England reach their first grand final since 1966 after a tense Euro 2020 win over Denmark

(CNN Spanish) – It took 120 minutes, but England did it: they beat Denmark 2-1 in Wembley and qualified for the final of the Eurocup, where they will face Italy.

In this way England reached its first final of a major men’s tournament on Wednesday since winning the World Cup in 1966.

Gareth Southgate’s team had to come back to win and as the game went into extra time, a controversial penalty decided the game.

Raheem Sterling fell in the area under pressure from close quarters from Danish players and, after referee Danny Makkelie awarded the penalty, the decision was confirmed by VAR.

To increase the drama Kasper schmeichel he saved the shot from Harry Kane’s point, but the England forward swooped in to score from the rebound.

Simon Kjaer’s own goal nullified Mikkel Damsgaard’s marvelous free kick in the first half in a match that saw Denmark produce another gutsy performance that has typified their tournament, following the collapse of Christian Eriksen in the team’s opening match.

For England, the tie bore similarities to their last European Championship semi-final, against Germany in 1996. It was also played in front of a packed Wembley stadium, but the tie ended under very different circumstances.

Southgate was the man who missed the decisive penalty that night, but going 25 years ahead, the 50-year-old has guided his country to its first continental tournament final.

Now you will face Italy in the final after the Azzurri beat Spain on penalties on Tuesday.

While the Italian team has been imperious during Euro 2020, England hope that local support at Wembley can inspire them to a historic victory on Sunday.

A crowded Wembley

The UK government allowed 60,000 fans to enter Wembley Stadium for the semi-finals, and those lucky enough to get tickets to this match experienced an atmosphere like no other.

Unsurprisingly, England fans were in the majority, singing and dancing on Wembley Way – the famous path that leads to the ground – before creating a party atmosphere inside the stadium as the sound of “Sweet Caroline” swirled. around the cavernous place.

If the fans of the Denmark team were a minority, they certainly made their presence known, with one end of the stadium littered with Danish flags.

The euphoric crowd with a sense of nervousness and anticipation welcomed the players as they exited the tunnel. After being locked in amid covid-19 restrictions, it felt like an outpouring of excitement that rumbled at Wembley.

“The whole feel-good factor is about to explode with sheer joy,” an England fan told CNN as he walked to the stadium with his son.

“I think everyone has had this pent-up emotion over the past year. It’s a time where the end is in sight … I think we’re on the crest of a wave that I hope never breaks.”

In those opening minutes England in particular seemed inspired by that support.

Extra time

After a dynamic start, the game died down with Denmark retreating and England doing most of the attack. Sterling had a couple of half chances as home support roared over the men in white.

All of England’s good early work was almost undone by a moment of insane goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

After a routine stop and no pressure whatsoever, his weak shot was easily intercepted, but Denmark simply couldn’t work a space to shoot at what would have been an empty net.

After that, the Danes grew in the game and took the lead with a magical free kick from Damsgaard at the half hour mark. The play was near perfect, she crashed into the wall and gave Pickford no chance to save her.

The goal, England’s first to concede in this tournament, mollified the crowd, but only momentarily.

England were in a rush and moments after Sterling was denied a draw thanks to a wonderful save from Schmeichel, Bukayo Saka’s center was accidentally handed over by defender Kjaer. In truth, Sterling was looking forward to touching her if Kjaer hadn’t deflected the ball into the net.

The second half started as the first with England on the hunt for the goal. Harry Maguire almost found the net with a header, but Schmeichel was there once more to bring the effort to safety.

Clear cut opportunities were few and far between then, as nerves seemed to take over in that second period, and extra time was needed to separate the sides.

The English pressure only intensified after the break as he kept hitting the defenders’ red wall. Kane had a good shot before Jack Grealish’s shot dug into the keeper’s palms.

Then came the crucial moment when Sterling fell under pressure in the area. The contact was minimal but sufficient, according to the referee.

Kane, usually so confident from twelve steps, had his first save, but sent a country into a delirium when he propped up the rebound.

Denmark Credit

For Denmark, who won Euro 92, this has been an extraordinary tournament.

The team and the nation were shaken when Eriksen collapsed on the pitch during his first match against Finland in the group stage.

The power, strength and endurance displayed by the Danish players when Eriksen recovered will inevitably define this tournament and both teams paid tribute to the wheel before the semi-final.

England captain Kane presented Denmark with an Eriksen jersey signed by all the players before kick-off, a gesture applauded by both groups of fans.

Then the Southgate side set about trying to make history. The country felt it needed, almost expected, a victory on Wednesday after so many years of disappointment, and it finally got the job done.

Italy expects and is likely to present England with the toughest test to date at Euro 2020.