

Here’s what you need to know.Įngland, favorites to win Euro 2020 after the early elimination of France, will play Ukraine at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome for a shot at the semifinals of Euro 2020.Įngland has had a great tournament, defeating Germany 2-0 in the Round of 16, while Ukraine reached this stage of the competition after knocking out Sweden 2-1 in extra time.Įnglish manager Gareth Southgate has been criticized for his defensive approach, but there’s no denying that goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who has yet to concede a goal at this tournament, and the entire Three Lions backline has been wonderful.Īt the same time, the attack, spearheaded by striker Harry Kane, has been solid. England have reached a semi-final in successive major tournaments for the first time since 1968, and just the second time in their history.England, in their quest to win a major title since 1966, face Ukraine in the quarterfinals at Euro 2020 in Rome. The most significant detail of all remains the consequence of this victory. Southgate’s side are not just breaking down every barrier, but offering a response to every criticism. The wonder now is how far this will really go. The forward naturally finished, but that was just the start. It was so perfect that Kane only had to run onto it and he had the goal at his mercy. He just picked the ball up on the left, weaved his way inside, and played the most elegant of angled balls.

With both teams almost testing each other, there was no trepidation for Sterling. That is actually what happened with that key opening goal. There was a series of strong runs early on that just forced Ukraine 40 metres back on their own, as he often changed the tempo on his own. As convincingly comprehensive as this win became, Sterling’s influence in the uncertain early stages should not be overlooked. It perhaps isn’t a coincidence that the team went up a level just as he did.

The stand-out, however, remains Raheem Sterling.
