic start as we see signs of the occasion getting to England for the first time. Surprise, surprise, the almost costly mistake comes from a goalkeeper. What is it with the Three Lions and goalkeepers? 

12' — No grip on Sterling

Denmark are struggling to deal with Raheem Sterling. The Manchester City winger is wreaking havoc with his work on and off the ball as he carves out another promising moment, cutting onto his favoured right foot only to scuff his shot at Schmeichel's goal.

6' — Big chance

Sterling has set up six Kane goals for England, including the opener against Ukraine. Kane looked to return the favour with an early ball which flashes across the front of goal without getting a touch from Sterling. England in the ascendency early. 

4' — Hosts quick off the mark

A fantastic opening has set the tone in the second semifinal. England are applying an intense press, but have been penalised for a few early fouls as a result. What is it they say about letting your opponents know you're there early. 

KICK OFF!

The national anthems have been sung, the knees have been taken and we're underway at Wembley. England looking to return to the final of a major tournament for the first time since 1966, while Denmark are hoping to fashion a chance to reclaim the title they unexpectedly won in 1992.

"More worried about Sterling"

Bjarne Goldbaek, former Denmark and Bundesliga midfielder, talking on German broadcaster ZDF: "I'm more worried about Sterling [than Kane]. He can do it all. He can create, convert and has pace in one-on-one situations. If you shut him down, you reduce the service to Kane." 

No pressure, kid

At 19 years and 305 days old, Bukayo Saka is the youngest player to start a match for England at the semi-final stage or later of a major tournament.

Nearly men?

From Gary Lineker to Rio Ferdinand, former England internationals are convinced of the quality in Gareth Southgate's squad. They've reached back-to-back semifinals at major tournaments, but now risk being seen as nearly men if they fail to capitalise on another opportunity.

Inspired by tragedy

Denmark's journey following the trauma of Christian Eriksen's cardiac arrest has been emotional and extraordinary. Eriksen will be in attendance tonight along with the medics that saved his life, as his side look to recreate the magic of 1992 when they were crowned European champions against all odds. 

Momentous occasion

Gareth Southgate, England head coach: "We don't have as good a football history as we'd like to believe sometimes. These players are making massive strides and breaking barriers all the time. We have never been to a Euros final so we can be the first, which is really exciting for us all." 

CONFIRMED LINE-UPS!

England: Pickford — Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw — Phillips, Rice — Saka, Mount, Sterling — Kane

Denmark: Schmeichel — Christensen, Kjaer, Vestergaard — Stryger, Hojbjerg, Delaney, Maehle — Braithwaite, Dolberg, Damsgaard

Has it ever been home?

Tough match-up

History suggests this may not be one for the neutrals. All seven fixtures to take place at Wembley have ended in a 1-0 scoreline. Denmark have won two of those – including the last such clash, a UEFA Nations League group match back in October 2020.

Sold-out Wembley

60,000 fans will be admitted to Wembley for tonight's game - 75% of the stadium's capacity. DW's Matt Pearson is on the ground with the pre-match atmosphere building nicely. 

Team news: England

Word out of the England camp is that, despite impressing against the Ukraine, Jadon Sancho is set to drop back out of the starting line-up with Bukayo Saka expected to feature from the off. 

Possible line-up: Pickford — Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw — Phillips, Rice — Saka, Mount, Sterling — Kane

Team news: Denmark

Denmark head coach Kasper Hjulmand is expected to name an unchanged starting line-up, which means Leipzig's Yussuf Poulsen will once again start from the bench.

Possible line-up: Schmeichel — Christensen, Kjaer, Vestergaard — Stryger, Hojbjerg, Delaney, Maehle — Braithwaite, Dolberg, Damsgaard

How England got here

After a pedestrian group stage, England have been one of the most impressive sides at Euro 2020.

Gareth Southgate's side won Group D despite scoring just two goals, recording two victories against Croatia and the Czech Republic and a draw against Scotland. Both goals were scored by Raheem Sterling, who appears to have been finally embraced by his own country after years of criticism surrounding his national team performances.

The group victory set up a date with Germany, a team they don't normally beat at major tournaments, in the round of 16. But the Three Lions prevailed this time, a 2-0 win that brought an end to Germany's Joachim Löw era.

England then doubled their tournament goal total in a 4-0 quarterfinal win against Andriy Shevchenko's Ukraine. In the victory, Southgate's team became the first to not concede in the first five games at a European championship.

Will Jadon Sancho start again?

A day after the announcement that he would move to Manchester United, Jadon Sancho finally made his first start at Euro 2020.

The former Borussia Dortmund forward's absence in Southgate's side had been perplexing given his success in Germany: He had 50 goals and 64 assists in 137 games in Dortmund. The 21-year-old had seen the likes of Jack Grealish, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka get minutes ahead of him.

But Southgate finally gave Sancho his shot, playing him on the right of a front three with Sterling and captain Harry Kane. But the English forward didn't exactly impress in his debut start aside from a few flashes reminiscent of his Dortmund days.

With several strong attackers in Southgate's stable, the jury is out as to whether Sancho will crack the starting lineup against Denmark.

How Denmark got here

As inspirational stories go, this Danish team has put together a good one, and most neutrals are hoping it has a happy ending.

Christian Eriksen's collapse in the first half of Denmark's first group game against Finland — later revealed to be cardiac arrest — understandably shook the team. Following the incident, the Danes lost 1-0 to Finland and 2-1 to Belgium in their next game. But a 4-1 victory over Russia in their final group game saw them qualify for the knockout stages.

A 4-0 win over Wales followed, which made Kasper Hjulmand's side one of the few to score at least four goals in consecutive games at a European championship. Denmark then beat the Czech Republic 2-1 in the quarterfinals, a victory which included an early strike from Borussia Dortmund's Thomas Delaney.

The Danes are now set to participate in the semifinals for the first time since Euro '92, their only tournament victory.

Recent history

The current England and Denmark sides should be rather familiar with each other. The two squared off twice in the UEFA Nations League in September and October 2020, which resulted in a 0-0 draw and a 1-0 Denmark win.

England have won 12 of the 21 games in the matchup, though half the victories came before 1980. Denmark has won just four in the fixture, and there have been five draws.

Home advantage for England

Both teams have enjoyed a strong home support as host nations. England have played all but one of their five games during Euro 2020 at London's Wembley Stadium, while Denmark played all three of their group stage games at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen.

With the semifinals and final to take place at Wembley, England stand to gain the most from home support. That's also due to quarantine rules for visitors to the United Kingdom, which even apply to those who are vaccinated against COVID-19. As with many national teams playing in Britain, Denmark will therefore have to rely on fans who already live in the UK.

Wembley's stadium capacity is also set to increase to up to 60,000 spectators for the semifinals and final, another factor that will likely benefit England.

The number of spectators at tournament games has been a source of outrage among EU lawmakers. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said during a trip to the UK recently that she was "worried and skeptical" about high attendances at matches.