The day of reckoning is here as England take on the Netherlands in their Euro 2024 semi-final clash at 8pm.
A spot in the final against Spain is at stake with Gareth Southgate’s side just two games away from bringing football home and ending 58 years of hurt.
It’s not been an easy road to get here, with an underwhelming group stage followed by a narrow comeback win over Slovakia, but the Three Lions were much improved in their quarter-final win over Switzerland – even if they needed penalties to get the job done.
The Netherlands will provide their trickiest test to date, with Ronald Koeman’s side looking formidable in their last two matches, and England haven’t defeated the Orange Army in a competitive fixture since 1996.
Southgate is expected to make at least one change to his starting XI with Marc Guehi reclaiming his spot in defence after returning from suspension, but the manager has been urged to take a chance on Luke Shaw with the left-back insisting he is fit and ready to start.
Follow all the action here:
Luke Shaw to start?
As mentioned earlier, Luke Shaw is not expected to start tonight despite returning to action in the quarter-final.
England have sorely missed the left-back who says he is fit and ready to go from the beginning against the Netherlands.
Could Gareth Southgate change his mind and start Shaw instead of Kieran Trippier? Read what the manager had to say here.
July 10, 2024 2:20 pm
Harry Kane’s worrying form
Though he has scored two goals at Euro 2024, captain Harry Kane just hasn’t looked himself this tournament.
England’s all-time top goalscorer appears sluggish, unfit and was even subbed off in the last game despite penalties being just around the corner.
Gary Neville has theorised that Kane might be getting injections in order to keep playing. Read what he had to say here.
July 10, 2024 2:00 pm
Gary Lineker’s warning to Jordan Pickford
Jordan Pickford was once again England’s hero after his save from Manuel Akanji in the penalty shootout proved crucial to beating Switzerland.
Photographers later spotted that the goalkeeper had instructions on which way to dive for every penalty ingeniously printed onto his water bottle.
But while it did the trick against the Swiss, England legend Gary Lineker thinks Pickford may need rethink where he keeps his ‘cheat sheet’ in the future.
Read the full story here.
July 10, 2024 1:40 pm
Spain await in the final
The winner of tonight’s match will advance to the final of Euro 2024 which will be held on Sunday in Berlin.
Spain have already booked their place after coming from behind to beat France 2-1 in Munich.
The star of the show was 16-year-old Lamine Yamal who became the youngest goalscorer in Euros history – and what a goal it was!
Read more about last night’s semi-final here.
July 10, 2024 1:20 pm
Controversial referee has history with Jude Bellingham
The man in the middle for the semi-final is German Felix Zwayer, an appointment that has stunned many.
Zwayer was once banned from officiating for six months after being caught up in a match fixing scandal. Jude Bellingham called the referee out on this after making a controversial decision in a game between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in 2021.
The England star was fined for his comments and given their history fans are shocked Zwayer was selected to referee this match.
You can read the whole story here.
July 10, 2024 1:00 pm
The dreaded ITV curse…
Bad news for the superstitious among you: tonight’s game will be broadcast on ITV, with kick-off at 8pm.
Why bad news? Well fans believe that England perform far, far better when their match is being shown on the BBC rather than ITV.
But is the so-called ‘ITV curse’ actually a thing? Find out here.
July 10, 2024 12:40 pm
Tonight’s opponents – The Netherlands
The Netherlands will provide England with their toughest test of Euro 2024 so far.
Ronald Koeman’s team may have started the tournament slowly but they’ve gained momentum thanks in large part to their scintillating attack, led by Cody Gakpo.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Oranje Army – and how they can be stopped.
July 10, 2024 12:20 pm
Gareth Southgate – England’s greatest manager?
Let’s be honest, it hasn’t been the easiest ride to the semi-finals for England.
A narrow win against Serbia was followed by underwhelming draws with Denmark and Slovenia before a Jude Bellingham stunner prevented a humiliating exit to Slovakia in the last 16.
There was was an improved performance in the quarter-finals against Switzerland but penalties were still needed to get the job done. But despite all the criticism, Gareth Southgate’s impact on the Three Lions – and England as a whole – should be celebrated.
July 10, 2024 12:02 pm
Welcome… England’s semi-final awaits!
Good afternoon everyone and welcome to Metro’s live coverage of England’s huge semi-final clash against the Netherlands. Stay here to keep up to date with all the latest news and updates.
There’s a few hours until kick-off but we already have a good idea of how Gareth Southgate will line his side up. Check out the Three Lions XI here.
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