Watkins' Late Winner Sends England to Euro 2024 Final

Watkins' decisive goal came in the 91st minute, with a fine turn and low finish after being set up by Cole Palmer. This thrilling end capped an evening that began poorly for England when Xavi Simons gave the Netherlands an early lead in Dortmund.

England quickly equalized through a Harry Kane penalty after a contentious VAR call by German referee Felix Zwayer. The match appeared to be heading for extra time until Watkins' last-minute heroics.

Coming on for Harry Kane, Watkins received a pass from substitute Cole Palmer with his back to goal, turned, and fired low into the far corner, stunning the Netherlands.

England’s journey to the final under Gareth Southgate has been anything but smooth, but they have now reached their second consecutive European Championship final, dreaming of their first major trophy since 1966. To achieve this, they will need to elevate their performance against an outstanding Spain team.

Spain, having defeated France 2-1 on Tuesday, will also benefit from an extra 24 hours of preparation for the final.

The Netherlands had hoped to replicate their 1988 Euros triumph in Germany but fell short. Their current squad lacks the star power of legends like Marco van Basten or Ruud Gullit. A win would have set up a repeat of the 2010 World Cup final, but instead, the Dutch head home.

England reached this stage despite not winning any of their last four matches in 90 minutes, including being taken to extra time by Slovakia and Switzerland. This grueling path might have given the Dutch a physical edge, but it was not enough.

Marc Guehi returned to England's defense after suspension, while Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman started Donyell Malen in attack at Borussia Dortmund's home ground.

Contentious Penalty and Open Play

The Netherlands took the lead in just seven minutes, thanks to a stunning goal by Simons. He dispossessed Declan Rice 35 meters from goal and unleashed a powerful drive beyond Jordan Pickford.

England, trailing for the third consecutive game, quickly responded. Kane forced a save from Bart Verbruggen and moments later was fouled by Denzel Dumfries. Although the incident seemed innocuous, Zwayer awarded a penalty after reviewing the images. Kane, whose missed penalty against France cost England in the 2022 World Cup, made no mistake this time, scoring low into the bottom-left corner.

The game opened up, with Dumfries redeeming himself by clearing off the line from Phil Foden. Dumfries also hit the bar with a header from a Simons corner, while Foden hit the top of the post with a superb long-range shot.

England's midfielders enjoyed too much space, prompting Koeman to bolster the center by replacing the injured Memphis Depay with Joey Veerman. Wout Weghorst replaced Malen at halftime, and the game became more cautious as the fear of mistakes grew.

Pickford denied Virgil van Dijk on 65 minutes as the Netherlands began to dominate while England’s players tired. England had the ball in the net in the 79th minute when Bukayo Saka scored from a Kyle Walker cutback, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Southgate then substituted Kane and Foden for Watkins and Palmer, a move that paid off spectacularly. Watkins’ last-minute goal sealed England’s place in the final, where they will face Spain in Berlin.

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