Fortunately for Bukayo Saka, there will be no Giorgio Chiellini this time around.
Gareth Southgate’s England reached a European Championship final for the second time in three years on Wednesday night, saving their finest performance of the entire tournament for the dramatic last-four victory over the Netherlands in Dortmund.
The Three Lions now face Spain in Sunday’s decider, hoping to go one step further after that heartbreaking loss to Italy on penalties back in 2021.
The defining image of that Wembley loss, perhaps, was that of Chiellini grabbing the back of Saka’s shirt and tearing the Arsenal winger to the ground as he threatened to break away. It was a piece of defending straight out of the Catenaccio school of dark arts.
But, make no mistake, Chiellini was not all brawn and brutality. The recently retired Juventus legend was one of the finest and most successful centre-halves of the modern era for a reason.
And one wonders how he would have dealt with the threat of Ollie Watkins as the Aston Villa talisman span away from Stefan de Vrij and fizzed a stunning finish past Bart Verbruggen as the clock struck 90 at the Signal Iduna Park.
Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins fires England past Netherlands
Chiellini, speaking to Sky Italia, was full of praise for the way Watkins took his chance. A ‘half’ chance at best. But he cannot help but wonder if De Ligt could have dealt with the situation a little better, the ball fizzing through his legs on it’s way into the far corner.
“These are small details that make the difference,” says the nine-time Serie A champion, who now works as a coach at MLS outfit Los Angeles FC. “Watkins’ movement is good but he goes towards the corner (of the penalty area).
“It is not a moment in which he is dangerous. Blocking the far post allows the goalkeeper to have an easy save and instead if it passes through the legs… The attacker sees it as a great goal and it is a great goal, but it was easily avoidable.
“I feel sorry for De Vrij who is a great defender. Winning or losing matches is also a question of details.”
This was only Watkins’ fourth goal in 14 England caps too.
What a remarkable rise it has been for a man who was plying his trade at Weston Super Mare in 2015 and Exeter City as recently as 2017.
Watkins has blossomed into a truly ‘outstanding’ centre-forward. To quote former England midfielder Jordan Henderson, an ‘extraordinary player’.
Three Lions face Spain in Sunday’s final
And, on a night in which Southgate’s critics were left chowing down on a hearty portion of humble pie, it was fellow substitute Cole Palmer who set up Watkins’ last-gasp decider with a typically probing pass into the penalty box.
For a manager who’s game-management has often come into question, this was an evening of pure vindication.
“For me, England played their best game of the tournament,” adds Chiellini. “In the first half, they conceded a goal but controlled the game. They managed to find the spaces.
“In the second half, England were very dangerous. They played cat and mouse. Southgate’s changes were right.”
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