Three years on from losing the European Championship final on penalties, England beat Switzerland in a shootout to reach the semifinals of Euro 2024.
Trent Alexander-Arnold scored the winner as England swept all of its penalties to win the shootout 5-3 after a 1-1 draw in extra time on Saturday.
“The team showed a lot of character, belief, heart and spirit out there,” Alexander-Arnold told the BBC.
England converted its first four penalties and Alexander-Arnold won the game with the fifth, blasting his shot into the top corner. Another who scored was Bukayo Saka, who missed the last penalty kick of the final shootout in 2021 and was racially abused on social media.
Saka also equalized earlier to ensure the game went to extra time after the Swiss took the lead.
The other shootout scorers were Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham and Ivan Toney, who returned in January from an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules.
England was in the lead in the shootout after goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saved from Manuel Akanji, who took Switzerland's first penalty kick.
England goes on to play Turkey or the Netherlands in Dortmund on Wednesday for a spot in the final.
Switzerland, which has never reached the semifinals of a major tournament, exits the European Championship on penalties in the quarterfinals for the second time running after defeat to Spain three years ago.
It was the second game in a row that England left it late to win, after beating Slovakia 2-1 in extra time in the last 16.
The quarterfinal went to extra time after England forward Saka scored with a shot off the post in the 80th minute to cancel out Breel Embolo's goal five minutes earlier for Switzerland. It was the first shot on target for England in what was otherwise a cagey and cautious performance from the 2021 runner-up.
The Swiss had the better chances to win in extra time, including substitute Xherdan Shaqiri hitting the frame of the goal direct from a corner. Pickford saved from substitute Zeki Amdouni in the 119th to keep England in the game.
England was without captain and striker Harry Kane for the shootout after he collided with manager Gareth Southgate on the touchline while challenging for a ball and appeared to be hurt. He was replaced by Toney.
Taking charge of his 100th game on Saturday, Southgate has now taken England to at least the semifinals in three of the four major tournaments in his eight-year tenure.
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14 Comments
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Dr.Cajetan Coelho
The Three Lions are roaring and the England fans keep bursting in song. Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, and Declan Rice are seen everywhere. They play total football.
nandakandamanda
Kane was blatantly barged out, crashing into Southgate and over an umpire's chair.
Quote: "England was without captain and striker Harry Kane for the shootout after he collided with manager Gareth Southgate on the touchline while challenging for a ball and appeared to be hurt. He was replaced by Toney."
Also some mistaken referee decisions regarding corner kicks, but similar happened in the later Turkey/Netherlands match.
Little joey
Oh wait you were serious? I thought you wrote tongue in cheek.
No serious, you're joking right?
Jimizo
Spain now favourites to win the tournament.
Fair enough but I wouldn’t back them at 2/1. France, like England, reaching the semis without shining but well capable.
carpslidy
England played better but weren't good
Penalties were outstanding though
Still think they are going to get found out by the Dutch or Spanish
But who knows the only need two more penalty shootouts and
Fighto!
Going by all the downvotes, I have a suspicion that some people are not exactly thrilled that the England men have advanced!
kohakuebisu
England doing their classic thing of rising or falling to the level of the opposition.
This means lots of close games, but with little goalmouth action that makes for very poor entertainment. Another semifinal for them, so you can't argue with the results, but they are a frustrating watch.
Jimizo
A bit better there although Switzerland finished extra time stronger.
Some penalties. German-like.
Fighto!
Hats off to The Three Lions! Saka and Pickford were outstanding.
Maybe, just maybe, some of the endless moaning of many England fans, the booing and cup throwing after their previous games, will now turn to hope? Gaffer Southgate is just two wins away from managing the most successful team his nation has seen in close to 60 years - and the knighthood and statue at Wembley that would come with it.
England will be very difficult to stop now. They sure have the talent.
Japantime
What happened to all the people who were blaming the coach. I guess they know nothing about soccer in the first place. Fans should support their coach and team.
Moonraker
Gareth knows. Maybe.
wallace
England is playing with Lady Luck.
Mr Kipling
Not playing well but still winning... I can see them beating the Dutch but not Spain in the Final.
falseflagsteve
Didn’t start playing well until down and then wasn’t too convincing. Blinding penalties though I must say.