- Bukayo Saka shone in England’s Euro 2024 quarter-final win over Switzerland
- Player of the Match Saka banished the demons of the penalty shootout in the final of Euro 2020
- Listen to It’s all about to begin! EUROS DAILY: Bukayo Saka was the shining light for England against Switzerland, it was so beautiful to see him score his penalty too
At 22, out of place as a makeshift wing-back and with the demons of a missed penalty in the Euro 2020 final looming large, Bukayo Saka could probably have been forgiven for passing up the opportunity.
But despite the high demands placed on him, the Arsenal star exceeded expectations against Switzerland and helped England into the semi-finals.
Saka scored a superb equaliser in the 80th minute after Breel Embolo had put the Swiss ahead in the 75th minute.
Three years after his miss in the shootout against Italy at Wembley sealed England’s heart-breaking event in the final of the last European Championship, he stepped up to calmly finish his penalty in the shootout, deservedly winning the player of the match award as England’s best player that night.
England captain Harry Kane, who had another quiet evening against the Swiss, acknowledged how excellently Saka had played.
Kane said he ‘knew’ Saka would be comfortable taking a penalty despite ‘what happened in the past’ during the Euro 2020 final, when Saka missed the decisive penalty that gave Italy victory
Kane helps Saka, who caused the Swiss ‘problems all game’ with his pace
Saka, England’s ‘outlet’ against Switzerland, scores his ‘fully deserved’ goal according to Kane
“What a performance, the whole game,” Kane said. “Playing in a position he’d played before but wasn’t used to playing. He was our real outlet with the ball, he caused them problems the whole game.”
Kane added: ‘He scored the goal he fully deserved with a fantastic finish, got us back into the game when we needed it most. And then without the ball, the work he put in, the shift he put in. The blocks, the tackles, right up to the 120th minute.
“And then to step down in the way he did. I know the mentality he has and I knew he would be comfortable in that situation, despite what happened in the past. A fantastic night for him and he deserved it.”
Gareth Southgate and Kane were again rescued in the closing stages by one of England’s young stars, having been beaten just minutes into regulation time by a team significantly lower in the world rankings.
Saka’s sublime 80th-minute goal came just one round after 21-year-old Jude Bellingham scored a world-class bicycle kick equaliser in injury time against Slovakia.
The 30-year-old England captain, who had come off late in the match, described the second equaliser in the closing stages as “unbelievable”.
‘It was an emotional rollercoaster again to come back after being 1-0 down so late in the game.
‘We did what we did all tournament and we found a way to get through.
Bukayo Saka was the standout player of the match with his late screamer that forced extra time
“The longer we compete the way we do, the more we believe we’ll find ways to win. We’re enjoying it, we’re enjoying the ride.”
Saka’s goal and penalty helped England reach their third semi-final in four attempts under Southgate.
And the chance to get one step closer to the prize that Kane and his team are so looking forward to against the Netherlands in the semi-final.
“We are proud to be back in the semi-finals because we know how much it means to everyone watching at home. We want to make everyone proud and that will be no different on Wednesday.”