3 months ago
After reaching conscionable 1 semi-final successful nan first 56 years of nan European Championships, England are perchance 1 crippled distant from reaching back-to-back continental finals.
The Netherlands guidelines successful nan measurement of a day against Spain aliases France successful nan Euro 2024 last successful Berlin’s Olympiastadion connected Sunday night.
✅ Semi-final confirmed: Netherlands vs England 🇳🇱🏴#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/5pkADICuPz
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 6, 2024
Current leader Ronald Koeman starred arsenic nan Netherlands won Euro 88 – which was besides held successful Germany – and scored nan equaliser arsenic Oranje came from down to hit nan big federation 2-1 successful nan semi-final. It was nan only occurrence successful their 5 erstwhile Euro semi-finals.
The omens are little bully connected nan English broadside arsenic Gareth Southgate’s astir telling publication to nan semi-final of Euro 96 was missing a punishment successful England’s semi-final shootout conclusion to Germany.
The sides will do conflict successful Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion connected Wednesday astatine 8pm BST pinch England seeking to triumph a semi-final astatine a awesome tourney connected overseas ungraded for nan first time.
Let’s return a person look astatine 5 cardinal battles which we consciousness could determine nan last-four match, shall we?
🫵😄#EURO2024 | #ENGSUI pic.twitter.com/A00gngCzIJ
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 6, 2024
Rice v Simons
This looks for illustration it could beryllium nan cardinal match-up successful nan mediate of nan park.
Frenkie De Jong was a large miss for nan Netherlands aft failing to retrieve from an ankle wounded sustained successful March but his play-making work for nan Dutch has fallen to 21-year-old Xavi Simons, playing somewhat precocious of Jerdy Schouten and AC Milan’s Tijani Reijnders, who has been peculiarly awesome truthful acold successful nan Oranje campaign.
Simons has assisted 3 goals already, putting him level pinch Spain starlet Lamine Yamal astatine nan apical of nan tourney standings, and his expertise to drift into abstraction and thrust guardant connected nan antagonistic onslaught mean Rice is going to request to support his eyes connected him.
Rice has covered much crushed than immoderate different subordinate astatine Euro 2024, clocking an eye-watering 39.8 miles crossed England’s 5 games truthful far.
This has been helped of people by nan truth that he has played extra-time successful his past 2 matches, whereas nan Dutch players are comparatively caller having seen-off Romania successful nan Round of 16 and past Turkey successful nan last-eight successful 90 minutes.
England fans will dream he’s made nan astir of his three-day betterment play and is fresh to spell again successful Dortmund, a stadium wherever Simons inspired Leipzig to a 3-2 triumph successful nan Bundesliga past December, picking up an assist.
The Yellow Wall will go orangish for nan night, and Simons will dream for a repetition outcome.
Xavi Simons 💫#EURO2024 | #NEDTUR pic.twitter.com/zGQ5G4PCrO
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 6, 2024
Gakpo v Walker
The Netherlands mightiness not play nan charismatic full shot of their predecessors, but they person made their functional style activity for them.
Only Spain and Germany person scored much than their 9 goals successful nan tourney truthful acold – by opposition England person scored conscionable five.
Cody Gakpo is nan favourite to onshore nan Golden Boot astatine nan title – he is associated apical of nan standings pinch 3 goals but temporarily thought he had 4 earlier nan Dutch victor against Turkey went down arsenic an own-goal by Mert Muldur.
Just arsenic he did successful his successful spell astatine PSV, Gakpo has enjoyed work from nan correct flank from marauding full-back Denzel Dumfries.
The Liverpool guardant operates from nan near for nan Dutch which intends nan work for looking aft him falls to Kyle Walker.
For immoderate reason, off-field distraction, different system, you sanction it, Walker has grounded to deed nan heights he did pinch Man City successful nan 5 games England person played truthful far. There person been highly different lapses successful attraction which person seen him gift possession to nan guidance and suffer his man much than once. England fans will dream this is backmost to nan norm for Walker arsenic thing little than that could beryllium problematic against in-form Gakpo.
Saka’s sensational onslaught is nan extremity of nan quarter-finals 😮💨👏#EUROGOTT | @AlipayPlus pic.twitter.com/h5N26YvcQh
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 9, 2024
Ake v Saka
Man City and Arsenal’s Premier League rivalry resumes connected nan biggest stage.
While he tends to run successful nan left-sided centre-back domiciled for Pep Guardiola, Nathan Ake is utilized arsenic a left-back by Ronald Koeman, which should put him successful nonstop guidance to… Bukayo Saka.
For nan Netherlands Ake tends to beryllium backmost astatine left-back and slot successful erstwhile Denzel Dumfries connected nan other flank makes his trademark roams up nan section from right-back.
This mightiness activity to nan Netherland’s advantage, fixed Saka’s evident danger, meaning Ake is little apt to beryllium caught retired of position. However it does raise nan anticipation of an overload connected nan correct pinch Saka and Ake’s Man City teammate Kyle Walker bombing on.
Saka missed nan location crippled against Man City successful nan convention this twelvemonth and was subbed early successful nan return astatine nan Etihad, which ended goalless. England fans will beryllium hoping he finds much joyousness successful Dortmund.
Memphis v Stones
The absence of Frenkie De Jong has besides wounded Memphis Depay. De Jong was nan 1 who pulled nan strings successful astir of nan Dutch attacks and threaded passes done nan heavy lying defences which person been a characteristic of astatine this tournament.
Depay has not been peculiarly effective starring nan statement arsenic a cardinal striker, scoring only erstwhile successful nan 3-2 conclusion to Austria, and location is simply a increasing clamour for Wout Weghorst to beryllium fixed nan motion done nan mediate from nan start, having scored nan victor successful nan opening group crippled against Poland and past changing nan crippled aft coming disconnected nan chair successful nan quarter-final against Turkey.
If that happens past expect Memphis to descent right. If it does not past he will person to effort to find his measurement past John Stones, his aged cross-Manchester rival.
Stones did make a uncommon costly gaffe which allowed Switzerland to pinch an opener successful nan past round, but he will cognize nan dangers of Depay only excessively good and would perchance for illustration facing him than nan battering ram which is different erstwhile Man United man, Weghorst.
Virgil 🧡#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/JBrka0pKiu
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 8, 2024
Kane v Van Dijk
On paper, we’re redeeming nan champion for last. But if we are honest, these 2 person grounded to deed nan heights they are tin of truthful acold successful Germany this summer. Is this nan lucifer successful which they some outpouring to life?
Van Dijk’s business pinch Stefan De Vrij successful nan bosom of defence is truthful enduring that Micky van de Ven of Tottenham and Man United target Matthijs de Ligt can’t get successful nan team.
Defence is decidedly nan Dutch’s strongest area these days, but Van Dijk successful peculiar has shown signs of being fallible, peculiarly successful nan 3-2 group shape conclusion to Austria and spells of nan Turkey quarter-final.
The thought of a state leaving retired their skipper and grounds goalscorer successful a semi-final is truthful far-fetched it’s almost laughable, nevertheless location is simply a immense conception of nan England religious who deliberation Harry Kane should beryllium dropped for this last-four tie.
Whether he is carrying a lingering injury, aliases whether a play successful Germany has dulled nan sharpness and fittingness built up complete a decade successful nan Premier League, we whitethorn ne'er know, but though he has scored a mates of useful goals, he has contributed very small crossed nan 5 games and, if anything, has made things harder for his teammates by dropping heavy and leaving nary focal constituent up top.
Ivan Toney caught nan oculus successful cameos against Slovakia and Switzerland but, overmuch for illustration pinch Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal, location is simply nary measurement Kane won’t beryllium lining up successful Dortmund earlier kick-off.
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