Gareth Southgate lauded England’s streetwise spot-kick heroes after reaching the Euro 2024 semi-finals and heaped special praise on Bukayo Saka for exorcising his penalty demons against Switzerland.
Having stumbled through the group stage and secured a dramatic extra-time triumph against Slovakia in the round of 16, Saturday’s edgy quarter-final was decided on penalties in Dusseldorf.
Star man Saka cancelled out Breel Embolo’s opener to make it 1-1, taking the match to extra time and eventually onto spot-kicks.
Jordan Pickford saved Manuel Akanji’s effort in a 5-3 triumph wrapped up by Trent Alexander-Arnold, setting up a semi-final against the Netherlands in Dortmund on Wednesday.
“There’s what we ideally want to be and then there’s how we…