Between history and rivalry: whoever passes will find the winner of Sweden-Ukraine
Gareth Southgate is fed up with recalling the wrong penalty in the 1996 European Championship semi-final with Germany. More generally, the whole of England is tired of always returning to the 1966 home World Cup final to remember a triumph in a great competition and a victory over Germany. Since then the Lions have only known disappointments and have always lost to the Germans at Wembley. With these premises, today’s match in London (6 pm) goes even beyond the importance of a European round of 16. English coach Southgate, who is part of this black book due to the mistake from the spot 25 years ago, knows very well: «For my team it will be a great opportunity to make history. And it will be an opportunity to give our people a different memory, in the future, of England-Germany ».
Never as this time does the enterprise seem within reach. The Germans saved themselves from elimination with a few minutes remaining against Hungary in Munich and the end of Löw’s cycle is a fact. The coach, who has been in office for 15 years, is on his way to farewell: after the World Cup they won in Brazil, Germany experienced only disappointments.
Leon Goretzka, a man of providence against the Magyars, could be deployed as titular. Löw recovers Rudiger and Gundogan who had trained separately in recent days. Southgate, on the other hand, is still not convinced to use Mount and Chilwell, who have returned to the group after having ended up in isolation having come into contact with the Scottish Gilmour, who tested positive for Covid: “I have to see how they are psychologically”, explains the Englishman. Whoever wins at Wembley could have a clear path to the semi-final. In the quarter of Rome he will have to face who will prevail between Sweden and Ukraine, on the field at 21 in Glasgow in the last of the second round. –