THE END OF TWO CURSES

WITH only one win in 11 live World Cup games on ITV – and England’s atrocious record in penalty shootouts – viewers could have been forgiven some extra nerves last night.

Before last night’s match against Colombia, the Three Lions had played 24 World Cup finals games since 1998, and won ten.

But only one – the 2-0 group game victory over Trinidad & Tobago in 2006 – was live on ITV.

In contrast, the BBC has shown nine wins from its 13 games.

On top of that, England had never won a penalty shootout in a World Cup tournament, and had lost six of its last seven shootouts, before last night’s heroics.

Manager Gareth Southgate has even employed a psychologist to help the team with the pressure.

The BBC will show Saturday’s quarter-final against Sweden.