EURO 2024 QF | England 1-1 Switzerland (aet, 5-3 pens): Scraping through on penalties | OneFootball

England continue scraping through EURO 2024, this time on a penalty shoot-out against Yann Sommer’s Switzerland after another late equaliser, this time from Bukayo Saka.

The Three Lions go through to face either the Netherlands or Turkey in the semi-final.

With Marc Guehi suspended, Gareth Southgate finally bowed to pressure and changed to a three-man defence, while Ezri Konsa stepped in, but Saka was curiously moved to the right. The Swiss side that eliminated Italy remained intact, despite Silvan Widmer returning from a ban, including Bologna trio Dan Ndoye, Michel Aebischer and Remo Freuler, Inter goalkeeper Sommer and Torino defender Ricardo Rodriguez.

Harry Kane had timid penalty appeals rejected by Italian referee Daniele Orsato, as he went down too easily under pressure from Fabian Schär, then Saka pulled back from the by-line for Kobbie Mainoo, but Granit Xhaka made a decisive tackle from six yards.

Breel Embolo had the first shot on target after the restart, albeit a timid finish straight at Jordan Pickford after turning Konsa, and a header also relatively simple for the goalkeeper.

Switzerland broke through when it was pulled back across the face of goal from the right by Bologna’s Dan Ndoye, it took a deflection off John Stones and Embolo was ready to tap in at full stretch from point-blank range.

Saka equalised almost immediately with a goal out of nowhere, his left-footed daisy-cutter from outside the box clipping the inside of the far post to leave Sommer stranded. Just like the game with Slovakia, it was England’s first shot on goal.

Switzerland had a huge chance as a cross from the left only grazed the heads of both Embolo and Ndoye, so it went to extra time again.

Sommer had to make his first genuine save on a sudden Declan Rice scorcher from distance, while Saka had to sprint back to block a Silvan Widmer cross on the counter-attack.

On the resulting corner, Switzerland almost scored directly from the flag with Xherdan Shaqiri hitting the near post as Pickford panicked.

Pickford had his gloves stung by a ferocious Zeki Amdouni strike, but it went to penalties.

Manuel Akanji saw the first Swiss attempt saved by Pickford and that proved the only error of the entire shoot-out, as Sommer was beaten all five times.

England 1-1 Switzerland (aet, 5-3 pens)

Embolo 75 (S), Saka 80 (E)

Penalties: Palmer (E, goal), Akanji (S, saved), Bellingham (E, goal), Schär (S, goal), Saka (E, goal), Shaqiri (S, goal), Toney (E, goal), Amdouni (S, goal), Alexander-Arnold (E, goal)