England beats Switzerland in a penalty shootout to reach Euro 2024 semifinals
DUESSELDORF, Germany — England added another dramatic chapter to its history with penalty shootouts by defeating Switzerland 5-3 in a shootout to reach the semifinals of Euro 2024.
Trent Alexander-Arnold scored the decisive penalty, blasting the ball into the top corner, after a 1-1 draw in extra time on Saturday. “The team showed a lot of character, a lot of belief, heart, and spirit out there,” Alexander-Arnold told the BBC. “We knew it was going to be tight but whatever it takes, no matter what, we win and that’s all that matters.”
England manager Gareth Southgate praised Alexander-Arnold, who had been benched for England’s first two Euro 2024 games. “He could have easily thought his tournament was done,” Southgate said. “I kept talking to him. He’s going to have moments; there’s still a big part to play.”
Bukayo Saka, who had missed a crucial penalty in the 2021 final and faced racial abuse afterward, also stepped up and scored, redeeming himself. The 22-year-old had earlier equalized to ensure the game went to extra time. Other successful penalty takers included Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, and Ivan Toney, who returned from an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules in January.
England took the lead in the shootout after goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saved Manuel Akanji’s penalty, Switzerland’s first.
Southgate, whose own England career was marked by a semifinal shootout miss against Germany in the 1996 European Championship, has seen significant improvement in his team’s shootout performance. Since becoming manager in 2016, England has won three of four shootouts under his leadership, although they lost the crucial one in the 2021 final.