England beats Switzerland in a penalty shootout to reach Euro 2024 semifinals
Three years on from losing the European Championship final on penalties, England’s players radiated confidence as they beat Switzerland in a shootout to reach the semifinals of Euro 2024.
Trent Alexander-Arnold blasted the ball into the top corner for 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.
Benched following England’s first two Euro 2024 games, Alexander-Arnold “could have easily thought his tournament was done,” England manager Gareth Southgate said. “I kept talking to him. He’s going to have moments, there’s still a big part to play.”
Bukayo Saka, whose penalty kick was saved to decide the final shootout in 2021, and who was racially abused on social media in the aftermath, also stepped up to score. The 22-year-old had also equalized earlier to ensure the game went to extra time.
The other shootout scorers were Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham, 22 and 21 respectively, 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.
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 Xherdan Shaqiri hitting the frame of the goal direct from a corner and Zeki Amdouni forcing a save from Pickford in the 119th.
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