England will play of their first main event remaining for 55 years after coming from behind to beat Denmark 2-1 after further time in entrance of a delirious 65,000 crowd at Wembley in Wednesday’s Euro 2020 semi-final. Mikkel Damsgaard’s gorgeous free-kick after half-hour threatened one other semi-final disappointment for Gareth Southgate’s facet, three years on from shedding within the final 4 of the World Cup. However Simon Kjaer’s personal objective eight minutes later and Harry Kane’s extra-time winner on the rebound after his penalty was saved by Kasper Schmeichel means England will try and win the European Championship for the primary time once they face Italy again at Wembley in Sunday’s remaining.
Defeat ends Denmark’s fairytale run to the semi-finals, the furthest they’ve been at a event since profitable Euro 92.
The Danes’ event started in nearly-tragic circumstances when star midfielder Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest of their opening recreation in opposition to Finland.
Kasper Hjulmand’s males have since ridden an emotional wave and performed loads of slick soccer in sticking 4 targets previous Russia and Wales on their solution to the semi-finals.
Nevertheless, England’s big benefit in having six of their seven matches on dwelling soil has paid off as they have been the bodily brisker facet within the latter phases.
Roared on by the deafening noise created by the most important crowd for an England recreation in almost two years, the hosts got here flying out of the traps.
Kane’s teasing cross simply evaded Raheem Sterling as he burst in in direction of the far put up.
Denmark settled after a shaky begin and began to pose a menace themselves as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg shot straight at Jordan Pickford earlier than Martin Braithwaite and Damsgaard noticed efforts fly off course.
Damsgaard stunner
England have been on a nationwide report run of seven consecutive clear sheets, however have been lastly breached in spectacular trend by Damsgaard’s free-kick that flew into the highest nook.
Any questions over how Southgate’s males would react to falling behind for the primary time within the event have been emphatically answered as England quickly hit again.
Sterling ought to have equalised when he fired straight into Schmeichel’s midriff with simply the ‘keeper to beat.
Moments later, the hosts have been stage when Kane freed Bukayo Saka down the suitable and Kjaer changed into his personal web beneath stress from Sterling.
Denmark’s exertions in being pressured right into a 9,000-kilometre (5,592 mile) spherical journey for his or her quarter-final win over the Czech Republic confirmed within the second half as they desperately tried to maintain England at bay.
Penalty controversy
Schmeichel produced one other gorgeous save from Harry Maguire’s header low to his proper, whereas Kane couldn’t get a telling connection in a goalmouth scramble within the 96th minute.
Hjulmand made all 5 of his allotted substitutions earlier than the 90 minutes have been as much as give his facet an additional increase of power, however they might not get any ahead momentum.
Schmeichel saved his facet within the recreation in further time with one other agile low save to his proper to disclaim Kane earlier than repelling a Jack Grealish piledriver.
England’s stress lastly paid off in controversial circumstances when Sterling was awarded a mushy penalty for a problem by Joakim Maehle within the 104th minute.
Schmeichel even denied Kane from the spot however the ball fell kindly for the England captain to comb dwelling his fourth objective of the event.
Promoted
Southgate was the autumn man when England final made it to a Euro semi-final 25 years in the past as he missed the decisive penalty in a shoot-out defeat to Germany.
However he has the last word shot at redemption come Sunday as England have the possibility to lastly convey a serious trophy dwelling after so a few years of harm.
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