Ollie Watkins was the hero as England booked their place in the Euro 2024 final with a last-gasp 2-1 victory over the Netherlands in Dortmund.
The Aston Villa forward climbed off the bench to strike a 90th-minute winner in Dortmund, where the Three Lions set up a showdown with Spain in Sunday’s final.
The contest appeared set to head into extra time after Harry Kane's penalty cancelled out Xavi Simons' impressive long-range strike.
However, there was to be a 90th-minute twist when Watkins drilled past Bart Verbruggen to send Gareth Southgate's side through to their second successive Euros showpiece.
It took only seven minutes for this tie to spark into life – Simons robbed Declan Rice of possession and, from 20 yards out, unleased a fierce strike that flew beyond Jordan Pickford and into the left-hand corner.
England had their equaliser 11 minutes later, albeit in contentious fashion. Kane lashed an effort over, but after a VAR check, Denzel Dumfries was deemed to have caught the Three Lions captain with a high boot.
Dumfries redeemed himself five minutes later as he cleared off the line to prevent Phil Foden from completing the turnaround.
He almost put the Dutch ahead just before the half-hour, only for his header to cannon away off the crossbar.
Foden went agonisingly close again soon after – his curling effort rattling the left-hand upright with Verbruggen beaten.
The Netherlands created the first decent opportunity of the second half with Pickford beating away Virgil van Dijk's volley from a Joey Veerman free-kick in the 64th minute.
England thought they had taken the lead with 11 minutes remaining when Bukayo Saka turned home Kyle Walker's low cross, but the strike was ruled out with the latter having strayed marginally offside.
But with the tie seemingly destined for extra time, Cole Palmer slipped in his fellow substitute Watkins, who superbly found the opposite corner from a tight angle to send the Three Lions into delirium.
More history for Southgate's Three Lions
England advanced to their first major competition final on foreign soil in the most dramatic manner, while becoming the first team in European Championship history to reach the final despite trailing in both their quarter-final and semi-final ties.
Kane drew England level from the penalty spot with his record-breaking sixth goal in the Euros knockout stages.
The England skipper also now has more knockout stage goals in major tournaments than any other European player with nine, while he became the third player to score in successive European Championship semi-finals – and first since Viktor Ponedelnik and Valentin Ivanov, who both achieved the feat for the Soviet Union in 1960 and 1964.
Kane then made way for Watkins, who more than made his mark. His brilliant strike from a tight angle was only the second ever 90th-minute winning goal in a European Championship knockout tie, after Phillip Lahm’s effort for Germany against Turkiye in the 2008 semi-finals.
More importantly, it takes the Three Lions within one more victory of ending 58 years of hurt.
More semi-final heartbreak
Once again, the semi-final proved to be the stumbling block for the Netherlands at the Euros.
The Oranje have fond memories of the BVB Stadion. It was here that they beat Brazil 2-0 to reach the World Cup final 50 years ago.
However, Simon's early strike proved a false dawn for the Dutch and Koeman, who was part of the side that recorded their only previous win in a European Championship semi-final – against Germany in 1988, in the tournament they went on to win.
Watkins' dramatic winner condemned them to a fifth defeat in six appearances at this stage of the competition. Better luck next time?
Rangers 2-1 Motherwell: Cerny scores winner as Gers up and running at Hampden
Vaclav Cerny struck the winner as Rangers ground out a 2-1 win over Motherwell at Hampden Park on Saturday to pick up their first victory of the Scottish Premiership campaign.
The Gers, held 0-0 by Hearts in their opening match of the season last week, survived an early scare when Lennon Miller fired wide from a glorious position in the opening minutes.
However, after Scott Wright had an effort stopped on the line, Cyriel Dessers - who rescued a late European draw against Dynamo Kyiv in midweek - found the net from close range with 13 minutes on the clock.
Motherwell responded instantly as John Souttar failed to cut out a deep delivery and Robin Propper turned into his own net, but fellow new signing Cerny cut inside and curled in a delightful goal seven minutes later.
Aston Oxborough made some smart stops to frustrate Rangers, while Jack Butland was equal to a Zach Robinson effort in the second half as the hosts - playing at Hampden due to ongoing renovation work at Ibrox - saw out a rather flat win.
Data Debrief: 'Home' comforts for Rangers at Hampden
Rangers have now won their opening home league game in each of the past seven seasons by an aggregate score of 22-2, albeit this match was at Hampden rather than Ibrox.
Last week's draw with Hearts was underwhelming, but the Light Blues avoided going back-to-back league games without a win to begin a season for the first time since 1989-90 with this victory.
Solanke targets trophies after sealing £65m Spurs move
Dominic Solanke is desperate to help Tottenham end their trophy drought after joining from Bournemouth in a blockbuster £65million move.
Solanke enjoyed the best season of his career in 2023-24, scoring 19 Premier League goals as the Cherries finished 12th in their first campaign under Andoni Iraola.
Only Erling Haaland (27), Cole Palmer (22) and Alexander Isak (21) outscored Solanke, who had previously netted just 10 times in the top flight for Liverpool and the Cherries.
Having sealed his move to North London, Solanke has set his sights on helping Spurs win their first major trophy since 2008, when they captured the EFL Cup under Juande Ramos.
"I feel delighted. Obviously it's a magnificent club, a huge club with ambitions that match mine, so I'm delighted to start, to meet all the boys and I can't wait to get started," he told the club's website.
"It's a huge club with great ambitions that I want to be part of, with a great manager, great players and I feel like it definitely suits my style of play so I can't wait to get started and do my stuff on the pitch.
"I work hard for the team, score goals, I leave it all out there and I love winning so hopefully we can win a few things together. That's what I'm going to bring, that fighting spirit.
"I've had quite a journey in football, everyone's journey is different, but I wouldn't change it as I've had a lot of ups and downs and I think that's made me who I am today on and off the pitch.
"I'm at that point in my career where it's all starting to come together and I think that was the start of last season."
Mousinho 'gutted' as Portsmouth denied by late Leeds leveller
John Mousinho was "gutted" his Portsmouth side were unable to see out the final stages as they played out a thrilling 3-3 draw with Leeds United in their first game back in the Championship.
Pompey, back in the second tier after a 12-year exile, took a 92nd-minute lead in Saturday's contest at Elland Road through a Callum Lang penalty, only for Brenden Aaronson to strike two minutes later.
The newly promoted side had earlier recovered from a Pascal Struijk penalty to take a 2-1 lead into half-time through goals from Elias Sorensen and Lang, before Willy Gnonto levelled early in the second half.
A point away at one of the promotion favourites can still be considered a hugely encouraging result, but the dramatic conclusion to the contest left Mousinho with bittersweet emotions.
"It's very difficult to sum up," he said in his post-match press conference. "It's a brilliant point, particularly where we were this time last week after a really poor week of football.
"The lads gave everything and Leeds know they've been in a game. But we are gutted not to win the game. On balance, it was a really good point.
"They're an outstanding side and have got some outstanding individuals. To feel we could have won here is an amazing feeling."
Leeds controlled much of the match yet twice trailed after a bright start in which they struck the frame of the goal three times in 10 minutes before Struijk's opener.
Farke's decision to take off goalscorer Gnonto and lively winger Daniel James with the scoreline at 2-2 raised eyebrows, and the German accepts his side lost their flow after that point.
"Our game was not great after the changes," he said. "Every player wanted to show their worth and were maybe over-motivated in the final 25 minutes. There were mistakes across the whole squad."
Portsmouth, who scored three goals from their five shots, are the first side to lead in the 90th minute or later in a Championship match and not win since Nottingham Forest against Hull City in May 2022.
Incredibly, Aaronson had an opportunity to win the match with one of the final kicks of the game, but he slotted wide when through on goal.
Mousinho admits his side were fortunate not to throw away their point, but felt the referee should have pulled play back before Aaronson got the shot away.
"I'd lost my head with the ref at that point," he said. "I thought it was a foul in front of the Portsmouth fans. Our player was dragged down with both hands.
"I thought the ball was going to nestle in the back of the net. I was really relieved. Having said that, if we had lost it wouldn't have changed the performance. I was grateful it went wide. We got away with one there."
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