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England won their first EURO penalty shoot-out since 1996, achieving a perfect record by converting all their spot kicks, mirroring their only other flawless performance in a major tournament shoot-out.
Gareth Southgate's heroic England side have etched their names into the history books after winning their first-ever penalty shootout at the European Championships since the heartbreak of 1996.
The Three Lions edged past a stubborn Switzerland 5-3 on spot-kicks in a nerve-shredding quarter-final clash in Gelsenkirchen, with Bukayo Saka - who suffered racist abuse after missing a penalty in the Euro 2020 final - emphatically converting his effort to exorcise those demons.
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22:53 - 06.07.2024
Tolami Benson: Bukayo Saka stunning girlfriend celebrates his MOTM performance days after kissing him at the Euros
Tolami Benson has continued to show her public support for the Arsenal star since the start of the Euros.
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And it was Liverpool star Trent Arnold-Alexander who stepped up to slam home the decisive penalty and send Southgate's men through to the semi-finals, where they will face the Netherlands.
England end EURO penalty hoodoo
In a dramatic shootout, Brentford striker Ivan Toney also delivered a mesmerising no-look effort to put England 4-3 up, as the nation's wait for a first major tournament triumph since 1966 goes on.
The match had finished 1-1 after 120 minutes, with Breel Embolo's 75th-minute strike putting the Swiss in front before Saka's superb leveller five minutes later took the game to extra time.
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The Three Lions went on to keep their nerve, converting all five of their kicks, also for the first time since 1996, to celebrate a historic victory on Saturday night.
And after seeing his side prevail in the nerve-shredding penalties, a delighted Southgate told Euro2024.com:
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We've done a lot of work on [penalties]. We've won three out of four shoot-outs now. I think our processes have been good. We've been composed around the whole project, but in the end, the players have to do it.”
For the players to come into the game as they did, for somebody like Bukayo [Saka], who has been through what he's been through, to live through that moment of pressure – I'm so, so proud of them.’
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Southgate's men have now reached the semi-finals of a major tournament for the third time under his stewardship, cementing his status as one of the country's most successful managers in recent memory.
After overcoming the heartbreak of their Euro 2020 final defeat, the former defender believes his squad are primed to go all the way and finally end England's 58-year wait for a major international trophy.
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