Alan Shearer questions England’s decision to send on late penalty substitutes in Euro 2020 final defeat

Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were brought on in the final moments of the match before missing penalties in the shootout defeat

Jamie Braidwood
Sunday 11 July 2021 18:28 EDT
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Euro 2020 pitch invader forces final to pause

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Alan Shearer questioned the logic of sending on Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho for England’s penalty shootout defeat to Italy in the final of Euro 2020.

Rashford and Sancho were brought on the final moments of the Wembley final in order to take penalty kicks for Gareth Southgate’s side, but both players missed their efforts.

Sancho’s kick was saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma while Rashford hit the post, before the Italy goalkeeper then saved Bukayo Saka’s penalty to win the contest for the Azzurri, as England’s suffered yet more heartache in a penalty shootout at a major tournament.

“It’s a big, big ask to put two players on with a minute to go to say, you’re going to go and take a penalty for us,” Shearer said after the match on the BBC.

“You’re under enough pressure anyway as a player but the extra pressure you’re putting on those two individuals when you’ve had no feel of the football, you’re not involved in the game at all and then you’re put in that situation. It’s a big, big ask.

The former England striker added: “When you’ve not played a huge part in the game, then to come on be asked, mentally you’ve got to put yourself right when you’ve not kicked a football and you’ve been sat on your backside for three hours.”

England took the lead in the second minute of the match but were on the back foot for much of the final as Italy equalised to force extra time.

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