We’re down to just four teams at the 2024 European Championships! After three weeks of action, only France, Spain, England, and the Netherlands remain in the quest for the title. They’ve all had their fair share of nervous moments throughout the tournament, but it’s not a shock to see these four powerhouses of football on this stage. Coming into the Euros, all four squads were ranked no worse than eighth in the world, with France being ranked the highest at #2.
There isn’t much separation between these teams, and both semifinals could truly go either way. That may make predictions a little tougher, but hopefully, it’s worth it for the product we’ll get to enjoy in these final games.
Tuesday – Spain vs France
As the only team to win all five of their matches at the Euros so far, Spain comes into the first semifinals as a slight favorite over France. In the quarterfinals, the Spaniards took down host Germany thanks to a Mikel Merino goal in the dying seconds of extra time. Some of their most exciting players are among their youngest, but the moment has not yet looked too big for anyone on the Spanish side. For tomorrow’s game, they’ll be without key players such as Pedri, Le Normand and Carvajal due to injury and suspension, but at this point, the confidence these players have in each other is only growing. They’re currently the sportsbook favourites to win it all for a reason.
France, on the other hand, has not been living up to expectations at the Euros in 2024. Despite making it to the semifinals, the team has yet to score a goal before extra time in five contests. They’ve been solid defensively, but it’s tough to imagine the form they’ve shown will be good enough for these last two matches. That being said, if there’s one team you can’t take lightly, it’s France. Kylian Mbappe hasn’t had a signature moment yet in this tournament, and with his skillset, it could come any time he’s on the pitch. Sure, their games haven’t been the most exciting to watch, but the fact remains that France has not yet been beaten at the Euros and they’ll be working desperately to remain that way.
Wednesday – England vs Netherlands
From hearing boos in the group stage to finding themselves in the semifinals, this Euros tournament has been a rollercoaster for Gareth Southgate and England. Of course, all will be forgotten if they finally do go the distance this year, but if not, the team will surely face even more scrutiny from fans and media back home. Like the French, the English side hasn’t made it look pretty, but the job is getting done, nonetheless. In the Round of 16, Jude Bellingham saved the day with an incredible tying goal in the final minutes against Slovakia. In the quarters, Bukayo Saka answered a Swiss goal with an incredible strike just moments later before the team scored all five in penalties. Against immense pressure, if there’s one thing you can call this team, it’s resilient.
Finally, the Netherlands. With victories over Romania in the Round of 16 and Turkey in the quarters, this match with England certainly represents their most difficult of the knockout stages so far. On the other hand, though, the Netherlands will also represent the toughest task of the tournament for England. This team may not have as much experience in this situation as the others do, but they’re ranked in the world’s top ten for a reason. If they defend well and keep England to the outside as some other teams have done in this tournament, they may only need one goal to get the job done, and they do have the talent up front to do that. They’re the biggest underdog left in the tournament, but that doesn’t mean they can’t hang in.
Euros Semifinal Predictions
As we’ve said earlier, predicting the result of these games is no easy task. All four teams have risen to the semifinals for a reason, and I don’t expect to see much separation in either game. However, the picks have to be made. In the first semifinal, we’ll take France to escape once again with victory. Spain is the trendy pick right now given their recent form, but the experience of this French team cannot be ignored. Somehow, they’ll find a way. For the second semifinal, we’ll favour the English side. This is another team that hasn’t looked their best for much of the tournament, but finding ways to win is a skill of its own. Why can’t they do it once more to move on to the Finals at the Euros? France vs. England for the European Championship on Sunday.