England reached the Euro final for a second successive time with a 2-1 win over the Netherlands following a late injury-time goal from Ollie Watkins on Wednesday.
Watkins, who replaced captain Harry Kane following a bold decision by manager Gareth Southgate, turned and fired a powerful shot into the back of the net in the first minute of added time.
In the final on Sunday in Berlin, England will face Spain. It will be their first appearance in a major final on foreign soil, having won the World Cup in 1966 and lost the Euro 2020 final both times at Wembley Stadium.
In a first half in which the game was open, Xavi Simons opened the scoring in the seventh minute of play. Kane, however, responded with a penalty in the 18th minute.e minute.
Watkins had featured in just one other Euro 2024 game, as a reserve in the preliminary round against Denmark, so Southgate’s decision to send him into the fray in a critical situation came as a surprise.
The bet paid off, however.
The orange sea in the stands fell silent. There were thousands of Dutch fans who had travelled to Dortmund for the match. Police reported three separate clashes between supporters of the two countries across the city.
Players from both teams could feel the support of their fans.
Simons, 21, became the second-youngest Dutchman to score at the Euros. He stole the ball from Declan Rice about 40 yards out and then stepped forward before scoring from outside the penalty area, aiming at the far side.
Kane shone again in a crucial moment for England, making no mistake from a penalty kick after Denzel Dumfries had brought down the England striker as he attempted a shot.
He became the sixth player to score three goals at Euro 2024.
Dumfries and England’s Phil Foden also saw one of their shots hit the frame of the net in the first half. The game tightened up after the break.
Bukayo Saka had a goal disallowed for offside before Kane made way for Watkins in what was perhaps Southgate’s most brilliant decision since taking office eight years ago.