Ukraine v England Live Commentary & Result, 03/07/2021, UEFA European Championship

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England take on Denmark in their semi-final clash at Wembley on Wednesday. Ukraine are next in action in their World Cup qualifying campaign against Kazakhstan in September.

England secure their place in the last four of Euro 2020 with a 4-0 hammering of Ukraine at the Stadio Olimpico. Harry Kane fired the Three Lions ahead in the fourth minute. Harry Maguire then doubled their advantage almost immediately after the restart before Kane added a third with a close-range header. Jordan Henderson put the game beyond doubt with his first England goal, allowing Gareth Southgate and his team to canter into the semi-finals for the second major tournament in a row.

90' + 1' FULL-TIME: UKRAINE 0-4 ENGLAND

90' Henderson gets back to dispossess Zinchenko in the England box before clearing the danger.

88' There is still work to do at the back for Stones as he is able to cut out a low cross from Mykolenko towards Yaremchuk. He chests it down before bringing the ball out from the back.

86' England have scored four goals in a knockout stage match of a major tournament (World Cup/Euros) for only a second time; the other instance was the 1966 World Cup Final against Germany (4-2).

85' England are knocking the ball around the pitch at their leisure. They're coasting into the last four.

83' Sancho tries to drive past Mykolenko on the right flank, but the defender recovers well and wins a free-kick for Ukraine to ease the pressure.

82' Rashford tries to latch on to a long ball over the top from Henderson, but even he lacks the pace to keep it alive on the byline.

80' Henderson scoring his first senior England goal on his 62nd cap is the longest ever wait by a player before notching their first goal for the Three Lions; Sol Campbell was the previous record holder, scoring his first in his 47th appearance.

79' Ukraine continue to press and Yarmolenko has a run at Trippier. He fires at goal on his left foot from the right-inside channel, but his effort is deflected behind by the Atletico Madrid man.

78' Pickford makes another frenetic clearance at the back which travels to Zinchenko. Fortunately for England, the shooting opportunity is not there for the Manchester City man.

76' Maguire is the only other England player on a booking and would miss the semi-final should he receive a caution tonight. Southgate may be mindful of replacing the defender.

75' SAVE! Pickford is called into action for the Three Lions as Makarenko connects with a powerful strike at goal from 25 yards on his left foot. The keeper watches it all the way and palms it away from goal.

D. Calvert-Lewin

H. Kane

73' Kane is withdrawn for Calvert-Lewin after a two-goal performance.

72' Henderson's goal came in his 62nd game for England and with his 43rd shot.

70' A long ball over the top has Tsygankov in behind Walker. Pickford races off his line to attempt to clear ahead of the forward. However, he slices his clearance and the ball falls to Yaremchuk. He tries to fire at goal from distance, but Stones makes a key block.

67' Rashford has a run down the left flank for the Three Lions and he wins a corner. Mount delivers a cross to the back post for Maguire, but he can only direct his header wide of the target.

M. Rashford

R. Sterling

65' Sterling produces another fine performance for the Three Lions. Rashford replaces him for the closing 25 minutes.

J. Bellingham

K. Phillips

65' Phillips was also carrying a booking into the game. Southgate takes the opportunity to withdraw the midfielder from the fray for Bellingham.

K. Trippier

L. Shaw

65' Shaw is withdrawn after a great performance down the left flank, creating two goals for England. Trippier replaces the left-back.

Y. Makarenko

S. Sydorchuk

64' Makarenko enters the action for Ukraine as he replaces Sydorchuk.

M. Mount

Assist

63' Mount delivers a precise cross towards the near post for Henderson to rise and score.

J. Henderson

Goal

63' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!! HENDERSON SCORES HIS FIRST ENGLAND GOAL!!!!!!! 4-0!!!!! The Liverpool midfielder gets off the mark with a close-range header at the near post to surely send England through to the semi-finals. Mount curls a cross towards the near post from a corner on the right and Henderson rises alone in the middle to direct his effort beyond Bushchan into the back of the net.

62' WHAT A SAVE! Bushchan denies Kane a hat-trick with a sublime stop. Sterling tees up Kane on the edge of the box and the skipper launches a left-footed volley towards the top-right corner. It soars towards the net, but Bushchan gets across to make an outstanding save.

59' Mount makes a great turn in the middle of the park and tries to thread a pass through to Kane in the final third, but his offload is cut out by Zabarnyi.

58' Shaw has three assists for England at Euro 2020, no England player has managed more at a single Euros (joint with David Beckham who got three at Euro 2000.

J. Henderson

D. Rice

57' Rice was carrying a booking into the game and Southgate has opted not to take any chances as he withdaws the West Ham man for Henderson.

56' Ukraine have got to send everyone forward and hope for the best at this stage. One goal could change to game to play on the nerves of the Three Lions, but as it stands Shevchenko's men are sinking without a trace.

54' Kane is now level with Alan Shearer for most major tournament goals for England, with only Gary Lineker (10) netting more than the Tottenham striker.

52' England could not have dreamed for a better start to the second half. They have taken the contest away from Ukraine and are now well on their way to a place in the last four for the first time since 1996.

L. Shaw

Assist

50' Shaw makes a great run down the left flank to latch on to Sterling's offload. He lifts a great cross for Kane to attack and score.

H. Kane

Goal

50' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!! KANE MAKES IT THREE!!!!! ENGLAND ARE ON COURSE FOR THE SEMI-FINALS!!! Kane notches his second of the game with a close-range header. England play their way through Ukraine down the left as Sterling releases Shaw with a sublime back-heel. The left-back clips a cross into the middle for Kane to rise and direct his header through the legs of Bushchan.

48' England haven't conceded a first half goal in any of their last 11 matches - longest such run since 18 from 2006 to 2007.

L. Shaw

Assist

46' Shaw curls a fine cross in from the left flank, allowing his Manchester United team-mate to rise and head home.

H. Maguire

Goal

46' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!! MAGUIRE DOUBLES ENGLAND'S LEAD!!!! 2-0!!!!! The defender rises in the box and plants a powerful header beyond the reach of Bushchan into the bottom-left corner from Shaw's free-kick. Shaw puts his delivery on the money from the left flank and Maguire does well to get the better of his marker in the box. He makes a good connection with his header to find the back of the net.

46' Sydorchuk brings down Kane in the Ukraine half, handing England a free-kick in a good position.

46' We're back under way in Rome.

The Three Lions have played to their usual standard in the tournament to date. They've not blown Ukraine away, but they have been clinical enough in the final third. Jadon Sancho and Declan Rice had decent opportunities, but Gareth Southgate will be pressing the need for his team to notch a second goal to take the game away from Ukraine.

England lead Ukraine 1-0 at the break in their Euro 2020 quarter-final clash. Harry Kane fired the Three Lions ahead in the fourth minute after latching onto Raheem Sterling's throughball, handing his team the perfect start. It took time for Ukraine to settle, but they did begin to probe towards the end of the half. However, Andriy Shevchenko's men are going to have to improve to avoid defeat.

45' + 4' HALF-TIME: UKRAINE 0-1 ENGLAND

45' + 2' Sterling has a run at Matvyenko, but the Ukraine defender does well under pressure and earns a goal-kick by deflecting the ball off the England man.

45' There will be three minutes of added time.

44' WIDE! Ukraine press down the left flank and Stones' attempted clearance falls straight to Zinchenko. He works a cross into the box that is cleared as far as Shaparenko to strike. Shaparenko connects well with his effort, but it travels just wide of the right post.

43' Ukraine are growing into the contest. Yaremchuk is finding plenty of joy down the left flank.

41' Yaremchuk breaks into the gap between Walker and Stones once more. He tries to force a low ball towards the near post, but Stones is alert to clear behind for a corner.

39' CHANCE! Sterling releases Shaw down the left flank and he finds Sancho with a low offload in the box. The winger shoots on the turn, but his effort is well saved by Bushchan. The offside flag is raised against Shaw, but replays show that if Sancho had scored it would have been overturned by VAR.

37' Ukraine find their way through the England defence as Zinchenko releases Yaremchuk in the left-inside channel. He tries to work an offload back to Yarmolenko, but Mount tracks back to break up the attack.

V. Tsygankov

S. Kryvtsov

35' Krivtsov is forced off with an ankle injury and is replaced by Tsygankov.

34' Krivtsov is down for Ukraine on the field. He appears to be in trouble and may have to make way.

33' SAVE AND BLOCK! England string together a series of passes together across the field. Sterling drops his shoulder down the left flank, and although his cross is cleared it travels straight to Rice. The West Han man hammers a strike at goal, which is well saved by Bushchan. Mount latches on to the rebound, only to see his effort blocked by a wall of yellow shirts.

31' Kane has been directly involved in 26 goals in his last 26 England caps (17 goals, 9 assists).

29' OVER! Shaw hangs a cross into the box from the left flank for Kane to rise and attack, but he cannot keep his header down as it travels over the bar.

28' Krivtsov brings down Sterling on the left flank and hands England a free-kick in a useful position.

27' Phillips knocks the ball into the path of Sterling in the left-inside channel. He turns inside to shoot, but his strike at goal is blocked by Zabarnyi.

25' England are attempting to build a possession game to put the Ukraine under pressure. Shevchenko's men seem content to sit off the Three Lions and remain in their shape.

22' Sancho, Mount and Sterling combine in the final third to open up the Ukraine defence. Shaw collects on the left flank and plays a dangerous ball into the middle that no one in a white shirt can connect with.

21' Matvyenko is back on his feet and the game is back under way.

20' Matvyenko takes a knock and requires treatment on his ankle before the game can continue.

19' Sterling has space to turn in the Ukraine half and he spots Sancho in acres of space, but Krivtsov makes a vital interception at the back.

17' SAVE! A loose offload from Walker presents Yaremchuk with the chance to surge towards the England box. He breaks past Stones in the left-inside channel and fires towards goal. Pickford is alert and parries the ball behind for a corner.

15' Walker has space to raid down the right flank, but his attempt to send a low cross into the box is denied Matvyenko.

14' There's still plenty of hope for Ukraine, despite conceding the opener. England's record when scoring in the opening 4 minutes at the Euros - W0 D2 L3.

12' Yaremchuk sends Yarmolenko into space down the right flank, but his low cross towards the near post is blocked by Rice and cleared by the Three Lions.

10' Shevchenko's men have responded to going behind, but now they are going to have to find a way to penetrate the England defence that has not conceded a goal at the tournament.

8' Ukraine win a free-kick on the right flank as Karavaev draws a foul from Sterling. Yarmolenko curls a cross into the box on his left foot, but England repel the danger.

7' England have scored their earliest goal in a European Championship match (03:32) since Michael Owen v Portugal in 2004 (02:25).

6' BLOCK! Yaremchuk finds space on the edge of the box and goes for a drive at goal, but his effort is closed down by Stones.

R. Sterling

Assist

4' Sterling runs at the Ukraine defence in a run from the left flank. He threads the needle with an incisive pass to Kane to finish from six yards.

H. Kane

Goal

4' GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! KANE FIRES ENGLAND AHEAD!!!!! 1-0!!!! The Three Lions enjoy a great start to the contest as Kane pokes an effort past Bushchan from close range. Sterling is the architect with a fine run and offload through the Ukraine defence. Kane does not hesitate as he peels off his man and strikes first time into the back of the net.

3' England are getting their foot on the ball in the early stages of the game, but Ukraine are solid in their defence.

1' We're under way at the Stadio Olimpico.

England have lost just one of their seven meetings with Ukraine in all competitions (W4 D2), going down 0-1 in October 2009 in a World Cup qualifier. The last two games between the sides have finished level, with this the first meeting since September 2013 (0-0 in Kiev).

Southgate has called Sancho into the England starting line-up for the first time of the tournament. Sancho agreed a deal to sign for Manchester United during the week, and now slots into the team to replace the injured Bukayo Saka in the final third. Trippier drops to the bench for the Three Lions to accomodate Mount, which sees England revert to a four-man defence.

Ukraine have made one change to their side that beat Sweden last time out. Stepanenko drops to the bench and is replaced by Mykolenko, who starts on the left side of a five-man midfield. Zinchenko moves inside to replace Stepanenko. There is no place in the starting line-up for Dovbyk, despite his winning goal in the round of 16.

ENGLAND SUBS: Jack Grealish, Jordan Henderson, Marcus Rashford, Kieran Trippier, Aaron Ramsdale, Tyrone Mings, Conor Coady, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Phil Foden, Ben Chilwell, Sam Johnstone, Jude Bellingham.

ENGLAND (4-2-3-1): Jordan Pickford; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw; Declan Rice, Kalvin Phillips; Jadon Sancho, Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling; Harry Kane.

UKRAINE SUBS: Eduard Sobol, Heorhii Sudakov, Taras Stepanenko, Marlos Bonfim, Andriy Pyatov, Evgeniy Makarenko, Viktor Tsygankov, Roman Bezus, Oleksandr Zubkov, Anatolii Trubin, Oleksandr Tymchyk, Artem Dovbyk.

UKRAINE (3-5-2): Georgi Bushchan; Illia Zabarnyi, Sergey Krivtsov, Mykola Matvyenko; Oleksandr Karavaev, Serhiy Sydorchuk, Mykola Shaparenko, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Vitalii Mykolenko; Andriy Yarmolenko, Roman Yaremchuk.

England slayed a metaphorical dragon by defeating Germany 2-0 in their round-of-16 clash courtesy of goals from Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane. Gareth Southgate was maligned for his team selection, but his players proved him right on the field. They now need to raise the level of their game to reach the last four of the Euros for the first time since 1996. The Three Lions have been solid at the back, but the onus will be on them to breakdown Ukraine in Rome tonight.

Ukraine are bidding to reach the semi-finals of a major tournament for the first time. Artem Dovbyk's strike in stoppage time in extra-time guided them past Sweden in the round of 16, presenting Andriy Shevchenko and his team with a huge opportunity to progress. England are their obstacle this evening and will present a tough challenge. Ukraine have been beaten twice in the competition to date, but have risen to the occasion when it has mattered the most. They need a flawless outing today.

Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the Euro 2020 quarter-final contest between Ukraine and England at the Stadio Olimpico.

Ukraine v England Live Commentary, 03/07/2021

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