Englands route to the EURO 2020 final

Gareth Southgate's side will take on either Sweden or Ukraine in the quarter-finals, but who else will they have to face if they want to win UEFA EURO 2020?

England captain Harry Kane points the way
England captain Harry Kane points the way
POOL/AFP via Getty Images
England beat Germany in the round of 16 on Tuesday, so who else potentially lies between Gareth Southgate's men and winning UEFA EURO 2020 on 11 July?

All kick-offs are shown in UK time (CET-1)

Quarter-finals
Watch great England goals
Sweden/Ukraine vs England 
Saturday 3 July, 20:00, Rome

Semi-finals
England vs Czech Republic/Denmark 
Wednesday 7 July, 20:00, London

Final
Belgium/Italy/Spain/Switzerland vs England
Sunday 11 July, 20:00, London

Route to this stage
Group D: England 1-0 Croatia (13 June, London)
Group D: England 0-0 Scotland (18 June, London)
Group D: Czech Republic 0-1 England (22 June, London)
Round of 16: England 2-0 Germany (29 June, London)

Germany have become England's footballing nemesis, but how does Tuesday's game look from a German perspective?

Alan Shearer scores against Germany in the EURO '96 semi-final
Alan Shearer scores against Germany in the EURO '96 semi-final
Hulton Archive
As he sent me off to explore the footballing relationship between England and Germany ahead of Tuesday's round of 16 tie at Wembley, my editor at EURO2020.com reminded me about this famous quote from England striker-turned-broadcaster Gary Lineker: "Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win."

An Anglo-German 'classic' at Wembley is a massive occasion, but Lineker's line indicates how differently the two nations regard such meetings. Fans in Germany know all about Lineker's fateful proverb – and the fact it's in such wide circulation means there is still some currency to it – but truthfully, England do not occupy such a big place in German football folklore as Die Mannschaft do in the minds of English fans.

EURO '96: The full England-Germany semi-final shoot-out
Don't get me wrong: a match with England is always a huge encounter and the excitement around Tuesday's fixture is way above average. However, I believe that a dramatic loss always burns deeper into a national psyche than a brilliant victory, and looking back, I don't think Germany have lost a genuinely massive game against England since the 1966 FIFA World Cup final. And having won three World Cups and three EUROs since then, I reckon we're over it.

English fans could trace that animus against Germany back to shoot-out defeats in the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup and EURO '96, with Germany's 4-1 win against England in the 2010 World Cup round of 16 an additional scar on the national footballing consciousness. Die Mannschaft are seen as England's 'bogey team', whereas for Germany, that was always Italy – at least until we beat the Azzurri on penalties in the quarter-finals of UEFA EURO 2016.

However, if England's rivalry with Germany is somewhat one-sided, the prospect of playing at Wembley is still a very big deal, with the turf every bit as hallowed for German footballers as it is for English. Former Germany goalkeeper Andreas Köpke said recently: "So many huge football matches have taken place there and so many extraordinary things have happened. If you are a footballer, it's inevitable you see Wembley as a special place."

EURO 2000 highlights: England 1-0 Germany
Joshua Kimmich, who was just one year old when Köpke saved Gareth Southgate's penalty in the EURO '96 semi-final, certainly feels that same sense of anticipation about visiting the 'Home of Football'. "Awesome!" he said after learning his side's last-16 fate. "It doesn't get any better than that. We are fired up. There is much room for improvement for us and we will show that against England."

Meanwhile, a word to the wise in relation to that Lineker quote. The stuff about "chasing a ball for 90 minutes" might be where England have been getting it wrong. Rather than "chasing", it's opponents who sit deep and soak up pressure that seem to cause this German team headaches. No hang-ups, no animosity: may the best team win.

England vs Germany UEFA EURO 2020 preview: where to watch, TV channels and live streams, team news, form guide
Tuesday 29 June 2021

England face Germany in the UEFA EURO 2020 round of 16 – all you need to know.

England take on Germany in the UEFA EURO 2020 round of 16 in London on Tuesday 29 June at 18:00 CET.

What's the story?
EURO '96: The full England-Germany semi-final shoot-out
The latest chapter in one of international football's great rivalries takes place at Wembley Stadium – just as it did 25 years ago when Gareth Southgate's saved spot kick helped Germany squeeze past England on penalties at EURO '96.

An equally tight affair may again be likely given that England's group games produced just two goals, a stalemate with Scotland sandwiched between 1-0 wins against Croatia and the Czech Republic.

Germany have been less predictable. The 1-0 defeat against France and 2-2 draw with Hungary will not be viewed with fondness but, in between, they produced a scintillating display to down Portugal 4-2. History suggests they bring their A game when faced with the Three Lions.

England vs Germany: who will reach the quarter-finals? 🤔
England
Germany
Where to watch the game on TV
Fans can find their local UEFA EURO 2020 broadcast partner(s) here.

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Starting line-ups
Foden talks hair, stickers and penalties
England: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire; Trippier, Rice, Phillips, Shaw; Saka, Kane, Sterling
Misses next match if booked: Foden

Germany: Neuer; Ginter, Hummels, Rüdiger; Kimmich, Goretzka, Kroos, Gosens; Müller, Havertz, Werner
Misses next match if booked: Ginter, Gündoğan, Havertz, Kimmich, Sané

Reporters' views
Simon Hart, England reporter: England's history in final tournament knockout matches against Germany – no wins since 1966 – is well documented. So too Gareth Southgate's own personal history, with that EURO '96 semi-final penalty heartache. Yet sit down with any of the young players in Southgate's squad and it fast becomes apparent that this history means nothing to them, raising the hope they can go out and play without fear. Factor in their defensive solidity and recent Wembley record (13 wins from last 15) and there really is reason to believe.

Philip Röber, Germany reporter: The general feeling is that Leon Goretzka can add something to the team which was missing against Hungary, but Joachim Löw is not known for changing his starting XI to suit public opinion. I expect Germany will take a more risk-averse approach than in their group stage matches, mindful of England's pace up front. They may switch to a back four. Oh yes, and they have also been practising penalties during training in recent days.

View from the camps
Southgate ready to create more history
Gareth Southgate, England manager: "We’ve been knocking down those milestones for the last three or four years and I think that's been our mindset, that it doesn't matter what's gone previously. We've seen that history can be created and I think the players relish that challenge and we should see it as a challenge rather than be fearful of it. I think it's that fearlessness that we hold as a team and the opportunity that's there and I think that's how the players see it for the game with Germany.”

Phil Foden, England midfielder: "I'm hoping, come the Germany game, we can just express ourselves. With the attackers we've got, we can really hurt them, so hopefully we turn up. We're as good as anyone on our day. Obviously, I wasn't born when all of this rivalry was going on. We're a new team now and we want to create our own history. You can't think too much about what's happened in the past. We're just going to focus on the game and create our own future."

Joachim Löw, Germany coach: "It's all or nothing from here on in. We have been erratic, but we know that we can be strong if we manage to get a few things right on the pitch. If we don't, it gets tricky for us. It's going to be a completely different type of match against England and we should benefit from that. England are at home and they will have to attack. It will be more open than against Hungary, but we must absolutely be on our toes."

EURO 2000 highlights: England 1-0 Germany
Thomas Müller, Germany forward: "I think that both teams have enough confidence to say: 'It is our turn today. We will win and reach the next round.' That's what makes this so interesting. The decisive aspect will be to avoid conceding. We've not managed to keep a clean sheet enough in the recent past. We can only be successful if we function as a unit. We don't have individuals who outshine everyone else in the world of football. But we have a lot of players who understand that they can make an important contribution to the collective."