Gareth Southgate took a huge risk by subbing off Harry Kane, who scored England‘s first goal against the Netherlands in the UEFA Euro 2024 semifinal. But Ollie Watkins proved the manager right.
The Aston Villa star, who came on after 81′, came up with a heroic moment late in the game, firing home a powerful shot to give England a dramatic lead, sending fans in Dortmund wild. But most importantly, he sent The Three Lions to the European Championship final.
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When it looked like the game would go to extra time, Watkins gave England a dramatic win with this beautiful finish in stoppage time. Now, the Three Lions will take on Spain with the UEFA Euro 2024 trophy on the line.
England chasing first UEFA Euro title
Watkins’ dramatic winner will allow Gareth Southgate’s men to get a huge chance to redeem themselves after a disappointing ending to their last European Championship campaign. Three years ago, England got their hearts broken in the Euro 2020 final, losing to Italy on penalties at Wembley.
England vs Spain Euro 2024 final date
England and Spain will face each other in the UEFA Euro 2024 final on Sunday, July 14, at 3:00 PM (ET) at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany. The Three Lions have never lifted the trophy so far, whereas La Furia boast three European Championships – tied with Germany as the winningest side in the competition.
England’s road to the Euro 2024 final
Watkins’ last-gasp goal against the Netherlands just adds to a series of dramatic wins by England in this year’s European Championship. Before it could celebrate a place in the Euro 2024 final, Southgate’s side had to sweat to make the semis.
Their group stage campaign left a lot to be desired, as they only claimed a hard-fought win over Serbia before consecutive draws against Denmark and Slovenia. Even so, it was enough to finish atop Group C.
But the problems continued to show up in the knockout stages. Slovakia were about to pull off a shock in the round of 16, until Jude Bellingham saved England with a dramatic bicycle kick goal to force the extra time, where Kane scored the winner.
The quarterfinals weren’t easy either, as the game against Switzerland had to be decided on penalties. This time, England managed to exorcise their penalty demons, scoring all their shots to emerge triumphant in the shootout.
The semifinal proved challenging as well, but it ended in ecstasy with Watkins becoming the hero in stoppage time. Now, we’ll have to wait and see whether this story gets the perfect ending against Spain.
