ENGLAND'S PENALTY PERFECTION

Three Lions show composure against Swiss to win shoot-out 5-3, earn semi-final spot

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DUSSELDORF England have suffered plenty of penalty shoot-out heartache but showed composure against Switzerland on July 6 to seal a Euro 2024 semi-final place and prove their spot-kick improvement under manager Gareth Southgate.

There was not much to enthuse over in the 120 minutes as the teams played to a 1-1 draw in Dusseldorf. And ahead of the shoot-out, England may have had flashbacks to the Euro 2020 final at Wembley where they lost to Italy in another shattering defeat.

But Southgate, driven by his own personal failure at Euro 96 on home soil, has worked to improve the mentality of his team in shoot-outs.

They netted all five kicks against the Swiss with confidence. After the 5-3 shoot-out success, he said: "In a penalty shoot-out their composure was impeccable."

The comments from his team at the Merkur Spiel-Arena highlight this belief.

When asked how he felt about taking the pressure-laden final kick, Trent Alexander-Arnold said: "Excitement, to be honest. It's a moment I prepared for. They're the moments that all players want to have. To be on the final penalty and win it for your country was something I'll never forget."