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The semi-final line-up for Euro 2024 is complete.
After France and Spain secured a place in the last four yesterday, England and the Netherlands followed them with victories today.
Both quarter-finals were exciting and dramatic in different ways. England again looked labored and bereft of imagination for much of their encounter with Switzerland, only to pull through thanks to Bukayo Saka’s brilliant individual goal – which canceled out Breel Embolo’s opener – and then some heroics in the penalty shootout.
In the meantime, the Dutch team came back from behind against Turkey to reach the first semi-final of the European Championship in twenty years. On Wednesday there was a meeting with England in Dortmund.
Our writers break down the most important 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 with Switzerland and Manuel Akanji sauntered over to give his reaction. Jordan Pickford, the England goalkeeper, also started trotting towards him before suddenly backing away.
Pickford had forgotten something: his water bottle, which was wrapped rather strangely in a towel. After picking it up, he walked back to his target and placed the bottle, still wearing the towel, next to the side net.
After making Akanji wait a little longer by moving forward to inspect the penalty spot, Pickford settled back on his goal line. Akanji had a short run-up and struck the ball with his right foot, but Pickford was one step ahead. He lunged to his left, parried the penalty and England had an advantage they would never relinquish.
Good luck? Not so much. This was actually a triumph of subterfuge for England and their team of analysts who had studied the penalties of all the Swiss players, noted down where they tended to place them and printed out their findings for Pickford to stick on his water bottle.
The analysis was captured by a photographer on the ground, but Pickford took no chances in the moments before Akanji’s penalty – hence his decision to wrap the bottle in that towel.
And the English backroom staff had clearly done their homework well. 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 to his left – which he rightly did.
Pickford’s water bottle with the instruction for Akanji’s punishment (we’ve circled it here)
Having done it right the first time, it was surprising that Pickford did not follow his bottle’s advice on all punishments.
Fabian Schar took their second, but instead of pretending to dive right before actually diving left – as his bottle indicated – Pickford did the opposite: he pretended to go left and jumped right. Schar’s penalty went as the bottle predicted, to his right, where the net was empty.
Pickford followed his bottle for the last two Swiss penalties: Xherdan Shaqiri hit his to the right, but it was too well placed and his shot just avoided Pickford’s fingertips.
The only penalty where the bottle was proven wrong was for Zeki Amdouni on the fourth kick. Pickford held his ground and dived low to the left as he was told, but Amdouni outwitted him by moving to the right.
Fortunately for England, that one save was enough. And if their semi-final against the Netherlands on Wednesday is also a big step, don’t be surprised if Pickford’s bottle and towel make another appearance.
Andreas Fifield
Saka stars – but where is Kane?
If Saka starts well, England starts well. He was their best player in the first half against Serbia in their opening match of Euro 2024, when he was repeatedly denied by marker Andrija Zivkovic, and today he was again.
It was no coincidence that today’s first half was England’s best since they started the tournament almost three weeks ago. Pushed high and wide in possession, in a formation that almost resembled a 3-4-3, Saka took on left back Michel Aebischer. And he took a beating easily.
So often in the first half, Saka took advantage of the fact that England got the ball to him much faster than in the previous round against Slovakia. Saka got into good positions, put in crosses and forced corners. The only frustration was that England never managed to convert any of those crosses into serious shots on target.
Bukayo Saka was a star for England (Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Striker Harry Kane, who often dropped deep throughout the match and played defense at points in the second half, could not get past any of Saka’s deliveries. Kane was substituted in extra time after an accidental touchline collision with England manager, Gareth Southgate.
Without the ball, Saka had to run back and cover Ruben Vargas, but he did so diligently. And when England needed him most, Saka delivered the crucial equalizer just when his team were completely out of ideas.
Jack Pitt Brooke
Can the Netherlands go to the extreme?
An unconvincing run, a manager not many people are convinced of, a few come-from-behind wins and the 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 last four of the European Championship for the first time since 2004. How good are their prospects of winning just a second major tournament in their history?
Well, Turkey took advantage of their weaknesses in today’s quarter-final, especially through set pieces and crosses, while Austria also took advantage of a poorly organized defense to send them to third place in the group stage. But the Dutch also have plenty to offer.
The Netherlands celebrates victory over Turkey (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Like England, when they are confident and in full flow, showing composure and intensity, they can be great to watch, as was the case when they beat Romania 3-0 in the round of 16.
Tonight they had to show determination, courage… and tactical insight from manager Ronald Koeman with his substitutions in the second half.
Cody Gakpo with three goals is an obvious threat (whom Turkey handled well until he snuck in at the back post to take advantage of some stupid defense and help score the winner, via Mert Muldur’s own goal), while Jerdy Schouten, Tijjani Reijnders and Xavi Simons are given time and space in midfield where they can play – and then some.
Denzel Dumfries is always a quick threat as a wing-back and then there is the big Wout Weghorst who has to come off the bench for an aerial carnage.
England will have plenty to think about.
As it stands, Wednesday’s semi-final in Dortmund seems too close.
Tim Spiers
Guler leaves… like a star
While one teenager from Barcelona – Spain’s Lamine Yamal – has rightly attracted attention at the tournament for his scintillating performances, one of their arch-rivals Real Madrid has emerged as someone equally exciting.
Turkey’s Arda Guler may not have played much for Madrid last season, mainly due to injury, but he finished his debut year at the Bernabeu in fantastic form (five goals in five games) and carried that momentum into the 2024 European Championship.
Arda Guler was a star at Euro 2024 (Odd Andersen/AFP via Getty Images)
His second assist of the tournament against the Netherlands today was a beauty. Turkey and Guler had come into the match after a slow start through a series of threatening set pieces that the Dutch had difficulty with, and the opening goal was an extension of that.
Guler collected a cleared corner on the right side of the penalty area and wanted to try to work the ball to his favored left foot and smash it into the penalty area.
Unable to do so in a corner, the 19-year-old, who also hit the post with a free kick in the second half, reluctantly took a swing with his right side… and delivered a beautiful send-off that goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen completely confused. , who looked like someone who had half-crossed a road, but flinched and hesitated when he saw a speeding motorcycle coming their way.
Verbruggen did not jump to claim the ball and did not return to his goal line. He was helpless. Stepping forward at the back post, Samet Akaydin, playing alone due to Merih Demiral’s suspension, planted an easy header into the net.
Guler’s tournament may be over, but you sense this is just the start of a brilliant career for club and country.
Tim Spiers
What’s next?
- Spain vs. France (Tuesday, 8:00 PM BST; 3:00 PM ET)
- Netherlands vs. England (Wednesday 8:00 PM BST; 3:00 PM ET)
(Top photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images)