England are through to the Euro 2024 semi-final – and the BBC pundits have been lauding Gareth Southgate's side for their greatest-ever penalty shootout.
The Three Lions dispatched all five of their penalties, with Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold all dispatching from 12 yards. Alan Shearer exclaimed “Pressure is for tyres”, hailing the spot-kick takers' nerves.
Crossing back to the studio, Gary Lineker, Rio Ferdinand, Micah Richards and Frank Lampard all praised the England side.
“Beautiful, just beautiful,” Lineker said. “Perfection. Nerveless magnificence.”
“It wasn't perfect but it was such an improvement,” Ferdinand said after the game. “I had no doubts in my mind. The penalty takers, technically, were perfect. I can't wait to go out and celebrate this, man.”
“We saw Saka miss in the Euros,” Richards said. “How would he react? Today, as Rio says, redemption. All the things we asked for, they delivered today.”
“Do you know what as well?” Ferdinand added. “You've got players who are squad players – the Toneys, the Palmers, the Alexander-Arnolds – you know what it's like as a squad, sometimes you feel on the edge of it.”
“Good save, wasn't the best penalty,” “Jordan was up to a few little antics, good: you've got to put off the takers.”
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Former England midfielder Darren Anderton has stated that he agrees with his former team-mate Gareth Southgate, and would also play Bukayo Saka at left-back, while Ian Wright has defended Jude Bellingham’s confidence. Rio Ferdinand, meanwhile, has claimed that he’d “walk home” from Germany if Southgate didn’t start Kobbie Mainoo.
ITV pundit Ally McCoist has labelled Spain defender Nacho as “embarrassing” for his playacting against Germany, while Florian Wirtz is the first to score against La Roja at this tournament. In other news, this is our team of the last-16.
