England are in the semi-finals of the EM – and the reactions speak volumes

The quarter-finals of the European Championship have been played – and it ended with a bang. England not only won their game against Ukraine, they won the game impressively 4-0 (read the match report here). On the island, the long-suffering people rub their eyes, because for a long time they had nothing to laugh about with their national team. Perhaps this tweet from actress and producer Kathy Burke sums up the sentiment best: “There are things we thought we’d never see: A global pandemic. Burning water. And England winning a European Championship quarter-finals. ”

It’s not that the win against Ukraine was a bigger success than a win against Germany in the round of 16, but after the quarter-finals you suddenly get the impression: It no longer seems to be ruled out that the English are not just playing a good tournament but even win the thing in the end. Sure, Italy remains the big favorite, but England’s tournament can now be described as impressive: “It is equally admirable and despicable to which stable style of play Gareth Southgate has committed his noble offensive,” wrote the freelance journalist and tactical expert Tobias Escher on Twitter. Why, as can be summed up in this tweet, the English fans currently feel this way:

England will meet Denmark on Wednesday, and as surprising as the Danes have made it to this point, the English are suddenly favorites. In a semi-final. That may also be due to the fact that the Danes’ entry into the semi-finals is one of the biggest sensations of the tournament. But the favorite status is also due to the “Three Lions” with their stable defense. The English still haven’t conceded a goal. “Impressive,” tweeted former England goalkeeper David Seaman. “Unique, dominant quality. I’m really looking forward to the semi-finals.” Simon Stone, the BBC reporter, went one step further: “That was the greatest victory in a quarter-finals since the Netherlands beat Yugoslavia 6-1 in 2000.”

Which is why ARD expert Bastian Schweinsteiger trusts the English even more: “You get the impression that the automatisms are working. They are getting better and better.” And: “You have now survived the away game in Rome. Now you are back at Wembley, something is possible.” Because this aspect should not be ignored: The semi-finals and the final will take place at Wembley. “Football’s coming home” echoed through the stadium on Saturday evening – and goal scorer Harry Maguire said in an interview what the goal is: “We didn’t just want to go to the semi-finals. We want more.” Pop singer Brian McFadden takes a similar view. He tweeted: “Dear England, if it doesn’t come home now it will never work.”