England fed off the energy of a passionate Wembley crowd to beat Denmark 2-1 in the Euro 2020 semi-finals on Wednesday and now stand just 90 minutes away from ending their 55-year trophy drought.

Gareth Southgate’s men will face Italy on Sunday infused with belief they can win a first major international tournament since the 1966 World Cup.

For Euro 92 champions Denmark, defeat spells the end of a fairytale run to the last four after the trauma of witnessing star man Christian Eriksen collapse in their first match.

England emerged on a cool evening at Wembley after the crowd of almost 65,000 had whipped themselves into a frenzy with rousing renditions of “Sweet Caroline” and “Football’s Coming Home”.

But Denmark ripped up the home script on the half-hour when Mikkel Damsgaard punished Luke Shaw for a foul on Andreas Christensen, smashing a free-kick past the despairing dive of Jordan Pickford.

That was the first goal England had conceded in the entire tournament.

The crowd went flat but England were level within 10 minutes when Simon Kjaer could only bundle the ball into his own net after a searching cross from Bukayo Saka.

Neither side could find a goal in the second period despite intense pressure from the home side as normal time drew to a close.

The volume in the stadium increased in extra time as England put Denmark under intense pressure and they finally got their reward when Raheem Sterling was fouled in the box by Joakim Maehle.

Harry Kane’s penalty was saved by Kasper Schmeichel but he converted the rebound to give England the advantage and they held Denmark at bay to seal the win.

The final whistle sparked scenes of delirium in the stands and on the pitch as the players partied with the crowd.

“It was a top performance — we had to dig in deep after the first goal we conceded in the tournament, and we regrouped well and showed a good team spirit to come back and win the game,” Sterling told ITV.

Despite the celebrations at Wembley, Sterling insisted the focus would almost immediately shift to the final against Italy.

“It’s another step in the right direction,” he added. “But once we’re back in the dressing room it’s over and we’ve got to focus on the weekend now. It’s step-by-step and that’s all we can do.”

The match was attended by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who tweeted: “Tonight @England played their hearts out. What a fantastic performance from Gareth Southgate’s squad. Now to the final. Let’s bring it home.”

 Slow start

England have suffered semi-final heartbreak at major tournaments four times since becoming world champions in 1966 and those agonising defeats have been etched in the psyche of English football.

But Southgate has overseen the emergence of a vibrant young team unconcerned by the trials and tribulations of their failed predecessors in the national shirt and they are now through to their first European Championship final.

Denmark were fuelled by a sense of destiny and desire after Eriksen had to be resuscitated on the pitch in their tournament opener against Finland.

They went into their final group game without a point but, with Eriksen on the mend, Kasper Hjulmand’s team embarked on a three-match winning run that took them to a first semi-final in 29 years.

Italy, who failed even to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, lie in wait for England at Wembley this weekend.

Roberto Mancini’s men beat Spain 4-2 on penalties at Wembley after a gripping 1-1 draw on Tuesday.

Federico Chiesa gave Italy the lead with half an hour to go only for Spain substitute Alvaro Morata to equalise with 10 minutes left.

Both sides missed their first two kicks of the shoot-out. Gianluigi Donnarumma saved Morata’s effort, with Jorginho converting Italy’s winner.

AFP

Harry Kane scored his first Euro 2020 goal as England beat Germany 2-0 in a round of 16 game on Tuesday, earning the Three Lions their first knockout stage victory over the 2014 World Champions since 1966.

Raheem Sterling struck with 15 minutes left in a tense last 16 tie at Wembley before Kane clinched England’s first knockout stage victory over Germany since 1966.

In the 55 years since England beat the Germans in the World Cup final, the Three Lions had endured a painful litany of defeats against Die Mannschaft when the stakes were highest.

England were eliminated from the 1970, 1990 and 2010 World Cups by Germany, who also beat them in the Euro 96 semi-finals at Wembley.

But Gareth Southgate’s side have finally exorcised the ghosts of Paul Gascoigne’s tears and their own manager’s penalty miss 25 years ago.

England produced a gritty display capped by clinical finishes from Sterling, who now has three goals in the tournament, and Kane — who finally bagged his first of the competition.

England, yet to concede a goal in the tournament, head to Rome on Saturday for a quarter-final against the winners of Tuesday’s other last 16 tie between Sweden and Ukraine.

Chasing a first major international trophy since 1966, England’s side of the draw looks wide open, with a potential semi-final against Denmark or the Czech Republic unlikely to strike fear into their hearts.

It was only England’s second knockout stage win in the history of the European Championship and their first victory over Germany at Wembley since 1975.

For Germany manager Joachim Loew, it was an agonising end to his reign as he prepares to step down after the tournament.

Always keen to deflect attention, Southgate will have relished his moment of redemption, especially since his decision to switch to a three-man defence to match up with the German formation paid off.

With the vast majority of the 40,000 crowd supporting England, the players walked out to a wall of sound that included a hostile reception for the German national anthem.

READ ALSO: England Face Germany In Euro 2020 Blockbuster After France Make Shock Exit

 Knockout blow 

England needed a tone-setting moment to ease their visible anxiety early on and Sterling provided it as he drove forward for a 25-yard blast that forced a fine save from Manuel Neuer.

With Harry Maguire winning a series of thunderous headers and tackles and Bukayo Saka probing intelligently on the right flank, England gradually took control.

However, Germany almost snatched the lead as Kai Havertz played an inch-perfect pass to Timo Werner inside the England area.

But Werner endured a dismal first season in front of goal for Chelsea and once again he was unable to produce a precise finish as he shot straight at Jordan Pickford.

A misplaced pass from Thomas Mueller sent Sterling scampering through the Germany defence on the stroke of half-time.

Yet when the ball ran to Kane, he was too slow to apply the finishing touch as he rounded Neuer and Mats Hummels’ tackle snuffed out the danger.

Havertz’s blistering half-volley forced a superb tip over from Pickford soon after the interval.

It was Saka who made way when Southgate made his first change, sending on Jack Grealish in a game-defining moment.

Grealish’s presence immediately brought more energy to England and in the 75th minute they finally delivered the knockout blow.

Grealish worked the ball wide to Luke Shaw and his low cross reached Sterling, who pounced with a clinical close-range finish to send Wembley into ecstasy.

Mueller should have equalised when Havertz’s pass sent him clean through, but the Bayern Munich star rolled his shot wide and fell to the turf in dismay.

Kane made Mueller pay in the 86th minute as he finished off a lethal England counter-attack with a diving header past Neuer from Grealish’s cross.

During the first day of England’s Euro camp at St George’s Park, Southgate showed his squad a motivational video featuring some of the team’s greatest victories.

Now they have added their own chapter to the list of England’s finest moments.

AFP