The semi-final line-up for Euro 2024 is complete.
With France and Spain having assured themselves of places in the last four yesterday, England and the Netherlands followed them with victories in their quarter-finals today.
Both were narrow and dramatic, in different ways. England once again looked laboured and devoid of imagination for much of their meeting with Switzerland, only to squeeze through thanks to Bukayo Saka’s brilliant individual goal — which cancelled out Breel Embolo’s opener — and then some heroics in the penalty shoot-out.
The Dutch, meanwhile, came from behind against Turkey to reach their first Euros semi-final since 2004 to set up that meeting with England in Dortmund on Wednesday.
Our writers dissect the major talking points.
England’s penalty secret? It’s all about the bottle
There didn’t seem to be much in it at first.
Cole Palmer had just scored England’s first penalty in their shootout against Switzerland and Manuel Akanji was sauntering forward to take his response. Jordan Pickford, the England goalkeeper, began to trot over before suddenly doubling back on himself.
Pickford had forgotten something — his water bottle, oddly wrapped in a towel. Having picked it up, he trotted back to his goal and placed the bottle, still concealed by the towel, next to the side netting.
Having made Akanji wait a bit longer by moving forward to inspect the penalty spot, Pickford settled back on his goal-line. Akanji had a short run-up, struck the ball with his right foot but Pickford was one step ahead. He plunged to his left, parried the ball away and England had an advantage they were never to relinquish.
Good fortune? Not really. This was actually a triumph of subterfuge for England and their team of analysts who had studied the penalties of all Switzerland’s players, noted where they tended to hit their shots and printed out their findings for Pickford to stick on his water bottle.
The analysis was pictured by a photographer at the ground but Pickford was taking no chances in the moments before Akanji’s penalty — hence his decision to wrap his bottle in the towel.
And England’s backroom staff had done their homework. They had deciphered that Akanji was likely to shoot to his right, so the best way for Pickford to play the percentages was to dive left — which he duly did.
Pickford’s water bottle with the instruction for Akanji’s penalty (we have circled it here)
Having got it right first time, it was surprising Pickford did not follow his bottle’s advice for all the other Switzerland penalties.
Fabian Schar took their second kick but rather than pretending to dive right before actually diving left — as his bottle instructed — Pickford did the reverse, faking left and jumping right. Schar struck his penalty as the bottle had predicted, to the right, but the net was vacant.
Pickford did follow his bottle for the final two Swiss penalties: Xherdan Shaqiri struck his shot to the right, but his effort was too well placed, his shot just evading Pickford’s fingertips.
The only penalty where the bottle was proved wrong was for Zeki Amdouni’s fourth kick: Pickford held his ground and dived low to his left, as he had been told, but Amdouni outwitted him by going to his right.
Thankfully for England, that one save was enough. And if their semi-final also goes the distance, do not be surprised to see Pickford’s bottle and towel make another appearance.
Andrew Fifield
Saka stars — but where is Kane?
When Bukayo Saka starts well, England start well. He was their best player in the first half against Serbia, when he repeatedly had the beating of Andrija Zivkovic, and today he was again.
It was no coincidence that the first half here was England’s best half since they started the tournament three weeks ago. Pushed high and wide in possession, in a formation that almost looked like a 3-4-3, Saka was up against Swiss left wing-back Michel Aebischer. And he easily had the beating of him.
So many times in the first half Saka took advantage of the fact that England were getting the ball to him far faster than they had been against Slovakia. Saka got into good positions, got crosses in, forced corners. The only frustration was that England were never able to turn any of those crosses into serious shots on goal.
Bukayo Saka was a star for England (Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Harry Kane, who was prone to dropping deep throughout the match, ending up deep in defence at points in the second half, was unable to get on the end of any of his deliveries. He was later substituted in extra time after an accidental collision with Southgate.
Without the ball, Saka had to run back and cover Ruben Vargas but he did that diligently. And when England needed him most, Saka delivered with the crucial equaliser, just when England looked completely out of ideas.
Jack Pitt-Brooke
Can Netherlands go all the way?
An unconvincing run, a manager who not many are convinced by, a couple of come-from-behind victories and a feeling that being in the good half of the draw is the only reason they are in the semi-finals… for England, read the Netherlands.
But here they are, in the final four of the Euros for the first time since 2004, so how good are their prospects of winning just a second major tournament in their history?
Well, Turkey preyed on their weaknesses in their quarter-final, especially via set-pieces and crosses, while Austria also took advantage of a badly organised defence when consigning them to third in the group stage, but the Dutch have got plenty going for them too.
The Netherlands celebrate beating Turkey (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Again, like England, when they’re confident and in full flow, showing composure and intensity, they can look great to watch, as they did when beating Romania 3-0 in the second round.
Here, they had to show resolve, spirit and some tactical acumen from manager Ronald Koeman with his second-half changes.
Cody Gakpo is an obvious threat (who Turkey dealt with well until he crept in at the back post to take advantage of some dozy defending and help score the winner via Mert Muldur’s own goal), while if Jerdy Schouten, Tijjani Reijnders and Xavi Simons are given time and space in midfield they can play and then some.
Denzel Dumfries is always a pacy danger from full-back and then there’s big Wout Weghorst to throw into the mix for some aerial carnage.
England will have plenty to think about. On current form, it looks too close to call.
Tim Spiers
Guler departs… as a star
While a Barcelona teenager — Lamine Yamal — has rightly been garnering attention throughout the tournament for his sparkling performances, another from Real Madrid has emerged as equally thrilling.
Arda Guler may not have played too often for Madrid last season, mostly owing to injury, but he ended the season in fabulous form (five goals in five games) and brought that momentum to Germany.
Arda Guler has been a star at Euro 2024 (Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images)
His second assist of the tournament against the Netherlands was a beauty. Turkey and Guler, after a slow start, had come into the game via a series of threatening set-pieces which the Dutch struggled to cope with, and the opening goal was an extension of that.
Picking up a cleared corner on the right of the box, Guler was itching to try and work the ball onto his favoured left foot and whip it into the box.
With no angle to do that, the 19-year-old, who also hit the post with a free kick in the second half, reluctantly took a swish with his right and delivered a picture-perfect outswinging cross that completely befuddled Netherlands keeper Bart Verbruggen, who resembled someone who had half-crossed a road only to recoil and hesitate when seeing a speeding motorbike careering his way.
Verbruggen neither jumped to claim the ball, nor reversed to his goal-line. He was helpless. Step forward Samet Akaydin at the back post, only playing because of Merih Demirial’s suspension, and he planted an easy header into the net.
Guler’s tournament may be over now but you sense that this is just the start of a glittering career, for club and country.
Tim Spiers
What’s next?
- Spain v France (Tuesday, 8pm BST; 3pm ET)
- Netherlands v England (Wednesday. 8pm BST; 3pm ET)
(Top photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
