England secured their place in the Euro 2024 semi-finals with a victory on penalties after a 1-1 draw against Switzerland.
The penalty shootout saw Manchester City star Manuel Akanji miss his opening effort for Switzerland, whilst every other player converted their efforts to give England a 5-3 victory.
Bukayo Saka finished his penalty into the bottom-right corner, and the Arsenal star was the player of the match, having also scored an outstanding goal to equalise for England.
The game was filled with Arsenal-related narratives, as Declan Rice and Granit Xhaka faced each other in midfield, and Rice provided the assist for Saka’s strike.
Both midfielders played well, but neither stepped up to take a penalty. However, the England celebrations at full time, coupled with the Swiss heartbreak, showed the class of Saka, Xhaka and Rice.
What Declan Rice did after England beat Switzerland in Euro 2024 penalty shootout
As soon as Trent Alexander-Arnold scored England’s winning penalty, Rice showed his true class as he went over to a distraught Akanji to console him, with the centre-back the only player to miss from the spot.
Rice and Akanji are title rivals at club level, but the Arsenal star showed true sportsmanship in his gesture, and this highlighted why he is such a strong leader in Mikel Arteta’s side.
The 25-year-old performed superbly throughout the game, completing 92 of his 93 passes, and was unlucky not to score as he forced a strong save from Yann Sommer with a long-range effort.
Saka was coming up against an old teammate and captain in Xhaka, and the pair shared an embrace at the final whistle.
Xhaka was also outstanding during the game, and the 31-year-old did well to captain his side to the quarter-finals, with two player-of-the-match performances in the tournament so far.
Saka praised Xhaka earlier on in the tournament, and it is clear that the two share a strong bond. Xhaka was key to the 22-year-old’s breakthrough into the Arsenal team as a left-back, with the midfielder dropping deeper to support him defensively, and the pair engaged in some fierce battles during the quarter-final clash.
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