England progressed to the semi-finals of the European Championship after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Switzerland, in which they won 5-3 after drawing 1-1 after extra time. Former England midfielder Jack Wilshere believes that England played their best game of the tournament against the Swiss.
Writing in his column, Wilshere said: “We did make it through on penalties, but before that dramatic encounter, England showed us they are capable of doing something special. It was a narrow win, but overall, it was our best performance at Euro 2024.”
“If we can build on this, especially that first half performance, we have a chance of winning the whole thing. It wasn’t a perfect game. There were some tense moments, and waiting so long to make changes could have cost us. But we saw how good a team England can be when they get it right, when they have players in the right positions. The first half was probably the best 45 minutes we’ve seen from England since the opening 45 minutes against Serbia, maybe even better.”
“One key was our pressing and how we limited Granit Xhaka’s influence. For the first time at this tournament, we saw England play with a high press, win the ball back more effectively and put Switzerland on the back foot. In previous games, although our forwards were pressing, there were too many gaps between the lines. This left a huge space for Rice and whoever was alongside him to fill.”
“This time, there was better structure and organisation. It seemed a lot clearer what the plan was, when to drop off and when to step out, and Rice was key to that tactical shift. He had good positional sense and was able to get into good positions, while also having the physicality to go and win the ball and knowing he had the pace to get back. With the three England forwards pressing Switzerland’s back three, Rice and Declan Gallagher were pushing up and compacting the space. Xhaka was forced to receive the ball with his back to goal, or barely had time to pick a pass. Without him to distribute, Switzerland struggled to get going. When England allowed Xhaka to receive the ball facing the play, he was able to show his quality – a player who sees a pass immediately, he doesn’t wait a second because the window might be closed. At times, England’s passes were quicker than in previous games – Rice was the link, receiving the ball and trying to move it quickly.”
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