England have their sights set on a historic achievement in Wednesday’s Euro 2024 semi-final as they face the Netherlands in Dortmund, aiming for their first major tournament final on foreign soil.
The Three Lions are looking to replicate their run to the Euro 2020 final, where they suffered a heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to Italy at Wembley. England’s only major tournament victory came on home soil at the 1966 World Cup.
Gareth Southgate’s team is determined to end 58 years of disappointment, showing remarkable resilience in Germany despite not consistently living up to their pre-tournament expectations.
England has narrowly avoided early exits, fighting back against Slovakia and Switzerland to reach the semi-finals. Moments of brilliance from Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka have been crucial, with late equalizers and decisive wins in extra time and penalties.
These flashes of individual talent highlight the potential within Southgate’s squad. The manager has defended his record despite criticism for not fully utilizing the team’s abilities. Under Southgate, England has reached three semi-finals in four major tournaments, equaling the number achieved before his tenure began eight years ago.
However, Southgate has faced criticism and even hostility, with beer cups thrown at him during a group stage draw against Slovenia and backlash over his perceived negative tactics. “When things get as personal as they have, it does hurt. I don’t think it’s normal to have beer thrown at you,” Southgate admitted.
“But we’re in a third semi-final in four tournaments, and we continue to give people fantastic memories. We’ll keep grinding, fighting, and enjoying this journey.”
A change in formation for the 1-1 draw against Switzerland led to a slightly improved performance, and Southgate is expected to stick with the 3-4-2-1 system, with Marc Guehi returning from suspension to replace Ezri Konsa.
Southgate has dismissed claims that England had an easier path, avoiding teams like France, Spain, Germany, and Portugal. However, the Netherlands arguably had an even more favorable route, finishing third in Group D behind France and Austria.
Ronald Koeman’s side delivered their best performance in a 3-0 win over Romania in the last 16 and came from behind to beat Turkey 2-1 in Berlin.
Facing numerous Premier League stars won’t intimidate the Dutch, who have their own impressive talents playing in England’s top league. “If you see the quality of players from both teams, you can expect the rhythm and level of the game to be really high,” said Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven.
Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo has been one of the standout attackers in the tournament, being the only player with three goals still in contention.
The Netherlands have waited 36 years since their only major tournament victory at the 1988 Euros in Germany, also their sole appearance in a European Championship final. They will be confident of reaching the final in Berlin unless England finds their best form.
