Avoid defeat tomorrow and England will reach the last eight of Euro 2012, but the Three Lions’ progression into the knockout stages of the European Championship finals has not always been smooth. Deputy Sports Editor Craig Stoddart looks back at England’s previous final group games in the finals

ENGLAND go into their final group game at the European Championships tomorrow knowing a draw will be enough to reach the knockout stages.

They also know that they must defy recent history if they are to progress to the quarter-finals.

Only once before has England’s interest in the European Championships ended in the knockout stages when on foreign soil.

Euro 96 aside, when England hosted the tournament, the Three Lions have a shoddy record at the championships.

The competition was first held in 1960 when England did not enter. However, when they did make an effort they then did not qualify for four of the next six tournaments.

Even when England did reach the finals, they were unable to reach the knockout stages until 1996 and it was not until 1992 that there was anything of significance riding on their final group game.

Back in 1968 came the nation’s first visit to the finals and with it came a third-place finish. A decent effort by today’s standards, but in those days only four teams took part. Alf Ramsey’s England played only twice, losing to Yugoslavia and then beating the Soviet Union in a thirdplace play-off.

The competition has since grown in size and stature, while England have steadily enjoyed more success.

They next reached the finals in 1980, again held in Italy, under Ron Greenwood’s stewardship, but their stay concluded with a dead-rubber in the final group game against Spain.

Dani scored one penalty but missed another as England won 2-1, with goals from Trevor Brooking and Tony Woodcock, leaving Spain bottom of the group.

After failing to qualify for 1984, a tournament both won and staged in France, Bobby Robson’s travelled to West Germany in good spirits in 1988.

Hopes were high following a decent showing two years earlier at the World Cup, but England were sent packing thanks to three defeats in three games – including one to the Republic of Ireland in their first match an international finals.

As a result, Robson became public enemy number one, but national pride in the team was restored by reaching the semifinals at the World Cup in 1990. West Germany inflicted a penalty shoot-out defeat on England in Turin, but they were invigorated by the performance in Italy.

Furthermore, when England reached Euro 92, in Sweden, they had qualified for consecutive finals for the first time. Heady days indeed.

Having lost all three matches in West Germany, the Three Lions performed marginally better by drawing 0-0 in their opening two matches – with Denmark and France.

This provided England with a first: Their final group game had something riding on it.

And as there were only eight teams in the final – the format doubled to 16 teams for Euro ’96 – a semi-final place beckoned if they could defeat the hosts in the last group match.

In a match played 20 years ago yesterday, David Platt gave England a fourth-minute lead at the Rasunda Stadium, just north of Stockholm. But Sweden roared back. Goals from Jan Eriksson and Tomas Brolin – accompanied by some legendary television commentary “Brolin…Dahlin…Brolin!” – meant another early exit for England.

With Graham Taylor having replaced Robson, the defeat meant England missed out on another semi-final against Germany. Did we not like that.

Also bowing out was Gary Lineker having been replaced by Taylor with Alan Smith in what was the 48-goal striker’s last match before international retirement.

There were no worries about qualifying four years later as England hosted the finals and this time, finally, at the fifth time of asking, the country reached the knockout stages.

Terry Venables’ side did it in style too. For the first time their place in the knockout stages was assured before the final group game, which was a 4-1 demolition of Holland at a jubiliant Wembley.

A stylish performance regarded by many to be the best by England in recent memory saw the Dutch defeated thanks to a brace apiece from Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham.

The tournament saw unprecedented success for England. Although it ended in another penalty shoot-out defeat to Germany, a semifinal place easily represented the country’s best performance at a European Championships.

But it was back to reality four years later. Euro 2000 was based in two countries for the first time – Holland and Belgium – but it made no difference to England – yet again they failed to progress further than the group stages.

Kevin Keegan’s team wasted a fine opportunity, losing the third group game to Romania.

England had enjoyed a satisfying win over holders Germany in the second group game, and draw against with Romania would have set up a quarter-final with Italy, but Phil Neville’s rash challenge resulted in a late penalty and meant a familiar ending: England had not made the knockout stages on foreign soil.

That regular failing at European Championships, however, finally ended in Portugal eight years ago thanks to the so-called Golden Generation.

David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Owen et al steered England to the quarter-finals with Wayne Rooney in electric form, but only after a scare in the last group match against Croatia who took the lead in Lisbon.

Their opponents scored after only five minutes, but goals from Rooney (2), Scholes and Frank Lampard gave a rampant England a thoroughly deserved win – only England’s fifth ever overseas win in the European Championships finals.

That meant a quarter-final with hosts Portugal, a match representing England’s first ever knockout game in a Euros on foreign soil – it’s fingers crossed for another one this week.