This is from Il Gazzettino an Italian Newspaper
Google translate conspires to make this a remarkably poetic piece. -
The final of Euro 2020 will be Italy-England . Coming back, up to extra time, from the great fear to the explosion of Wembley: England overturns Denmark and, for the first time in their history, conquers the European final: on Sunday evening they will face Italy. It is a concentration of emotions and uncertainty, the second semi-final of Euro 2020 which is resolved only after 120 ', decided by a penalty - much contested by the Danes - awarded for a foul in the area by Joakim Maehle on Raheem Sterling.
To rewrite the history of the Three Lions is the captain, Harry Kane, clearly the best in the field, who redeems the error from the spot by replying on the net the rejection of Kasper Schmeichel. Deserved epilogue for the home national team - driven by the incessant fans of the 60,000 present in the stands of the London stadium - which thus becomes the 13th finalist in the 60-year history of the European Championship. In the stands, in addition to Prince William, honorary president of the English Football Association, there is also - for the first time in the tournament - Premier Boris Johnson, accompanied by his wife Carrie. Ready-to-go, and England is off to a flying start, propelled by the vibrant sound waves of Wembley, the beating heart of a nation in anticipation. Compared to the last victory, against Ukraine, he finds a starting shirt Bukayo Saka, favorite to Jadon Sancho: usual form, back four, with Kane offensive terminal. But Raheem Sterling is usually the first scratch of the evening: primed by Kane, he chokes the conclusion, he saves Schmeichel easy.
Having overcome the initial setbacks, Denmark is not long in getting into the game. And, when it does, for the English fans, it's chills. Because Kasper Hjulmand's team, which confirms the 11 winners over the Czech Republic, plays boldly, pressing across the board, without fear. To give her a hand, unwittingly, thinks Jordan Pickford who first saves on Pierre-Emile Hojgberg but then returns badly on the feet of Martin Braithwaite: ball just on the bottom. Shortly before the half hour Mikkel Damsgaard, a young talent from Sampdoria, takes the chair: after having taken the measures with a round conclusion, which ends on the bottom, he carries on his own with a spectacular free kick from 30 meters. A ballistic solution of rare power, albeit central, which interrupts the inviolability of the English goal after 555 minutes.
Those who expect the immediate reaction of the hosts are disappointed: Kane and his companions seem to feel the blow, the cold falls on Wembley. Southgate calls for calm, but it's still Kane, in the guise of inspirer, who has to play the charge. With a blatant assist for the usual Sterling who kicks on Schmeichel. It is the prelude to the equalizer, which takes place before the break: Kane finds Bukayo Saka in depth, on his low cross Simon Kjaer - to anticipate Sterling - bags into his own goal, for the 11th own goal of this European. A casual draw, but deserved because now England is there. And he confirms this when he returns to the field, when he definitely takes control of the maneuver. Pressure is increasing on Denmark, which is increasingly struggling to restart. But Schmeichel's rescue on the sure shot of his former teammate Harry Maguire is even spectacular: a plastic postcard flight worthy of the surname he bears. Beyond a Danish start, with Martin Braithwaite, it is only England, who presses, but without finding the tear or the winning invention. So Southgate plays the Jack Grealish card, but as the minutes pass the fear of losing prevails and both teams end up relying solely on individual initiatives. After Maguire's last header, the semifinal drags on to extra time. Immediately lit by Kane's diagonal: save Schmeichel. Who also rejects the penalty of Kane, but can do nothing about the retort of the English center forward, in the fourth European center. There is still an extra time to win: a long deafening countdown, lived in emotional apnea, until the final triple whistle. When Wembley is an eruption of irrepressible joy.
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