Euros 2024: The Final Four

 


By Caleb Faniyan 

The UEFA European Championship which started on Friday, 14 June 2024, is now at the semi-final stage with only four teams left in the tournament - Spain, France, England, and Netherlands.  These four teams will be battling their way to glory by trying to defeat one another to make the final stage of the competition at the Olympiastadion. 

 

Spain was the first country to qualify for the semi-final after breezing through Georgia in the round of 16 knockout stages and emerging victorious with a Merino extra-time dagger in a fierce quarter-final battle against Germany. Spain has been impressive, despite several concerns raised about the involvement of young and inexperienced players in the squad. They will be facing off against an incredibly underwhelming France in the semi-finals. 

 

France, who has not performed up to expectations in this tournament, has managed to qualify for the semi-final. They achieved this feat after defeating Belgium in the round of 16 with a lone own goal and managing to put an end to 39-year-old Ronaldo's dream of winning a second Euros by kicking Portugal out of the quarter-finals after managing to score all of their penalties in a shootout.  

England, despite their slow and disappointing start have succeeded at qualifying for the semi-final of the Euros. A Bellingham late dagger helped keep them in the competition as Kane scored an early goal in the extra-time to help them defeat Slovakia in the round of 16. While they were trailing in the quarter-final against Switzerland, Saka scored a beautiful goal in the 80th minute to take the game to a penalty shootout. England scored all of their 5 penalties to secure their spot in the semi-finals. 

 

Netherlands, who suffered a defeat against Austria in the last game of the group stage, picked themselves up and put 3 past Romania in the round of 16 to advance to the quarter-finals. They faced off against Turkiye in the quarter-final, winning 2 to 1 to secure a semi-final qualification under the captaincy of Virgil Van Dijk. Netherlands will face England on 10th July to fight for a chance to play at the Olympiastadion.   

 

There have been several surprises and disruptions in the Euros, with football pundits and other fans getting some of their predictions wrong. Who will lift the prestigious trophy come 14th of July? 

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