England bow to inevitable

Italy are deservedly through to the semi-final of the European Championship after a dramatic penalty shoot-out, and how they celebrated after this captivating quarter-final in Kiev.

But perhaps the biggest smiles out here last night were on the faces of everyone in the Germany camp, as they watched two sides run each other into the ground, less than four days before they welcome the winners to Warsaw for their semi-final.

Italy have made it through, but Germany will now be the outstanding favourites — if they weren’t already — after this exhausting battle of wills over 120 minutes of compelling combat which finished in the early hours of Monday morning in Kiev.