Dortmund, Germany – England qualified for the Euro 2024 finals after a dramatic 2-1 win against the Netherlands in an exciting match played at the Signal Iduna Park.
The Three Lions are set for a mouth-watering final against Spain on Sunday after La Roja dumped France out of the competition in their semi-final match. This creates a premise for a classic encounter in which England hopes to overcome its Euro jinx while Spain achieves an unprecedented fourth success.
The Dutch responded first, youngster Xavi Simons curling a beautiful shot past Jordan Pickford in the seventh minute. However, England did bounce back and took full advantage of the penalty awarded to Harry Kane, who scored it in the 17th minute after a foul on him by Denzel Dumfries.
The climax came in the first-half stoppage time. When Kane, the captain who had been poor in the match, was replaced by Ollie Watkins, the latter took advantage of a pass by Cole Palmer to score the only goal that delighted the travelling English fans.
Gareth Southgate’s men were stretched by a Dutch comeback in the second half. Phil Foden went close to doubling the advantage earlier by hitting the crossbar with an unstoppable shot. The Netherlands, who had dominated the tournament, could not make an equalizer, thus losing their chance of clinching a first European championship.
This makes it the second successive Euro final for England after they lost to Italy in the previous edition in 2022. Can they finally stop waiting for their glory? Spain, a team with rich experience and a desire to win another continental trophy, will pose a severe challenge. Berlin is expected to be charged on Sunday when these two European powerhouses clash for the Euro 2024 crown.
