Ukraine 0-4 England: Three Lions reach semi-final of Euro 2020
England progressed to the semi-final of Euro 2020 in convincing fashion with a 4-0 hammering of Ukraine in Rome, and are now 13/8 favourites to win the tournament.
Harry Kane netted in each half while Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson capitalised from set-pieces as a dominant second-half performance confirmed the Three Lions' spot in the final four.
England have now reached the semi-final stage in back-to-back major tournaments for the first time since 1968, and their position as favourites to win Euro 2020 should come as no shock given the championship's final three fixtures all take place at Wembley.
Denmark, who edged past Czech Republic 2-1, now stand between England and a first major tournament final in 55 years, while the other semi sees a heavyweight clash between Italy and Spain.
Euro 2020 Winner odds (via Sky Bet)
- England - 11/8
- Italy - 21/10
- Spain - 14/5
- Denmark - 9/1
Southgate the tinkerman
Gareth Southgate made two changes to the side that beat Germany 2-0 at Wembley as England moved away from the back-three system, and back the 4-2-3-1 they had utilised in all three of their group-stage matches.
Kieran Trippier dropped out as did the injured Bukayo Saka. Mason Mount returned from his period of isolation while Jadon Sancho was handed a first start of the tournament. It was a more attacking line-up from the England boss and any pre-match nerves among supporters were settled in perfect fashion when Kane struck in the fourth minute.
A positive start saw Southgate's side dominate possession and they capitalised with their first opportunity of the contest. An off-balance Raheem Sterling did well to play Kane through one-on-one and the forward made no mistake as he hit his shot over the goalkeeper from close range.
England pushed for a second and had chances - most notably through Mount and Declan Rice whose driven shot from outside the area was punched away - but Ukraine remained a threat on the counter as they looked for an equaliser.
Even if their half-time xG figure of 0.23 was small, it did highlight some of the quality of chances they had - Manchester City's Oleksandr Zinchenko, Roman Yaremchuk and Oleksandr Karavayev (all 6%) had the better of the opportunities.
Second-half blitz ended contest
While England's start to the first-half was quick, they couldn't have hoped for a better beginning to the second when Maguire doubled the advantage just one minute after the restart.
Kane - looking like his former self after a quiet start to the tournament - was fouled at the edge of the area and the set-piece threat so evident at the 2018 World Cup was on display again.
Luke Shaw's cross was perfect as Maguire broke the Ukrainian line and fired a header into the far corner. Replays highlighted how Zinchenko was playing him onside. It was good news for those who had backed Sporting Life's tip of Maguire to have 1+ headed shots on target in Sky Bet's Euro 2020 hub.
The Three Lions had no intention for settling on the scoreline as Kane grabbed his second of the game and third of the tournament in the 50th minute. Shaw again played the provider by whipping in a cross from the left and Kane, placed perfectly between the two Ukraine centre-backs, fired in a header from yards out.
Mason Mount gets the assist on the Jordan Henderson goal 🥳 https://t.co/dMPlXOLxw3
— Tom Carnduff (@TomC_22) July 3, 2021
Ukraine were stunned and had no reply as the result looked all-but-confirmed. For England, it presented the opportunity to make changes and substitute Henderson got the fourth as the game passed the hour mark.
Another set-piece, this time a corner played in by Mount, was met by the free head of Henderson to score his first senior goal for England on his 61st appearance.
The game concluded with Southgate's side placing greater emphasis on keeping a clean sheet - something that they did achieve to extend their run of shutouts at the tournament to five games.
It also means that England have gone 662 minutes without conceding a goal.
Expected Goals (xG) analysis: Set-pieces providing yet again
By Jake Osgathorpe
England were heavily reliant on set-pieces at the 2018 World Cup, with nine of their 12 goals coming from dead-ball situations.
Gareth Southgate was concerned at the lack of set-piece goals at Euro 2020 so far, but the Three Lions netted two against Ukraine.
Luke Shaw delivered from a free-kick for Harry Maguire to smash home a header (41%) before Mason Mount's corner found Jordan Henderson to nod home (41%) his first England goal and the fourth of the night.
There was no 'love-train', but the aerial threats England do possess were causing problems all night, and the delivery was sensational for the most part.
Defensively, the Three Lions continue to excel. Southgate's side are yet to concede a goal at Euro 2020 in five outings, and have allowed just one 'big chance' (0.35 xG+) - Thomas Muller's one-on-one in the last 16.
That is staggering, and shows the excellent foundation that this team is built on. The extra protection of Kalvin Phillips alongside Declan Rice has likely helped this, and with the Three Lions allowing an average of just 0.66 xGA per game, it's going to be difficult for any team to breach them.
Semi-final opponents Denmark boast a similarly impressive defence though, meaning Wednesday's semi-final showdown at Wembley will likely be an attritional affair with few scoring chances.
Set-pieces could be crucial.
Odds correct at 1000 BST (04/07/21)
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