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THURSDAY, JULY 1, 2021 England keep Euro 2020 dream alive Belgium vs Italy, Switzerland vs Spain kick off quarter-final tomorrow

PARIS: England’s defeat of Germany ple watched England’s victory over sent a nation’s expectations of silverware Germany, the BBC said. The draw is after a 55-year wait skyrocketing as opening up invitingly for England, who Gareth Southgate’s side joined heavy- will be favored to beat who have weights Spain, Italy and Belgium in the won only one of their seven meetings. If Euro 2020 quarter-finals. England reach the semi-finals, they would England’s cathartic last-16 win over face Denmark or the Czech Republic in the Germans at raucous Wembley on front of another partisan crowd at Tuesday was a landmark moment after Wembley. decades of misery at the hands of the As the elusive continental crown four-time world champions. Raheem moves tantalizingly closer Southgate Sterling and Harry Kane supplied the warned: “It’s a dangerous moment for us. goals to set up a quarter-final against We’ll have that warmth of success and Ukraine in Rome on Saturday with the feeling around the country that we’ve England hunting their first major interna- only got to turn up to win the thing. “We tional trophy since the 1966 World Cup. know it’s going to be an immense chal- Ukraine punched their last-eight tick- lenge from here on. I think the players et with a 2-1 extra-time defeat of know that.” Sweden in Glasgow thanks to a 121st- minute winner from Artem Dovbyk. ‘Hurts like hell’ Switzerland and Spain get the quarter- For Germany, who have won the final action underway in Saint Petersburg European Championship three times in on Friday followed by Belgium’s show- their illustrious history, defeat signaled a down with Italy in Munich. The Czech bitter end to Joachim Loew’s 15-year Republic play Denmark in the other tie reign as Germany coach. Germany won on Saturday in Baku. the 2014 World Cup but crashed out at With old nemesis Germany-who the group stage four years later in Russia knocked them out of the 1970, 1990 and and have now made their earliest exit at a LONDON: England fans cheer before the UEFA Euro 2020 round of 16 football match between England and Germany at Wembley 2010 World Cups and beat them in the European Championship since 2004. Stadium in London on Tuesday. — AFP Euro 96 semi-finals-finally vanquished, “The players are gutted. It’s very quiet Southgate is urging England to seize a in the dressing room,” said the 61-year- ing his third goal of the competition. ment for the Tottenham man, who has Ukraine in the second half while Forsberg golden opportunity. old. “In games like this, it is crucial to Mueller should have equalized when been a shadow of the player who won the twice struck the woodwork, but the dis- “It didn’t really need me to say it but convert all goal chances, which we didn’t Kai Havertz’s pass sent him clean Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup in missal of Marcus Danielson gave Ukraine when we got in the dressing room, we do, neither through Timo Werner nor through, but the Bayern Munich star Russia. Ukraine are waiting for them in the initiative late on. were talking about Saturday already,” Thomas Mueller.” rolled his shot wide and fell to the turf in Rome hopefully not suffering any hang- The Sweden center-back was sent off Southgate said. “It was an immense per- Mueller said his crucial miss for a late dismay. Kane made Germany pay in the over from their late night in Glasgow. on 98 minutes when his studs caught Artem formance but at a cost, emotionally and equalizer “hurts like hell”. England, who 86th minute as he finished off a lethal Oleksandr Zinchenko put Ukraine Besedin’s knee with his follow-through, a physically, and we’ve got to make sure themselves looked short of inspiration for England counter-attack with a diving ahead at Hampden but Emil Forsberg yellow card changed to red after a VAR that we recover well and that mentally much of the contest, finally broke the header past Manuel Neuer from substi- equalized for Sweden before the break review. As penalties loomed, Dovbyk we’re in the right space.” deadlock when Luke Shaw crossed for tute Jack Grealish’s cross. with his fourth goal in three games. stooped to head in a Zinchenko cross and A peak audience of 20.6 million peo- Sterling to finish from close range, notch- That was the first goal of the tourna- hit the post for snatch victory for Ukraine. — AFP