Switzerland pay penalty as Pickford helps England finish third in Nations League

Posted Monday, June 10, 2019 by PA

Jordan Pickford was England’s penalty shoot-out hero once again as Gareth Southgate’s men eventually overcame Switzerland to bring an exciting end to a tepid third-place play-off in the Nations League.

Three days on from losing their semi-final to Holland due to two defensive gifts and a narrow offside call, the Three Lions returned to a far quieter Estadio D Afonso Henriques for Sunday’s battle for bronze.

Callum Wilson thought he had grabbed a late winner ruled until the video assistant referee intervened in Guimaraes, where England dominated throughout only for the match to end 0-0 after 120 minutes.

Switzerland pay penalty as Pickford helps England finish third in Nations League — Dele Alli reacts after missing a chance in Guimaraes (Tim Goode/PA)

The match went to spot-kicks and Pickford again come into his own in the shootout, denying Josip Drmic in sudden death after scoring his own spot-kick as the Three Lions won 6-5 on penalties.

It was a positive note at the end at the end of a forgettable match that at least brings the team bronze medals and penalty confidence ahead of Euro 2020.

England should have had the match wrapped up long before the shootout, though, with the Swiss goal frame rattled four times across the 120 minutes.

1 – Jordan Pickford was the first-ever goalkeeper to take (and score) a penalty for England in a competitive penalty shootout. Character. pic.twitter.com/HcYw979sbm
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 9, 2019

Southgate’s men even thought they had snatched an 84th-minute winner through Wilson, only for VAR to spot his foul on Manuel Akanji.

It meant an extra 30 minutes of the match no one wanted and eventually penalties, with Pickford emulating his last-16 heroics against Colombia at last year’s World Cup as England won another shootout.