“During England’s remarkable journey to the Euro 2024 final, former centre-back Matt Upson’s words, ‘Who cares how we are playing? We are winning,’ resonated deeply. Whether through luck, grit, or sheer brilliance, Gareth Southgate’s team found a way to succeed.
“Who cares how we are playing? We are winning.”
These words, spoken by former England centre-back Matt Upson, perfectly encapsulate the essence of the Three Lions’ campaign during their run to the Euro 2024 final.
Whether through luck, grit, or sheer brilliance, Gareth Southgate’s team has consistently found a way to succeed. Football tournaments are decided in moments, and as England prepares to face Spain in Sunday’s final in Berlin, let’s look back at the decisive moments that have defined their journey in Germany.
Saka’s deflected cross
The Three Lions entered Euro 2024 following a 1-0 defeat by Iceland at Wembley, but they began their Group C campaign in positive fashion by edging Serbia 1-0 in Schalke.
In this match, Bukayo Saka’s right-sided cross looped up via a fortunate deflection, and an eager Jude Bellingham powered in a header.
The draw opens up
England drew 1-1 with Denmark in their second group match, with a performance described as “very poor” by former striker Alan Shearer.
Despite the criticism, this result meant Gareth Southgate’s team entered the final round of fixtures knowing that a win over Slovenia would crown them as Group C winners.
A drab 0-0 stalemate followed, but Denmark’s draw with Serbia meant England topped the group and ended up on the perceived ‘easier’ side of the knockout-stage draw.
Germany would have been on England’s side of the draw had Niclas Fullkrug not headed in a late equalizer against Switzerland, which meant they finished top of Group A. France, favorites to win Group B, limped through in second place, ending up on Germany’s side along with Belgium.
England’s Wednesday semi-final against the Netherlands was the first time they had faced a team from inside the world’s top 10.
Slovakia squander golden chance
England’s last-16 tie against Slovakia looked bleak when the Three Lions trailed 1-0 to an early goal from Ivan Schranz.
The situation could have taken a turn for the worse had David Strelec’s opportunistic second-half effort from the halfway line not curled wide. Strelec had spotted England keeper Jordan Pickford off his line, and his attempt to capitalize on the situation nearly led to an embarrassing exit for England.
Bellingham’s bicycle-kick brilliance
David Strelec’s missed opportunity was a lifeline for England, and Jude Bellingham seized it with both hands. In the 95th minute, Bellingham equalized with a stunning acrobatic volley past Slovakia’s keeper, Martin Dubravka, with the last kick of normal time.
This crucial goal brought the Three Lions back from the brink of elimination and set the stage for a dramatic comeback. Harry Kane then secured a 2-1 victory with an extra-time winner, completing the turnaround and advancing England to the next stage.
Saka slices through the Swiss
In the quarter-final against Switzerland, the Three Lions faced another challenge as they trailed 1-0 due to Breel Embolo’s neat finish.
This time, Bukayo Saka emerged as the savior. The Arsenal winger showcased his skill by cutting in from the right and delivering a brilliant low left-foot finish into the bottom corner, forcing the match into extra time.
Shaqiri strikes the woodwork
England certainly rode their luck at Euro 2024, with the woodwork sparing Pickford’s blushes in extra time against the Swiss. With just three minutes remaining before the penalty shootout, former Liverpool forward Xherdan Shaqiri attempted a clever corner kick that struck the crossbar, leaving the game tied at 1-1.
Pickford pounces and perfect penalties
While England was lucky to avoid conceding from Shaqiri’s corner, there was nothing fortunate about Pickford’s brilliance in the penalty shootout. He made a crucial save to deny Manuel Akanji, ensuring that as long as England’s penalty takers performed without error—something that has plagued them in past major tournaments—they would advance to the semifinals. Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney, and Trent Alexander-Arnold all converted their penalties with icy composure, translating their training ground preparation into practice under intense pressure.
