England manager Gareth Southgate celebrates after the semi-final win against the Netherlands. 

England will face Spain in Sunday’s UEFA EURO 2024 final after substitute Ollie Watkins struck a dramatic late winner to see off the Netherlands in Dortmund.

As has become customary in Germany, the game was preceded by pyrotechnics but that display was quickly eclipsed by the fireworks on the pitch. This semi-final was seven minutes old when Xavi Simons lit the touchpaper, dispossessing Declan Rice, advancing and, though stretching, still managing to unload a blistering shot past Jordan Pickford.

For the third knockout match running, England were behind. How they responded. Within 11 minutes it was all-square, Harry Kane continuing the Three Lions’ spot-kick perfection with an effort that gave Bart Verbruggen no chance after Denzel Dumfries was adjudged to have infringed. So far, so frenetic. But why stop there?

Dumfries was soon in the thick of it again with a goal-line clearance to deny Phil Foden; next the Dutch right-back was at the other end, heading against the bar. The excellent Foden responded in kind, grazing the upright with a fine curling strike. It was end-to-end stuff, but if the first half was action-packed blockbuster, the second gave way to a taut thriller.

The chances dried up but not the intensity and drama. The Netherlands slowly gained the upper hand, England wrestled it back. Bukayo Saka had a goal ruled out for offside. Extra time loomed when the stoppage-time twist came, as Watkins collected fellow substitute Cole Palmer’s pass, worked just a sliver of space and drilled an unerring shot into the far corner. The Three Lions roared. Next stop: Berlin.

Key stats

– England are through to their second EURO final, just three years after their first when they lost in a shoot-out to Italy.

– England are the sixth side to reach back-to-back EURO finals after USSR (1960/1964), Germany (1972/1976, 1976/1980, 1992/1996) and Spain (2008/2012). The previous five all won at least one.

– Kane has now scored a record six goals in EURO knockouts, surpassing Antoine Griezmann.

– Kane is only the third man to score in successive semi-finals after USSR pair Viktor Ponedelnik and Valentin Ivanov (1960/1964).

– England have lost just one of their last 20 competitive matches (W12 D7).

– Simons, at 22 years and 125 days, is the second youngest Dutchman to score at a EURO after Patrick Kluivert (19y 353d).

– The Netherlands have won only one of their six EURO semi-finals.