Two consecutive Euro finals First championship challenge Round of 16-quarterfinals, first conceded goal, then turned it around Substitute Watkins “I’ve been waiting for this moment”
‘Formidable firepower’ Spain aims for 4th championship
'Equalizing goal-reversal goal' The two main characters, England national team strikers Ollie Watkins (below) and Harry Kane, are hugging each other and celebrating after their 2-1 comeback win against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals of the European Football Championship on the 11th. Kane scored the equalizing goal in the 18th minute of the first half, and Watkins, who came in as a substitute for Kane (36th minute of the second half), scored the winning goal in extra time in the second half.
This year's European Football Championship (Euro) final matchup has been set between 'football home' England and 'invincible fleet' Spain.
England, ranked 5th in the FIFA rankings, won a 2-1 comeback victory over the Netherlands (7th) in the Euro semifinals held in Dortmund, Germany on the 11th, thanks to a 'dramatic goal' scored in extra time in the second half. England, which advanced to the finals for the second consecutive tournament after finishing runner-up in Euro 2020, will compete for the championship trophy with Spain (8th) on the 15th. England
conceded the first goal to the Netherlands' Xavi Simons in the 7th minute of the first half, but tied the score with a penalty kick goal by Harry Kane in the 18th minute of the first half. England manager Gareth Southgate pulled out the substitution card when his team was on the defensive due to a lack of mobility in the second half. In the 36th minute of the second half, he called up Kane and Phil Foden, the key players in the attack, to the bench and replaced them with Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer.
Southgate's substitution card was right. In the first minute of extra time in the second half, Watkins, who received a forward pass from Palmer, shook the net with a right-footed shot. The two players who were brought in at the end of the game combined to score the winning goal. Watkins, who plays for Aston Villa, scored 19 goals (tied for 4th) in the 2023-2024 English Premier League (EPL). However, he is being used as a substitute after Kane (Bayern Munich, 36 league goals), who scored the most goals in the European league in the same season. Watkins said, "I've been waiting for this moment for the past few weeks. I told Palmer, 'I'll score with your help,' and it happened."
England, which was ranked as the top contender for the championship before the opening of this tournament, advanced to the finals with a tough win despite the frustrating performance. England conceded the first goal in all three matches of the tournament round, but eventually turned the tables and won. In the round of 16 match against Slovakia, Jude Bellingham scored an equalizer with an overhead kick in the second half of the second half and Kane scored a header in extra time to win 2-1. In the quarterfinals against Switzerland, where Bukayo Saka equalized with a long-range shot, England won 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in extra time.
After the victory over the Netherlands, Southgate said, “I am delighted to have given the fans the best night.” The British media, which had been criticizing Southgate’s tactics throughout the tournament, has also changed its tone. The BBC reported, “At one point, disgruntled fans threw plastic beer mugs at Southgate. But now, Southgate has the chance to make history.”
Whoever wins the final will make history. England will be aiming for its first ever title. This is the 17th Euros and England’s 11th appearance in the tournament, with their best result being a runner-up finish in the previous tournament. Spain is aiming for its fourth title, the most in its history. Spain is tied with Germany for the most wins in the European Championship (three times). In the head-to-head record between the two teams in international matches, England has the upper hand with 13 wins, four draws, and 10 losses. However, Spain has shown its powerful offense by scoring 13 goals (in six games), the most among the 24 participating countries. England has scored seven goals in six games. Opta, a sports statistics company, predicted that Spain has a 48.2% chance of winning, while England has a 27.3% chance of winning. There is a 24.5% chance that the winner will be decided by a penalty shootout after a draw in extra time. The tournament's top scorer could also be decided in the final. Currently, six players are tied for first place with three goals, including Kane and Spain's Dani Olmo. 카지노사이트
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