England secured their spot in a second consecutive European Championship final with a dramatic 2-1 victory over the Netherlands, courtesy of substitute Ollie Watkins’ stoppage-time winner on Wednesday.
Watkins, who replaced captain Harry Kane in a bold move by coach Gareth Southgate, fired a powerful shot into the bottom corner in the first minute of added time.
England is set to face Lamine Yamal and Spain in Sunday’s final in Berlin.
This marks the nation’s first final on foreign soil, following their World Cup win in 1966 and the Euro 2020 final loss to Italy, both held at Wembley Stadium.
The first half saw an open game, with Harry Kane’s 18th-minute penalty leveling the score after Xavi Simons’ stunning opener for the Dutch in the seventh minute.
Watkins had only one previous appearance at Euro 2024, as a substitute against Denmark in the group stage.
His introduction by Southgate in England’s most crucial match so far was unexpected but ultimately proved decisive.
The vibrant Dutch supporters in the South Stand at Westfalenstadion were silenced. These fans had dominated the city center and marched in large numbers to the stadium before the match. Police reported three separate clashes between fans of both nations in the city.
The atmosphere felt like a home match for the Dutch. England, which had staged comebacks in both the last 16 and quarterfinals, faced an even greater challenge after 21-year-old Simons became the second youngest scorer for the Netherlands in a European Championship.
The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder intercepted Declan Rice about 40 meters out, advanced forward, and unleashed a shot into the far corner from outside the area.
While Simons may seem like a seasoned player compared to Spain’s 16-year-old star Lamine Yamal, his performance highlighted another young talent shining at the Euros.
Kane, accustomed to big moments at major tournaments, had another when he converted a penalty following Denzel Dumfries’ foul as Kane attempted a shot. This goal put Kane among the six players with three goals in the tournament.
The open first half, featuring attempts from Dumfries and England’s Phil Foden that hit the goal frame, gave way to a tight and tense second half with few chances.
Bukayo Saka had a goal disallowed for a narrow offside before Kane was substituted for Watkins.
Yhis decision might be Southgate’s best in his eight years as England’s coach.
