Euro Fantasy picks
With the game being pretty dull and lacklustre, it is clear that Southgate is not setting up his team with an expectation to show a lot of attacking flair in the final against the Italians as well. Harry Maguire (5.7m) looks to be a very good pick as history suggests that a final of a major tournament lacks goals and the two teams involved in this final have not shown anything that could make us think otherwise.
Other than a high possibility of keeping a clean sheet, England have relied on their set piece abilities a lot to score goals and with Maguire being one of the main targets, he could even be on the scoresheet. Another player that can cause a huge difference in the game is Harry Kane (11.7m), he has been amongst the goals in every single one of England’s knockout games, and now looks to be the focal point of their attack. With the English side putting in crosses from both sides, Harry Kane’s presence inside the box can be very menacing.
As seen in the game against Denmark, this England side do have players who, with their slick movement can win penalties as well and with Harry Kane given the penalty duties, his chances of scoring a goal increases a lot.
Player of the Day
It has been nothing short of a dream tournament for Raheem Sterling, who once again displayed his immense talent in their semifinal match against the Danes. From being criticised by the media and the fans for the past season, coming into this tournament in his worst form, it is safe to say that he has silenced every single doubter. One aspect of his game which has helped him a lot in this tournament is his movement inside the box. This aspect was very crucial for both of his team’s goals. He was present inside the six yard box when Saka crossed the ball, which forced Denmark’s captain Kjær into scoring an own goal.
For the second goal, it was Sterling’s scintillating run with the ball inside the box, attracting the Danish defenders into committing a foul which resulted in a penalty for the three lions. He proved to be too much for the Danish defenders and continued to torment Denmark even in the 120th minute. Although a much difficult task awaits him in the final and he might not be able to replicate the performances, but he should be proud of what he has done already and how pivotal he has been in all the wins for the Three Lions.
Social Media Moments Of The Day
It was England who reached their first Major final after 55 years, and the whole nation was buzzing about it. The excitement amongst the fans was quite evident, in Wembley and on social media as well. “It’s coming home” flooded everyone’s feed, and a jam packed Wembley provided us with an amazing sight.
With a game of this magnitude, records were expected to be broken and they did. Bukayo Saka, who has impressed a lot of fans with his performances, got a deserving spot in the starting 11 against the Danes, which made him the youngest English Player to start a game at the Semi Finals.
Own goal was once again a topic to talk about in this game. With the Danes scoring an own goal in this match, they took the tally to 11 for this tournament. With this stat having a huge meme potential, social media missed out on nothing.
Even though Denmark did not make it to the final, it was nothing short of a fairy tale run for them. After going through so much in this tournament, seeing their best player go through so much pain right in front of their eyes. They showed great character and reached the Semi Finals, exceeding everyone’s expectations for them. Even when everyone was celebrating England’s win, a few accounts on social media made sure that their fairytale does not get unnoticed.
Moment of the Day
With the game being evenly contested throughout the 120 minutes, it was just that one moment in extra time which affected the game immensely. Sterling’s surging run inside the box in the 102nd minute attracted the Danish defenders towards him and in that process, Sterling was able to win a foul which resulted in a penalty.
People were divided over the decision, a few fingers were raised on the referee and the VAR for this but the penalty stood. It was a very big moment in the game and potentially a match winning one for England. Harry Kane, even though missing the initial attempt to score from the penalty, made sure that he makes the opportunity count by scoring on the rebound. It really showed that big games like these, are decided by one moment and this time it was England who benefitted from it.
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