Kane equals Lineker to send England into Euro 2020 final

By Sports Desk July 07, 2021

Harry Kane equalled Gary Lineker as England's joint-highest goalscorer in major tournaments as he propelled the Three Lions into the Euro 2020 final.

Kane scored on the rebound after having a penalty saved by Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel in extra-time at Wembley on Wednesday.

It made it 2-1 to England, with Simon Kjaer's own goal having cancelled out Mikkel Damsgaard's opener.

Schmeichel got down to his left to keep out a relatively tame spot-kick – which was won contentiously by the excellent Raheem Sterling – yet the rebound fell kindly to Kane, who coolly tucked in his 10th goal in a major tournament.

That tally brings the England captain level with Three Lions great Lineker.

All of Kane's major-tournament goals have come with his right foot (seven) or head (three).

 

The Tottenham talisman scored six times at World Cup 2018, repeating Lineker's feat from 1986 of winning the golden boot. 

After a slow start to Euro 2020, he has netted four times in the three knockout rounds, and will aim to set the new record when England take on Italy in Sunday's showdown.

Kane and Lineker are out ahead of Alan Shearer (nine), Wayne Rooney (seven), Geoff Hurst (six) and Michael Owen (six).

Hurst's fellow World Cup winner Bobby Charlton has five, while David Platt and Steven Gerrard both netted four times.

Kane is behind only Cristiano Ronaldo and Patrik Schick (both five) in the scoring charts at Euro 2020, with another tournament golden boot firmly in his sights.

On his penalty miss and subsequent follow-up effort, Kane told ITV Sport: "I chose the side I was going to go, it wasn't the best executed penalty I've ever had sometimes you miss and it falls your way and thankfully it did today. 

"We know it's going to be a very tough game against Italy. We've had a great tournament so far. One more game to go at home and we can't wait."

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    Jude Bellingham's goal was the difference as England recorded a hard-fought victory to open their Group C campaign, meaning they have started all four of their major tournaments under Gareth Southgate with a win. 

    However, their performance attracted criticism from some quarters as England managed just five shots to Serbia's six, accumulating a total of 0.52 expected goals (xG).

    Kane was a victim of the cagey nature of the contest, recording fewer touches (24) and successful passes (nine) than any other England starter. 

    Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford at least doubled both of those tallies, having 48 touches and completing 25 passes.

    Kane did go close to giving England a two-goal cushion in the second half as he saw a header tipped onto the crossbar by Predrag Rajkovic, but Trippier says he should not be judged purely on goals.

    "Obviously it was difficult because they played five at the back, but what people don't realise is what Harry does off the ball," Trippier told reporters in the mixed zone.

    "Of course, he scores goals but what he did for the team today was incredible, holding the ball up and bringing other players into play. 

    "People just focus on goals with Harry but internally, as team-mates, we appreciate what he does off the ball."

    England have, however, kept five successive clean sheets in group-stage matches at the Euros, the longest such run in the competition's history.

    "I would say it's about managing the game," Trippier continued. "There will always be moments in games where the opposition will have a spell of 10 or 15 minutes of possession. 

    "It's about being nice and compact and not conceding. We have got experienced players in the group like [Kyle] Walker, Harry, myself, players that can help the younger players manage the games. I thought we did that tonight."

    Fans were hoping to see a free-flowing England display after watching Germany and Spain kick off with resounding wins, but their figure of 0.52 xG is the fourth-lowest of any team to have played at Euro 2024 thus far, after Scotland (0.02), Serbia (0.18) and Albania (0.51).

    However, Jarrod Bowen – who teed up Kane's big second-half chance – is not worried about the performances of other nations.

    "We are so focused on ourselves and what we can do, other teams are irrelevant. They are their countries and we are England," he said.

    "We focus on ourselves and our focus was to win the game not because other teams won, but because it was a statement for us to win the first game going into Thursday.

    "That was our mindset coming into this game and that will be it, full focus on us."

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    Bellingham may have grabbed the headlines, but Declan Rice was vital for England in midfield.

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    And the official England account made sure to give Rice some love. 

    Harry Haaland?

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    By that point, Kane had only touched the ball twice, and the captain would go on to finish with 24 touches, exactly half the amount of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who ranked 10th in that metric of the 11 England players to start the game.

    Carragher suggested that, like Erling Haaland at Manchester City, Kane was being instructed to stay high and wait for the ball to come to him, though does not feel that role suited him.

    Kane, who was making his record-breaking 23rd appearance for England at a major tournament, nearly scored in the second half, but saw a header saved onto the crossbar.

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    UEFA broadcast this on their official account.

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    The need for CPR training is only hit home when thinking about Christian Eriksen.

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    Dress sense

    Some managers go for a tracksuit. Others go for a smart casual look. Plenty wear a suit.

    Poland boss Michal Probierz falls into the latter category, but he made sure to stand out with his bold choice in Sunday's clash with the Dutch.

    Probierz went for an eye-catching tweed waistcoat and a brown blazer, drawing the attention of the Men In Blazer's X account, and in turn, their post was picked up by Poland's official team account too. 

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    Bellingham was the hero with his first-half header ensuring Gareth Southgate's side got off to a winning start at Euro 2024, as they edged out the Eagles 1-0 in Gelsenkirchen.

    The Real Madrid midfielder built on the momentum from his memorable debut season with Los Blancos, for whom he scored 23 goals and helped win LaLiga and the Champions League.

    The second player after Michael Owen to score at the World Cup and European Championship before turning 21, he is also the first to do so for the Three Lions while playing his club football outside of England.

    And Tadic, who appeared as a second-half substitute in Serbia's first match at the European Championship as a unified nation, paid tribute to the 20-year-old.

    When asked whether he thought Bellingham was the difference in the Group C contest, the Eagles skipper told reporters: "Yes, definitely. I think he is a great player and a great personality. I think he has everything to win the next Ballon d'Or.

    "I think everything that he did was great today, he showed personality, he took England to the next level. He was always asking for the ball and I think he had a great game.

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