AS IT HAPPENED: Euro 2020 - England defeat Denmark to reach final v Italy at Wembley

They were taken to extra-time but I think England deserved their win. Italy will be happy their opponents had to slog for 120 minutes. See you on Sunday!! Thanks for following! Updates as ever on gulfnews.com. Let's leave the last word to a relieved Imran... 

Brace yourself for this cheer... Sterling almost brings the house down but he is stopped again by the equally brilliant Schmiechel. Whistles all around. And there it is. ENGLAND ARE IN THE FINAL!!!!

Moments away now. Sterling has been fantastic, but all credit to Denmark for their spirit that has remained throughout this tournament.

Five minutes away for England now, as Denmark make a final push.

Penalty to England makes the difference as Schmeichel makes the save but Kane follows up with the rebound. Wembley alive again. Sterling went down softly but deserved in my opinion. England are 15 mins away from their first final since 1966. I had a joke there earlier but gremlins meant we lost some posts.

Kane gets a shot away from tight angle but the defiant Schmeichel is there again with a great stop. Sterling gets away with a slap to the face before Rice comes off for Henderson. 

They don't hang about. Back under way. 

England in a semi-final and we go to extra-time... who would have imagined? Nerves and tired legs now. Southgate has the advantage of having plenty of subs to use while the Danes have used all five. #tacticalgenius

We have had almost a carbon copy of Italy v Spain last night in terms of thrills and spills and we go to 30 more minutes after Kane sclaffs a late half-chance. Fans are getting ther money's worth! 

Chance! Sterling gets it in under pressure and Kane finds Phillips but the Leeds man blasts over. Interseting free-kick out wide awaits for England. But Schmeichel again swallows it up. 

SIX minutes added on as Kane goes for a dance but plays himself out of the danger zone. Noticably quieter inside Wembley...

Corner Denmark but a violation gets England to breathe a sigh of relief.

Yes Imran, concentrate on biting your nails...

Probably 10 to go before extra-time. Who can step up and win it in the 90? The Danes have weathered a second England wave and are finding more time on the ball. Coach Kasper is screaming on the touchline. Nerves all round.

Penalty shout as Harry Kane takes a tumble but the free-kick goes against the England skipper and 60,000 (plus a few players and staff) are livid. Both Imran and Shamsheer are calling for a Grealish moment of magic. 

Grealish straight into the action and his pace forces Denmark into a foul. Mount's cross right after has Schmeichel scrambling to push it over the bar. 

Panic in the box for Denmark again as England press. They dooooooooo not want pens. Grealish on for Saka. Danish triple-swap as  Damsgaard off for Poulsen, Wass replaces Styger Larsen and Norgaard is on the ineffective Dolberg.

Mount next to test Schmeichel but he gathers easily in the goal. Big change for Denmark coming up, and big cheer as Grealish gets ready to come on for England. 

Denmark under the cosh again as Saka works his magic on the wing with two fines crosses. But the Danes hold on.

This game has been as relentless, as Sterling does brilliantly to feed Shaw, whose cross goes right across goal and out for a corner. 

After the restart, Pickford is forced into a great save from Damsgaard before Schmeichel is called into action at the other end to stop Maguire's header.  

Tasty start as England's Maguire goes into the book for a meaty header into two Danish lads who need attention. 

Away we go again for a cracking second half - I hope!!!

So far so entertaining! Breather time for all involved...  Two very different goals, but they all count. Kjaer unfortunate to bundle that into his net but Sterling would have had he not intervened. Tasty 45 coming up.

Wee correction. It is given as an own goal to Denmark skipper Kjaer. Mental times.

The home side on level terms before the break. Great cross from Kane and Schmeichel saves brilliantly from Sterling, but the ball is fired in again from Saka and Sterling makes no mistake this time. Game on as the crowd find their voice! 

England regroup and win a free-kick in a similar position to the Denmark goal. But Sterling hits it into the wall. Wasteful

Woah! Cat meet pigeons. Free-kick from Damsgaard from miles out tears past the wall and whooshes past Pickford. What a goal. England have conceded for the first time on this tournament. Brilliant goal from the masters from outside the box. Southgate has questions to answer now as the Danes silence the Wembley crowd in great fashion.  

The boos from the fans comes back as Denmark enjoy a bit of possession. Damsgaard has a shot but is just wide and high. Denmark growing in confidence.

Phew! A relative lull means I can rest my fingers. But I am Jinxy Matt, so you know what will happen next... 

Harry Kane has a buzz but it is over the bar. Scare at the other end as Pickford gives away the ball after an attempt from Hojbjerg and England escape with conceding a corner. They clear their lines.

As I say that Denmark break and Walker has to look alert to nudge Damsgaard off and get the ball back to Pickford. Enlrand right up the other end, win a corner and moments later Sterling tests Schmeichel with a low shot. 

All England so far. They are right up for this. And Denmark are just fending off the attacks.

Ooh. Another early chance for England as a cross in is millimetres too far from Sterling. The City man knows he could have reached that with the goal begging. 

That sound. Hollers and boos ring around Wembley whenever Denmark have the ball. A half-chance is smothered by Schmeichel  

Great to have the atmosphere back! Some 60,000 fans roaring. I feel we are in for another belter! Our resident England fan Imran is getting sentimental... 

So both teams cool as they walk out, passionate during the singalong (no need for the boos from some England fans during the Danish anthem!) and we are under way... Time to suss out who has the early nerves. 

Anthem time! Now we will really hear this stadium roar! 

15 minutes to go! English comedian Dom Joly is planting his tongue firlmly in his cheek as usual 

Some celebs in the crown as England's 'Three Lions' stars Frank Skinner and David Baddiel have been posing for selfies, while Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Christian are in - I presume - the posh seats. 

Even UK PM Boris Johnson is excited

Team news
Bukayo Saka is in for Jadon Sancho. Denmark unchanged from the win over the Czechs last time out.
England XI: Pickford, Walker, Stones, Maguire, Shaw, Rice, Phillips, Mount, Saka, Sterling, Kane
Denmark XI: Schmeichel, Christensen, Kjaer, Vestergaard, Stryger Larsen, Hojbjerg, Delaney, Maehle, Braithwaite, Dolberg, Damsgaard

Nervous much? Teams on the way

However, those of a certain age will remember when Denmark won the Euros in 1992, with another Schmeichel in goals - Kasper’s dad, Peter. They only entered the competition at the last minute when the former Yugoslavia side were kicked out. 

So England are heavy favourites but who will be the hero? Harry Kane has found his shooting boots, Raheem Sterling is looking solid. But Denmark have the Kasper factor with in-form Dolberg, goalkeeper Schmeichel and coach Hjulmand calling the shots. Intriguing ...

With Eriksen thankfully on the mend, Kasper Hjulmand’s team have embarked on a three-match winning run that has taken them to a first semi-final in 29 years. Eriksen has been invited to the Wembley final by Uefa and Denmark coach Hjulmand said: “We still play for and with him. There’s no doubt about that. That’s the only thing I can say about Christian. It’s really something that makes us do as much as we can. I hope that if he comes to the final that we’re going to be playing it. It would be amazing.”

England know what an expectant nation will demand. “These players are making massive strides and breaking barriers all the time,” said Gareth Southgate, the England boss. “We have broken barriers in this tournament and we have another opportunity to do that.”
Three Lions skipper Harry Kane added: “We can talk as much as we want but the bottom line is we have to go out there and perform,” he said.
“This is the big one. England have been here before and failed, but in theory, with that crowd, they will never have a better chance,” said Craig Leader, manager of Crown & Lion, Barsha Heights, Dubai. “However they need to be wary as Denmark have dumped a lot of teams out already.”

The fans are pouring into Wembley and the red and white of England massively outweighs the, erm, red and white of Denmark. That huge crowd could be crucial to England tonight.

This one has a lot to live up to after the end-to-end belter last night, and on paper you have to fancy England. But Denmark have shown such pride and no little skill to make it this far and they want to win it for Christian Eriksen, after his harrowing cardiac arrest during the early Euro 2020 clash against Finland.

We know who awaits the winners at Wembley on Sunday after Italy’s thrilling win over Spain on Tuesday. You can read a bit more on that one here.

Kasper’s Kings against Southgate’s superstars - welcome to another blockbuster night at Wembley. T-minus one hour to kick-off