England’s National Football team, the Three Lions are prepared for battle away from home as they confront Ukraine in the quarter-finals of Euro 2020 in Rome on Saturday.
The Three Lions defeated their old rivals Germany 2-0 to book their place in the last eight of the tournament, while surprise package Ukraine enjoyed a pulsating extra-time win over Sweden last time out
Ukraine had Sweden to thank as they scraped into the last 16 of Euro 2020 by the skin of their teeth, with the Scandinavian side beating Poland to ensure that Ukraine qualify from their group as one of the four best third-placed outfits.
However, Andriy Shevchenko’s side were in no position to do Sweden any favour of their own, as Oleksandr Zinchenko’s powerful drive opened the scoring before Emil Forsberg’s deflected effort forced another last-16 tie to go to extra-time.
The game looked destined to go the distance and be decided from 12 yards, but in the 121st minute of the encounter, substitute Artem Dovbyk headed home as jubilant goal for Ukraine, who are now set for their maiden quarter-final appearance at the European Championships.
Picking up just three points from a possible nine in the group stage certainly did not reflect success, but Shevchenko surely cannot care less about the manner in which his side has progressed as they seek a semi-final appearance at a major tournament for the first time ever.
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The only previous quarter-final outing for Ukraine at the World Cup or Euros saw them bow out to eventual winners Italy in the 2006 tournament, and with their 15-year wait for another last-eight appearance finally over, Shevchenko will endeavour to take inspiration from his celebrated playing days and navigate his side to an odds-defying win once more.
England captain Harry Kane very nearly let emotion take over during his post-match interview on Tuesday, and not a single soul could have blamed him. After breaking his Euro 2020 duck and trying to conduct media duties with a 40,000-strong Wembley crowd belting out ‘Sweet Caroline’, Kane’s face truly said it all.
In what would ultimately turn out to be his final match at the Germany helm, Joachim Low witnessed his Mannschaft outfit enjoy the better of the opening periods, but England’s staunch defence demonstrated exactly why they have gone 540 minutes without conceding a goal as the scores were tied at the interval.
With 75 minutes on the clock, England’s man of the moment Raheem Sterling continued his rich goalscoring form with the opening goal, and after Thomas Muller inexplicably missed a gilt-edged chance to equalise, Kane put the game to bed to make Low’s Germany farewell a miserable one.
Having navigated what may prove to be their most difficult test en route to the final, England supporters are understandably licking their lips at the prospect of another Wembley outing for the July 11 final, as a very winnable fixture with the Czech Republic or Denmark – both of whom still command great respect – awaits in the final four should England produce the goods in Rome.
By keeping a clean sheet against Die Mannschaft in the last 16, England followed in the footsteps of the Germans in 2016 by not conceding in any of their first four Euros matches, but a nail-biting weekend could be in store, as all three of England’s quarter-final appearances at the tournament have been decided by a penalty shootout.
Ukraine and England have not locked horns since playing out a goalless draw in a 2013 friendly, and the only time these sides previously met in the Euros came one year before that, during which a Wayne Rooney winner propelled the Three Lions to a 1-0 group-stage success.
(Editor : Paul Akhagbemhe)
