An impressive England continue to harbour hopes of a first major tournament success in 55 years as they hammered a weary Ukraine 4-0 in Rome to set up a Euro 2020 final four meeting with Denmark.
“Football’s coming home” is a refrain often sung in knowing self-defeatism, but England are at least now returning to Wembley for a first European Championship semi-final since 1996 after blowing away Ukraine at the start of each half at the Stadio Olimpico.
Continuing to put aside his early tournament woes, Harry Kane opened the scoring with a fourth-minute strike when he capitalized on an eye-of-a-needle pass from the in-form Raheem Sterling to toe-poke the ball past Heorhiy Bushchan in the Ukraine goal.
England struck even earlier at the start of the second half, this time when Harry Maguire headed in a pinpoint free-kick delivery from Manchester United Luke Shaw in the 46th minute.
It was Shaw’s excellent service which was again the key four minutes later when he provided a cross for Kane to head between Bushchan’s legs to kill the game.
More suspect Ukrainian defending at set-pieces was to blame when England substitute Jordan Henderson found space at a corner to head in unmarked in the 63rd minute for his first ever goal for the Three Lions.
This kind of comfort does not come easy to England at major tournaments, but Gareth Southgate’s men rode out some ropey first-half moments to nullify a sporadically dangerous but tired-looking Ukraine team with a performance that stands them out as real contenders this time round.
Denmark will be no pushovers at Wembley on Wednesday and again proved their own credentials with a hard-fought win over the Czech Republic earlier in the day, but England have no less momentum and boast a defence which – despite some shaky first-half moments – is still to concede a goal at this summer’s tournament.
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