England Rewrites European Championship History

In the past, England had struggled to match the success of other major footballing nations in the European Championship. However, in the 2021 edition of the tournament, England rewrote their history and made a statement to the rest of Europe.

Group Stage

In the group stage, England were placed in Group D alongside Croatia, Czech Republic, and Scotland. The team started their campaign with a solid 1-0 win over Croatia. The match was decided by a stunning long-range goal from Raheem Sterling in the second half.

The second match against Scotland was highly anticipated, but it ended in a goalless draw. Even though England dominated possession, they couldn't find a breakthrough against a solid Scottish defense.

Finally, in the last group game against the Czech Republic, England sealed their place in the knockout stage with a 1-0 victory. This time, it was a powerful header from Raheem Sterling that made the difference.

Round of 16

In the Round of 16, England faced their old rivals Germany at Wembley Stadium. The game was highly anticipated, and the tension was palpable for both sets of fans.

England got off to a perfect start when Raheem Sterling scored in the 75th minute. The crowd went wild as England took the lead. However, the tension remained until the 85th minute when Harry Kane scored his first goal of the tournament to seal the 2-0 win for England.

Quarterfinals

The quarterfinals saw England take on Ukraine in Rome. It was a dominant performance from England as they managed to score four goals without reply. Harry Kane scored two goals, while Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson scored one each.

Semifinals

The semifinals saw England face Denmark at Wembley Stadium. The match was evenly contested, but Denmark took the lead in the first half through a stunning free-kick from Mikkel Damsgaard.

However, England equalized in the second half through an own goal from Simon Kjaer. The game went into extra time, and it was in the 104th minute that England got their winner. Raheem Sterling was brought down in the box, and Harry Kane stepped up to convert the penalty and send England through to the final.

Final

The final was played at Wembley Stadium, and England faced Italy. Both teams had reached the final unbeaten and were in top form.

England started brightly and took the lead in the second minute through a superb goal from Luke Shaw. It was the fastest goal ever scored in a European Championship final. However, Italy equalized in the second half through a goal from Leonardo Bonucci.

The match went into extra time, and neither team could find a winner. The game went to penalties, and it was a nerve-wracking shootout. However, England held their nerve and won 3-2 on penalties.

Conclusion

England had finally rewritten their European Championship history and won their first major international tournament since the 1966 World Cup. The team showed resilience, determination, and quality throughout the tournament, and they deserved to be crowned champions. The future is bright for England, and they will go into the 2022 World Cup with confidence and belief.