England advance to semi-finals after dramatic penalty shoot-out victory

England have reached the semi-finals of a major tournament for the third time in four attempts under Gareth Southgate, beating Switzerland on penalties at Euro 2024 on a tense day Dusseldorf.

It was left to penalties to decide the match. Manuel Akanji saw his penalty saved by Jordan Pickford, which allowed Trent Alexander-Arnold to score England’s fifth penalty in the shoot-out and settle the contest.

Breel Embolo gave Switzerland the lead with 15 minutes to go in normal time, before a low, long-range drive from Bukayo Saka drew the game level five minutes later.

The match was tight throughout, with few chances created by either side. In the extra-time period Xherdan Shaqiri almost scored directly from a corner, hitting the angle of post and bar.

England will now face the winner of Netherlands and Turkey, in a semi-final Dortmund on Wednesday night.

When the wild celebrations from Dusseldorf eventually calm down, England and Gareth Southgate will feel relief at getting through but should also reflect on another disjointed performance across 120 minutes.

England had a new formation but the same old problems. The movement of the ball through defence, midfield and attack was ponderous and they created very little in the way of clear chances to score. As with the last-16 match against Slovakia, it took a late moment of individual brilliance to avert a defeat in normal time.

The five penalties that England took were dispatched with composure, and perhaps now that formerly torturous device to settle matches does not seem to have the hex on England that it once did. They are now in the last week of the tournament, just two matches from glory. If they could fish out the performance that pundits seem to believe is inside this team, they could yet finish with a flourish; if not, they will have to retain their faith in late substitutions, penalty shoot-outs and one of their marquee players pulling a rabbit from a hat on cue.

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 equaliser 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.

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

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 post and bar! The ball bounces away, what an effort.

PENS – 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!

PENS – 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!