After 3 abject performances in the group stages, England reached a new level last time out, but sadly it was lower than the previous one.
A nation watched on in disbelief as all of the fears and criticisms around the England team unfolded in front of their eyes. Devoid of ideas, short of chances, and with very few tactical changes or substitutions taking place, England were simply sleepwalking their way out of the tournament. Cometh the hour, or 95th minute in this case, cometh the man, and in such a desperate match it seemed wholly unfitting to see Bellingham score a goal of such quality. England were back up and running, quickly got ahead in extra time, and the Three Lions advanced to the last 8.
This game seems to hinge on whether England can take advantage of the ‘Get out of Jail’ moment Bellingham produced, or whether they will revert to type. The optimist hopes that this is the point where we see a couple of personnel changes, and a team sent out to play with more freedom. The realist feels that we simply are what we are and will continue with a defensive and cautious approach that could be our undoing.
Switzerland were excellent against an admittedly woeful Italy. Irrespective of the Italians shortcomings, the Swiss have played extremely well in the tournament, nearly beat the hosts, and seem to have a feel-good factor and confidence running throughout their team. They will provide stern opposition for England, and this looks to be a far closer encounter than the current prices suggest.
*Odds quoted may fluctuate