England Secures Euro Final Spot with Dramatic Victory Over Netherlands

England has secured a spot in the Euro final for the second consecutive time, after a thrilling 2-1 victory against the Netherlands with a late goal by Ollie Watkins in stoppage time on Wednesday. Watkins, subbed in for the captain Harry Kane in a bold move by the coach Gareth Southgate, scored a powerful shot in the bottom corner during the first minute of added time.

In the final, scheduled for Sunday in Berlin, England will face Spain. This marks their first appearance in a major final on foreign soil, having won the World Cup in 1966 and lost the Euro 2020 final twice at Wembley Stadium.

During an open first half, Xavi Simons opened the scoring in the seventh minute for the Netherlands, to which Kane responded with a penalty goal in the 18th minute. Watkins, who had only one previous appearance at the Euro 2024 as a substitute in the group stage against Denmark, proved to be a surprise inclusion in a critical moment by Southgate.

The vibrant orange crowd in the stands fell silent as Watkins secured England’s victory. Thousands of Dutch fans traveled to Dortmund for the match, with police reporting three separate confrontations between fans of both countries across the city.

Both teams felt the support from their fans. Simons, aged 21, became the second youngest Dutch player to score at the Euro, showcasing his skill by stealing the ball from Declan Rice around 40 meters from the English goal and finding the net with a precise shot from outside the box. Kane, a key figure for England, remained composed and converted a penalty after being fouled by Denzel Dumfries.

Kane became the sixth player to score three goals at Euro 2024. Dumfries and Phil Foden also tested the crossbars in the first half while the game tightened in the second half. Bukayo Saka had a goal disallowed for offside before Kane made way for Watkins in what could be Southgate’s most brilliant decision since taking charge eight years ago.