What a game and atmosphere we saw at Wembley last night. Both Italy and Spain showed their quality and played some great football. Spain had the edge but again we saw the lack of prolific goal scorer and it cost them. Italy were brilliant in glimpses, particularly with Chiesa's fantastic strike to take the lead. What Mancini's team showed most though was their tenacity, will to win and composure under pressure. They coped with the stress of penalties better than the Spanish and will meet either Denmark or England in the final.
Let's hope we have another game with as much excitement and quality on show tonight.
England V Denmark - Kicks off at 2000 from Wembley Stadium. Live on ITV and ITV Hub.
Boths team have done very well to get this far. England have built on Southgate's pragmatic approach in keeping things tight to start creating chances and scoring goals. Against Ukraine England were much quicker in getting the ball forward when an opportunity presented itself. Kane's early goal made all the difference for him and his team.
Going 1 - 0 up in the opening minutes meant Kane's confidence grew and England could relax and stay composed. Kane's goal came from a lovely cut inside and pass from Raheem Sterling who is having a fine tournament. He has three goals and one assist and always looks dangerous. At times he worked hard to get back and helped defend when needed. Sterling was a bit quicker with his passing in this game which gave players like Shaw, Mount and Sancho a chance to attack space. Luke Shaw has been outstanding, getting forward to create chances but also defending well . Throughout the tournament Southgate's team have defended well and it's incredible they haven't conceded a goal in five games. Pickford had a little wobble in the second half almost missing a clearance that would have let Ukraine in. It came to nothing though and that aside the Keeper who's form is so erratic for his club has had a great tournament. Southgate has been justified in so much of what he's done; Sticking with Pickford in goal, keeping Kane up front when many called for him to be dropped, keeping attacking players like Grealish, Foden and Saka on the bench, the focus on being difficult to beat... it's all worked. The England boss has also used his squad to great effect. In a group of 26 players 20 have featured in Euro 2020 so far. It was a surprise to not see Grealish, Foden or Saka starting but Sancho started and was a threat showing his pace and skill on the ball. It's hard to say who Southgate will start with against Denmark. I'd imagine he'll stick with a back four though and a similar set up to their last game as it just worked so well. England fans are on a high after the team's performance in Rome so coming back to Wembley is another boost for England. Especially with Denmark receiving a lot of neutral support after the collapse of Christian Eriksen. Getting to the Semi Finals is an achievement in itself particularly in not conceding a single goal on the way. However, England's success will be judged less on the result against the Danes and more the manner of it. If England play well in a close game but go out on Pens than I think they'll be judged well. Alternatively if they don't turn up and are well beaten they'll be lambasted for not capitalising on a great opportunity to get to a major final.
Who'd have thought Denmark would be in the Semi finals? Particularly after losing their first two games and being without their best player. They've rode and managed a tide of emotion, after seeing their talisman collapse, to grow in to the tournament more than any other team. Players like Dolberg, Poulsen and Damsgaard have stepped up and added quality to their fight and determination. Another player who has performed well is Atalanta fullback Joakim Mæhle.
Although right footed and normally used as a right back for his Club he has been effective throughout the tournament as a wing back on either side of the pitch. Coach Kasper Hjulmand started Mæhle at left back in Denmark's opening game but has since started him on the left of midfield often letting him switch to the other side. So much of Denmark's play has come through the 24 year old and he has been one of the stand out players of the tournament. He has two goals and possibly the best assist we've seen in the competition. If you haven't seen it watch the highlights of Denmark V Czech Republic on BBC or Youtube. He made a good run from the left then crossed with the outside of his right boot for Dolberg to head in. At the start of the tournament I said Denmark, like so many other teams, lacked a clear goal scorer. Dolberg has hardly been prolific for Nice this year with just 6 league goals. He has grown into these Euros though and taken his three goals very well. His first against Wales was a great strike from outside the box. The 23 year old also gives the Danes a strong presence up front whilst linking up play well. It will be interesting to see how he does tonight and what sort of season he has under a new coach at Nice if he stays. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg has been a big presence in midfield, protecting his defence but also getting forward far more than we have seen him do at Tottenham. At Spurs he's the holding midfielder but for his Country he has much more license to get forward and has three assists in these Euros. After what happened in Denmark's first game and then having to face Belgium I was sure this wouldn't be their tournament. Their togetherness, team spirit and ability playing to play to their strengths has proved me wrong. Can they take it a step further? At the very least they should prove a much sterner test than Ukraine did.
Frenchfooty prediction: England 2 V Denmark 1
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