PLAYER OF THE MATCH – BUKAYO SAKA (ENGLAND)
Throughout the match Saka had Michel Aebischer on toast, going past him with ease and creating the majority of England’s few openings. Even though he was out of his natural position he kept England going forwards and drilled in a superb equalizer to keep England in it. His penalty in the shoot-out, after the trauma of missing three years ago at Euro 2020, was a touching moment of redemption.
PLAYER RATINGS
England: Pickford 7; Walker 7, Stones 6, Konsa 7; Trippier 6, Mainoo 7, Rice 6, Saka 8; Bellingham 7, Foden 6; Kane 6
SUBS: Eze 6, Shaw 6, Palmer 7, Toney 6, Alexander-Arnold 6
Switzerland: Sommer 6; Schar 7, Akanji 7, Rodriguez 7; Ndoye 7, Freuler 6, Xhaka 7, Aebischer 6; Rieder 6, Embolo 7, Vargas 5
SUBS: Zuber 6, Widmer 7, Zakaria 6, Shaqiri 6, Amdouni 6, Sierro 6
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
44′ GREAT TACKLE! Saka leaves Aebischer in his wake once more, reaching the byline and cutting back to the corner of the six yard box. Mainoo is waiting and shoots first time, but a brilliant block from Xhaka puts the ball out for a corner.
75′ GOAL! ENGLAND 0 SWITZERLAND 1 (EMBOLO 75) Out of nothing, Switzerland go in front! Ndoye drifts into space on the right of England’s area, and Schar finds him; Ndoye twists and fires a cross through the six yard box which Stones gets a toe on, but it drops to hte back post where Embolo is waiting to slide in and tap home!
80′ GOAL! ENGLAND 1 (SAKA 80) SWITZERLAND 1 Also from nothing, England are level! Rice feeds Saka on the right corner of the area. He cuts inside, unopposed, and lashes in a low drive that beats Sommer and goes in off the far post!
90+3′ WHAT A CROSS! Schar picks out a perfect cross from the left, right to the back post. Zuber is waiting, unmarked, but a slight flick off the head of Embolo takes the ball off Zuber’s head and England clear. What a let off!
95′ GOOD SAVE! Rice gets the ball 25 yards out, and unleashes a thundering, dipping drive to the far post. It’s on target, and at full stretch Sommer turns it around the post.
117′ SWISS CORNER They break, through Shaqiri and Zuber, switching the ball right to Widmer. Eze does well to block the cross and it’s a corner to Switzerland with three to go. How about this – Shaqiri takes the kick and goes for goal, whipping it to the near post and hitting the angle off the post and bar! The ball bounces away, what an effort.
PENCE – ENGLAND 1 SWITZERLAND 0 (AKANJI MISSES) It’s a short, two-step run up by Akanki who goes low to the right, but it’s too close to Pickford who keeps it out!
PENCE – ENGLAND 5 (ALEXANDER-ARNOLD SCORES) SWITZERLAND 3 Alexander-Arnold has the winning kick at his mercy and he buries it, smashing the ball high into the corner on the left with Sommer going the wrong way. Mayhem ensues, and England are into the semi-finals!