England have safely negotiated their way through the Euro 2020 group stages, and now face a mouth-watering last-16 tie against historic rivals Germany as the knockouts begin.
Though not blowing anyone away with their performances, scoring just two goals in three games, Gareth Southgate’s side enter the knockout stages unbeaten as Group D winners, and one of just two teams yet to concede a goal, alongside Italy.
Ahead of England’s final group encounter against the Czech Republic on Tuesday night, there was plenty of talk about the Three Lions’ potential route to the final, and whether finishing second would actually provide the best chance of progressing deep into the tournament.
However, that’s certainly proven not to be the case. Croatia, who finished second in Group D, now play a Spain side who thrashed Slovakia 5-0 to reach the last-16. And they also fall into the same side of the draw as France, Italy, Belgium and Portugal.
England, on the other hand, will be heavy favourites to reach the final should they overcome Germany on Tuesday, particularly with home advantage a factor.
So, what lies ahead for Southgate and England? Sportsmail takes you through their route to the final below.
England sealed their progression to the knockouts with a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic
Saturday 26 June
European Championship
8th Finals
Wales
Denmark
8th Finals
Italy
Austria
Sunday 27 June
European Championship
8th Finals
Netherlands
Czech Republic
8th Finals
Belgium
Portugal
Monday 28 June
European Championship
8th Finals
Croatia
Spain
The last-16
Of course, we all know who England are playing in the last-16.
In finishing top of Group D with victory over the Czech Republic, England knew they would be playing the runners-up from Group F, otherwise known as the ‘group of death’.
England had to wait until the conclusion of Group F on Wednesday night to learn of their impending fate, with each of France, Portugal, Germany and Hungary sat in second place at some point throughout the evening.
For much of the night, Germany looked to have been heading out. But in rescuing a 2-2 draw against Hungary, while France’s clash with Portugal also ended as a stalemate, it’s Joachim Low’s side who will face England next week.
Leon Goretzka’s 84th-minute strike earned Germany a place in the Euro 2020 knockout stages
England secured a place in the Euro 2020 last-16 by topping a competitive Group D
The match will take place on Tuesday, June 29 at Wembley Stadium, with kick-off at 5pm.
Not an easy fixture, of course, particularly as Germany have warmed up with three hard-fought matches, where England somewhat glided into the knockouts.
However, England will have home advantage, with 45,000 fans set to grace Wembley Stadium.
The quarter-final
Sweden reached yet another major tournament knockout stage by topping their group
Ukraine legend Andriy Shevchenko has guided his side into the last-16 of the tournament
Should England come out on top against Germany, they will then reach the quarter-finals, which is where things really get interesting.
The draw continues to look kind for Southgate’s side, with either Sweden or Ukraine awaiting the winner of England vs Germany.
Remarkably, should England reach the final, the quarter-final is their one and only game that would be played outside of London.
Indeed, the quarter-final will be played on Saturday, July 3 with kick-off at 8pm in Rome.
Though topping Group E with seven points from a possible nine, Sweden would certainly be the underdogs in a quarter-final clash against England.
As would Ukraine, who progressed to the knockouts as one of the four-best third-placed sides, finishing below Holland and Austria in Group C.
The semi-final
Gareth Bale’s Wales are one of four potential opponents awaiting England in the semi-finals
Wales face a last-16 clash against Denmark, who beat Russia 4-1 to progress to the knockouts
Once again, the draw has been kind for England as we move on to the semi-finals.
Should England reach the final-four, they will come up against one of Wales, Denmark, Holland or the Czech Republic.
Fellow Brits Wales are taking on Denmark in the last-16 on Saturday, with Holland and England’s Group D rivals the Czech Republic going head-to-head on Sunday. Of course, the winner of each game will then play against the other in the quarter-final.
England would once again return to Wembley if they make it this far, with the semi-final taking place on Wednesday, July 7, with kick-off at 8pm.
The Three Lions would play at Wembley once more, and this time in front of an even bigger crowd, with the UK government confirming a minimum of 60,000 fans for the semi-final and final.
The final
Wembley Stadium will host the final on July 11, with a minimum of 60,000 fans to attend
Should England make it to the final, they could come up against any of the eight teams in the other half of the draw.
These are: Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Austria, France, Switzerland, Croatia or Spain.
Though we can’t narrow it down any further, what we do know is that the final will also be played at Wembley, with kick-off at 8pm on Sunday, July 11.