French phenom Kylian Mbappé, 25, had a night to remember in the Champions League last Tuesday, scoring two goals against Real Sociedad to help Paris-Saint-Germain advance to the quarterfinals of Europe’s most glorified competition in soccer.

One of those goals broke the net.

Mbappé broke down the left wing with pace on a counterattack which left only one defender to try to stop him. After some quick feet, Mbappé was able to create an opening for a shot, which he lashed across the goalkeeper and found the bottom corner in the 15th minute of the match.

Such was the power of his strike that it actually broke the netting. There have been flukey situations in soccer where the netting on a goal has been ripped before, but the amount of raw power it takes to rip a net with a ball from that distance is something rarely observed in modern European soccer. The referees were forced to pause the game while the net was repaired.

His second goal came from another break down the left side where he caught up to an over-the-top through ball and sneakily whipped the ball to the near post after opening up his body to appear as if he would curl it toward the far post. He wrong-footed goalkeeper Alejandro Remiro and effectively ended the tie 11 minutes into the second half.

After a 2-0 victory in the first leg and a 2-0 lead in the second, Mikel Merino’s goal for Sociedad late in the second half was a mere consolation as PSG advanced 4-1 on aggregate.

“We’re really happy,” Mbappé noted in a post-match press conference. “That was the objective, we wanted to qualify, but we also wanted to win. We had a game plan that was clear, and we managed to score early. We didn’t come under too much pressure, just a little at the end.”

“[Scoring goals] is what I do,” he added. “It’s what I like to do, what I can do. My job is to help the team score goals, to help offensively, defensively, and today, I did a nice job.”

Mbappé, who is reportedly leaving the club to join Real Madrid in Spain at the end of the season, now sits at the top of the charts for goals scored in the Champions League this season with six, tied with Harry Kane who also bagged a brace last Tuesday for Bayern Munich.

“He’ll score 50 goals and get 25 assists with whatever coach in whichever team. Unfortunately, in the immediate future, he won’t be here, and we have to start trying out other teammates,” PSG manager Luis Enrique noted after the game.

Erling Haaland, the leading goal scorer for Manchester City, sits a goal behind at five but will have more opportunities to catch up in the quarterfinal round. According to former Manchester United and England defender gone game analyst Rio Ferdinand though, there’s no one he’d rather build a team around in the game today than Mbappé.

“I’d pay every day to watch him train let alone play in a match because he creates things on his own. I can give him the ball at left-back and he might score. I can give him the ball anywhere on the pitch and he could create something,” Ferdinand said.

“But Mbappé’s just got that something different that would make me sit up at night and go: ‘Thank you, God.’”

Italy has once again reached the pinnacle of European soccer, while England is left with heartbreak as the long wait for a major title continues. 

Italy won the European Championship for the second time ever by defeating England 3-2 on penalty kicks. The match ended in a 1-1 draw after regulation, then neither side could produce a winning goal in extra time. The match was played at Wembley Stadium in London, England, which was filled with English fans preparing to celebrate the country’s first major international trophy since the 1966 World Cup. 

Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci mocked the England team’s anthem “its coming home,” as he chanted “It’s coming to Rome. It’s coming to Rome,” in the post-game celebrations. 

Italy’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma stood tall in the net, playing a decisive role in Italy’s shootout victory. England’s three misses came from Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, all players who were subbed on later in the game. These three who missed are some of the youngest on the squad. Saka is just 19 years old. 

Less than four years ago, Italy hit rock bottom as an international team after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Now, earning the title of the best team in Europe and maintaining a 34-game unbeaten streak, manager Roberto Mancini and the Italian side have had a historical turnaround. 

“It was impossible even to just consider this at one stage, but the guys were just amazing. I have no words for them,” said Mancini after the match. 

England captain Harry Kane spoke on the team’s heartbreak. “The boys couldn’t have given more, Penalties are the worst feeling in the world when you lose. It’s been a fantastic tournament, we should be proud, hold our heads up high. It’s going to hurt now, it’s going to hurt for a while.”

The game started perfectly for England, as Luke Shaw hammered home the fastest goal in EURO final history off of a cross from Kieran Trippier in the second minute. This goal was the only real chance England had throughout the 120 minutes of gameplay, as England hardly possessed the ball for the remainder of the match. 

On both squads, the players considered “penalty specialists” struggled from the spot and the spotlight ended up on the goalkeepers, both of whom proved their worth. However, Donnarumma made crucial saves and ultimately earned his side the trophy as well as earning himself Player of the Tournament. 

The governing body of European football, UEFA, has invited Denmark international player Christian Eriksen and the medics who saved his life during the on-field cardiac arrest he suffered to the EURO 2020 final at Wembley Stadium.

Eriksen’s collapse occurred in his first match of the tournament at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark. The incident occurred on June 12 against Finland. CPR had to be administered and the medics restarted Eriksen’s heart using a defibrillator. Eriksen is currently recovering at home.

Eriksen, his wife and six medics were invited to attend the final. However, it is unclear who will be in attendance.

Paramedic, Peder Ersgaard, said he was honored to receive the invitation from UEFA boss Aleksander Ceferin. “I’m excited, like a child on Christmas Eve. I’m very proud of my efforts, but also of the whole team. It wasn’t a one-man effort,” he told Fagbladet FOA.

Denmark reached the semifinal where their magical run came to an end as England defeated them in extra time. England advances to the final where they will face Italy, who defeated Spain in a penalty shootout.

Before Denmark’s loss, Ersgaard was optimistic about watching Denmark compete for the championship. “I hope to see Denmark against Italy. That would be really, really big. Just imagine if they become European champions,” Ersgaard said.

Prior to England’s victory over Denmark, English goal scorer Harry Kane said he hoped to see his former Tottenham teammate Eriksen at the final. “I look forward to seeing Eriksen and catching up with him. Of course it would be nice if England are playing in the final and I can catch up with him after hopefully a happy day. I’m good friends with Christian and his family as well. Whether he decides to come or not, of course I hope to catch up with him soon. From my point of view, I’m glad he is recovering well and just hope he continues on that path until we do meet again,” said Kane.

England was able to defeat Denmark by a score of 2-1 in extra time, clinching their first finals berth in a major men’s tournament in 55 years. However, the win was not without a host of controversies that muddied the legitimacy of the match.

The first controversy came when Raheem Sterling was dribbling the soccer ball down the wing before being “fouled” in the penalty box. This led to the winning goal. As he dribbled down the wing, a second, identical silver ball emerged next to where Denmark’s defender was guarding Sterling. This arguably distracted the defenseman, who then was unable to play properly, losing mental focus and his positioning. This part of the play was reviewed by VAR, however, it was determined that this incident did not interrupt the sequence of events on the pitch in a meaningful manner. Interestingly enough, section 5.3 of The International Football Association Board’s Laws of the Game states that the play should be stopped in this instance.

The second controversial decision was rewarding Sterling with a penalty kick. Sterling was lightly grazed by the leg of Denmark defender Joakim Maehle. Sterling then fell to the ground, but the widespread consensus was that no penalty kick should have been given based on the nature of the contact. Even though VAR has the ability to overturn this call, it can only do so if there is an error so egregiously erroneous that there is no doubt it was the incorrect decision. Because it was not undebatably a penalty, the call stood.

The final controversy in the game came when Harry Kane lined up to take the awarded penalty kick. A laser pen was flashed in the face of Denmark’s goalkeeper, Kasper Schmeichel. Although Schmeichel did save the kick before being beaten by an unlucky rebound, the effect of the laser is unknown. UEFA can take action should they find it prudent once they analyze the referee’s postgame report. Lasers are considered a prohibited item at the 2020 Euros, and hosts of the event can face penalties for allowing such items in.

Despite all this, a win is a win. England will move on to the finals to take on Italy. Italy defeated Spain on Tuesday in a penalty shootout.

For the first time in 25 years, England will be competing in the European Championships semifinals round after a dominant 4-0 victory over Ukraine.

This was only England’s third-ever knockout stage victory in the European Championship, but nerves were calmed by goals at the start of each half.

In the fourth minute of the match, Harry Kane buried a shot off a Raheem Sterling assist to set the tone early.

The combination of Sterling, who has been one of England’s best players in the tournament, and Jadon Sancho, who started for the first time this tournament, provided creativity and speed that Ukraine simply could not contain.

England has not yet conceded a goal in five games. The best chance for Ukraine fell to Roman Yaremchuk, but England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was not challenged enough as he parried it away.

England’s second goal came off of a cross from Luke Shaw, finished by Harry Maguire to double the lead to 2-0.

Promptly after, Kane headed in the third goal of the match off of another Shaw assist.

Ukrainian goalkeeper Heorhiy Bushchan denied Kane’s hattrick by saving a powerful volley. The resulting corner ended up in the back of the net off of a Jordan Henderson header. This was Henderson’s first-ever England goal.

With England in complete control, their fans chanted “it’s coming home” as the final minutes ticked down. This phrase is a chorus to the team’s adopted anthem, “Three Lions.”

The last time England reached the final of a major tournament was in 1996. Recent letdowns have come in the 2018 World Cup where Croatia defeated England 2-1 in the semifinal and a 3-1 loss to the Netherlands in UEFA’s Nations League tournament in 2019.

“I suppose it’s still sinking in that it’s another semifinal — three in three years,” England coach Gareth Southgate told the BBC.

“We want to go two steps further. I know what will be happening at home. It’s lovely to see everyone on a Saturday night, beer in hand. They should enjoy it. It’s been a long year for everyone. I’m chuffed the two performances have brought so much happiness to people.”

“The players have been fantastic,” added Southgate. “To play as well as they did in a game with so much resting on it was impressive. The spirit in the group is phenomenal.”

England will now face Denmark, who defeated the Czech Republic to earn their place in the semifinal. Southgate’s squad will enjoy home-field advantage as both the semifinal and final match will be played at Wembley Stadium in London, England.

On Tuesday, England defeated Germany 2-0 to reach the Euro 2020 quarterfinals. England’s goals were thanks to Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane in the second half.

Both national teams came into the game with skepticism due to their unconvincing group stage performances. England topped Group D by only scoring twice in their three group matches. They won two and tied once to lead Group D. On the other hand, Germany needed a late goal against Hungary to allow them to qualify for the quarterfinals in Group F.

The game between the two teams had few chances in the first half. Jordan Pickford’s save was one of the highlights of the game. Pickford denied Kai Havertz’s shot from the box.

The game ramped up after the first half. Luke Shaw started to play and helped assist England’s first goal of the game. Jack Grealish helped England score the first goal by passing it to Shaw, who passed it across to Sterling for a close-range goal. Sterling’s wonderful tournament and scoring prowess continue. Sterling scored both of England’s goals in the group stage.

Shortly after Sterling’s goal, it looked like Germany was going to tie the game when an opportunity opened up for Thomas Muller. A poor back pass from England allowed Muller to take it to England’s end, where Muller ended up beating the England goalkeeper but missed the net with a wide shot.

England scored a second goal to seal the win. In the 85th minute, Grealish set another goal up for England. Grealish passed it to Kane for a header goal to seal the clean sheet win for England.

“We knew we needed a big performance against a difficult side, and we did that today,” Sterling said after the match. “Doing it for your country is always special.”

England knocked out Germany and advanced to the quarterfinals to play against Ukraine on Saturday. This was only England’s second-ever knockout win at a European, and they have never won the Euro Championship.

Last May, Liverpool FC entered the Champions League final for the first time since the 2006/2007 season. On that day, Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1, sending them to the trophy for three years in a row. This year, Liverpool are back in the finals with one goal in mind: Winning the trophy. The team hasn’t won a UEFA trophy since their 2005 win against the Italian powerhouse AC Milan. This year, Liverpool face English counterparts Tottenham Hotspurs, who will be seeking their first ever UEFA trophy, in Madrid for the biggest game of the year in Europe on Saturday.

Liverpool have had their greatest season domestically than ever before, losing just one game all season yet finishing second place behind a flawless Manchester City side, which won the English Premier League for the second year in a row.

Tottenham and Liverpool have already seen each other twice this season in the domestic league, with Liverpool winning both games 2-1. The stats favor Liverpool but Tottenham’s manager, Mauricio Pochettino knows what it takes to frustrate them and their explosive offense. With Liverpool’s narrow front three, Pochettino likes to go with three central defenders, going man-for-man on Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. What could hurt Spurs in this is their full-backs and midfielders playing compact in their own half, inviting Liverpool’s infamous pressing.

Jürgen Klopp and his Liverpool side are known for their well-coordinated pressing, with full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson supplying crosses from the wings. The pair have combined for 23 assists this season in all competitions, breaking the European record for most assists for defenders.

It’s tough to find a weakness in Liverpool, as their prominent front three of Salah, Mane and Firmino supply goals in the front, they have equal talent in the back. English PFA Player of the Year Virgil van Dijk dominates the central defense, while Goalkeeper Alisson Becker proves to be a commander in his box after winning the golden-glove with the most clean sheets this season. What could hurt Liverpool is their full-backs defending. Robertson and Alexander-Arnold aren’t known for their support in the back, and Spurs’ Wingers Heung Min-Son and Lucas Moura will be looking to break through the lines with their elusive supply in front of net.

English superstar Harry Kane is fit for the Final, after sustaining a continued ankle injury throughout the back-half of the season. Spurs made it to the final without him, and Pochettino has to question whether to play him or not, as Spanish forward Fernando Llorente took his role effectively in his absence. With Kane possibly back, the midfield could shift dramatically as Christian Eriksen, Dele Alli or Moussa Sissoko would have to miss out in the starting 11. However, Pochettino could keep his side unchanged as it has worked in this tournament so far, beating Manchester City and Ajax FC on their way to the final.

Liverpool have the advantage on paper, but Spurs know their opponents as well as anyone could. Liverpool will be looking to bring home their sixth UEFA trophy to capitalize on what has been an already impressive season.