DORTMUND — Substitute Ollie Watkins scored a stoppage-time winner to send England through to their second successive European Championship final on Wednesday as they finally turned on the style to beat Netherlands 2-1 on a memorable night in Dortmund.
With the match looking set for extra time, Watkins received a pass from fellow sub Cole Palmer and fired a sweet strike into the far corner.
Xavi Simons had brilliantly put the Dutch ahead after seven minutes, with England equalizing 11 minutes later with a Harry Kane penalty.
Chances came and went in an all action first half, but things settled in the second before the late drama that sends England through to play Spain in Berlin on Sunday.
“History made — amazing achievement,” said Kane as England reached their first major final on foreign soil. “To do what we’ve done away from home is really special.
“We talk about being ready — you might get five minutes, one minute, but you can make a difference, you can win a tournament, and Ollie’s been waiting, he’s been patient, and what he did out there was outstanding.”
It was a goal to savour for Watkins, who has played only 30 minutes in two appearances in Germany.
“I’ve been waiting for that moment for weeks, I’m delighted,” he said. “I swear on my life that I said to Cole Palmer that he’s going to set me up today and I’m going to score. It’s the best feeling ever.”
After England’s pedestrian path to the last four, they looked a different team on Wednesday, despite going behind to Simons’ screamer into the top corner.
England leveled when Kane was caught by the studs of Denzel Dumfries as he shot, earning a VAR-reviewed penalty that the captain drilled into the bottom corner.
They were desperately close to a second when Phil Foden brilliantly skipped through a series of tackles only for his shot to be cleared off the line by Dumfries. The Dutch center back then thumped a header against the bar, only for England to respond with a fantastic curling shot by Foden that hit the post.
It was heartbreak for the Dutch, who have now lost four semi-finals since winning the title in 1988 and were hoping to make the final despite finishing third in their group.
“My feeling was the last 20-25 minutes our team was a little more fresh than England but they scored a great goal and that’s football sometimes,” said their coach Ronald Koeman
