Euro 2020: England Reaches Finals, Beats Denmark After Controversial Penalty

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England defeated Denmark 2-1 at Wembley and will play the final at Euro 2020 against Italy, on Sunday (21:00 CET).

Harry Kane England
England is heading to their first Euro final. (Image: Twitter/England)

It was no easy affair for the hosts in London, as Denmark went ahead after 30 minutes. A fantastic free-kick goal from Mikkel Damsgaard put Kasper Hjulmand’s men in front. It was the first free-kick goal at the Euros this year.

England equalized fast when Bukayo Saka crossed a ball into the box in front of the net, only for Danish captain Kjaer to put it past his own keeper.

Was it a penalty?

Just like in the semifinal match Italy won against Spain on Tuesday, England’s game against Denmark couldn’t be decided in normal time. It didn’t need a shootout, though, as it was settled by a single penalty decision in extra time.

In a controversial play, Raheem Sterling got caught between two Danish players and fell to the ground in the opposite box after 103 minutes. Dutch ref Danny Makkelie, who was excellently placed, awarded a penalty without putting too much thought into it, suggesting he was in control of what he’d seen.

VAR checked the replays and confirmed Makkelie’s decision, which finally made social media explode. Various angles shown on the live broadcast put a major question mark over the decision. In the end, Harry Kane made it 2-1 for England, but not after a scare. Danish keeper Kasper Schmeichel parried the penalty, only for Kane to hit on the rebound and score his fourth goal in the tournament.

Exhausted by the effort they made throughout the match, Denmark couldn’t hit back, with England rarely bothered until the end of extra time.

‘It’s coming home’

Playing the Euro final is a first for England, which has never reached this stage of the competition. The hit song “It’s coming home,” which English fans chanted in the stands since the start of the tournament, served as motivation for the national team players, who are now facing a historic moment.

On Sunday, Italy comes to visit Wembley along with their fantastic 33-game unbeaten run, a set of excellent Roberto Mancini tactics, and a great group of players. In the bookies’ opinion, England is still slightly better positioned to win Euro 2020. They are at -110 for a triumph, while Italy is at +110. A win over 90 minutes for any of the two is at +190, with a draw at +190.

Harry Kane could finish Euro 2020 in the top goalscorer’s position. He needs two more goals to beat Cristiano Ronaldo and Patrick Schick, who have both netted five times. With his penalty against Denmark, Kane is currently on four goals. Bookies have him at +600 to beat Ronaldo and Schick to the Golden Boot.

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