Excitement reached fever pitch as buoyant England football fans limbered up to roar their team to Euro 2020 glory ahead of their last-16 showdown with Germany at Wembley.
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Pubs swelled with supporters wearing replica football strips in the hours leading up to the 5pm kick-off
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St George’s flags billowed in the mid-summer breeze as die-hard and fairweather fans alike got into the feel-good spirit.
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In designated fan zones across the country, and outside Wembley where 40,000 supporters were already showing signs of creating a partisan atmosphere, people cheered and sang songs in support of England manager Gareth Southgate and his team.
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Some supporters, eager to soak up the atmosphere inside the ground, took their seats more than two hours before the match started.
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Not everyone was able to watch the match, however, as a vehicle fire on the M62 in Greater Manchester on Tuesday afternoon resulted in gridlock and delays of at least two hours.
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Southgate played four across the back in all three group games but altered systems to match up with Germany as Kieran Trippier came into the side at right wing-back, replacing Jack Grealish – who dropped to the bench.