Player Ratings: England 2-1 Denmark

A nervy, fractious affair saw England concede their first goal of the tournament whilst subsequently emerging victorious and setting up a final against Italy on Sunday.

Jordan Pickford: 6/10

The Evertonian keeper conceded his first goal of the tournament through a stunning Mikkel Damsgaard free-kick. However, uncharacteristically, Pickford looked uncomfortable in possession and lacked the pinpoint precision within his distribution at times, conceding possession in a sloppy manner.

Kyle Walker: 8/10

Perhaps the Manchester City defender’s best game of the tournament to date. His electrifying change of pace allowed him to retrieve possession back as he used his athleticism and positioning to stifle an opposition counterattack. When Denmark found themselves breaking through England’s central defensive unit, Kyle Walker’s pace would allow him to cut across and cover the danger effectively.

John Stones: 6/10

Having been the only defender to start every game of the tournament (along with Pickford) Stones saw his clean sheet record end abruptly with the visitors taking the lead mid-way through the first half. With ninety touches of the ball and a 94% pass accuracy (completing 75), the defender was reliable in possession, swiftly moving the ball into the middle of the pitch away from any surrounding danger.

Harry Maguire: 8/10

The central defender occupied a constant threat to the opposition with that being in both the defensive and attacking thirds of the pitch. Aerially the Manchester United captain posed a useful asset for England at set pieces as Maguire won nine of twelve aerial duels, with two of those being shots at goal. Proving defensively sound as well, his five clearances, five interceptions, and his ability to draw fouls under pressure allowed England to nullify a potent Denmark attack.

Luke Shaw: 6/10

The Manchester United full-back operated mainly as an attacking influence, providing overlapping runs to the wingers, overriding Denmark’s defensive structure. Unlike his clinical cutting-edge last time out against Ukraine, the left-back struggled offensively, only completing three of his eight attempted crosses and losing possession on nineteen occasions.

Declan Rice: 6/10

With the responsibility of nullifying the opposition counterattack and providing extra resistance for England’s defensive structure, Declan Rice rarely assisted in the attacking phase. In a sense, this haltered England as the oppositions sturdy defensive shape forced England to play the ball back to Rice in order to retain possession at the expense of conceding twenty yards of ground. Having failed to win any of his aerial duels and five of his six ground duels, Denmark successfully disillusioned Rice from stamping his authority on proceedings.

Kalvin Phillips: 6/10

Having completed all one hundred and twenty minutes of action, the Leeds United midfielder became fatigued towards the latter stages of proceedings. The midfielder found himself playing in a more offensive role as he looked to move the ball into the attacking third efficiently in which he surpassed with one key pass, four successful long passes, and one successful cross. However, he is still yet to indulge his name onto the score sheet as he saw both his attempted shots miss the target.

Mason Mount: 5/10

Occupying the central attacking midfield role, the Chelsea midfielder was expected to assist with attacks in an energetic manner whilst making intelligent runs to receive the ball in range of shooting ability or to free up space for Harry Kane. However, due to England’s offensive dominance, the midfielder struggled to cope with such demands, failing to cover the necessary ground on numerous occasions.

Bukayo Saka: 6/10

Having been recalled to the starting eleven, it was a frustrating evening for the Arsenal youngster, with only forty touches on the ball, he was the first to be substituted as his possession of the ball looked cautious and his defensive responsibilities were lacking. Despite this, it was an intelligent run in which the ball found itself at the feet of the youngster who rolled the ball across the box, forcing Simon Kjaer into an own goal.

Raheem Sterling: 7/10

England’s top scorer at the tournament found himself with the task of unlocking a rigid, courageous Danish defense on this occasion. Sterling found himself with a gilt-edged opportunity when trailing in which he placed his shot straight at the Denmark goalkeeper before being involved in the subsequent equalizer minutes later. With three shots on target, one off target, and four blocked attempts, the Manchester City attacker succeeded in dislodging the opposition defense.

Harry Kane: 7/10

The England captain came into the semi-final off the back of consecutive goal scoring games to boost his confidence in the latter stages of the tournament. It was the Tottenham Hotspur striker who would eventually win England the game after his initial penalty was saved, before the rebound was tucked home with aplomb. His ability to drop deep to influence the play aided England in transitioning the ball into the final third of the pitch swiftly and efficiently.

Jack Grealish (SUB) 6/10

Jordan Henderson (SUB) 6/10

Phil Foden (SUB) 6/10