An Overview of the Euros Semifinals
What you need to know about the tight race for the final.
The Euros, after being delayed from their original date in 2020, are now reaching their end. From tragedy with Christian Eriksen’s sudden collapse to the rise of stars in players such as Bukayo Saka and Renato Sanches, there is plenty to follow this year.
The qualifiers were marked by much drama- a “group of death” with France, Portugal, Germany, and Hungary- that have all exited the tournament. All teams involved now are adding to their country’s history, and on hot streaks that fans only want to continue.
This Tuesday, July 6th at 3 PM Eastern Time, the semifinal between Italy and Spain will take place, with England versus Denmark following at the same time the following day. Here is the run down of the four teams left, and predictions for the matches.
The Teams Left
England
For English fans, this could possibly be the year. Certainly with such a massive performance over Ukraine the other day, there is little to doubt their strength, other than questions about Gareth Southgate’s man management. Still, he has maintained an above-average performance from a British coach in the knockout stages, marking him as a success. though, this could only make their loss more impactful if they are eliminated.
England has remarkable depth in every position, and this is clearly illustrated by the fact that Champions League winner Reece James is sitting on the bench. England’s attacking threat is also very real, with Raheem Sterling giving great performances. Where England does best though is in their midfield- with players like Phil Foden, Declan Rice, among others. It is truly a sign of a good team when Jack Grealish can’t fit in the starting lineup.
Denmark
Not to be counted out, Denmark are on a hot streak. Starting their tournament with two losses and the injury of Christian Eriksen gave them a lot to overcome, and they have absolutely risen to the challenge. In their last game against the Czech Republic, they held strong, maintaining their lead of 2 and further solidified after conceding a goal, showing they have the strength and manpower to hold a decent press. The game against the Czechs was hard fought and the constant pressure could make any team falter, but even under the pressure they scored.
Denmark will be a worthy challenge for England. Likely the English will go into the game expecting that they will run through to the finals, but given the Danes’ first half against the Czech Republic, there will be very hard-pressed resistances against the Three Lions. Dolberg and Damsgaard are very likely to test the English defense and goal.
Italy
The Italians are coming off beating the Belgium national team, which is no easy feat. This is the current cap on their 15 win streak, and like in all sports, there is nothing like a run of form to keep a team strong. The 32 games unbeaten run that they are on has never been seen before in their country’s history, so that will give them a much-needed lift as they go into the end of the tournament.
Italian star Leonardo Spinazzola was carried off the field against the Belgians on a stretcher, exiting the tournament with a very bad injury. The left wingback was a constant attacking threat, so his replacement will have a huge role to play, and will likely see increased targeting by the Spain team.
Spain
The Spaniards managed to slip through their game against Switzerland on penalties, despite playing against ten men after a Swiss red card. They will face the Italians on July 6th. It is likely to be a rough game for them, as they have lacked much of a scoring touch in recent games.
Interestingly, the Spain team is through to the semifinals without a single Real Madrid player. Busquets has been holding down the midfield while Morata is doing his duty as striker. They managed to find the net ten times in two games, but have slowed down as of late. They are likely to face constant threat from the very strong Italian midfield, and I would not be surprised if they spend much of the game on the back foot.
Predictions
Italy-Spain: 2–0
The Italy-Spain rivalry in sports has always been there. I can see Spain attacking through the midfield and pressing against Spinazzola’s replacement, but that will likely not be enough to stop the Italians in such good form.
England-Denmark: 3–2
The Danes are part of a Cinderella story and they won’t let their fans down. However, with new United signing Jadon Sancho opening up attacking threats and unleashing Harry Kane against Ukraine, I think the Three Lions have this one.
