4️⃣ questions ahead of the EURO 2024 semi-finals ❓ | OneFootball

The stages are now set in Munich and Dortmund for the semi-final action from EURO 2024.

Here are the four biggest questions ahead of those fixtures.

Will Southgate stick with changes?

Having been so conservative with change so far this summer, England boss Gareth Southgate surprised many with his considerable system shake-up against Switzerland.

Without the suspended Marc Guéhi, the man in charge opted to bolster his back-line by bringing in Ezri Konsa and moving to a three-man defence, although pre-match indications that Bukayo Saka would be fielded as a left wing-back were mercifully unfounded given how he saved the day on the right with a Man of the Match performance in setting up a semi-final with the Netherlands.

Against the Swiss, England met fire with fire by mirroring the opposition’s 3-4-2-1 formation but with Ronald Koeman certain to stick with his fluid 4-2-3-1, will it see Southgate stick with his new system or return to previous form?

Luke Shaw came on for his first outing of the tournament and offers his country a natural left-back solution which Kieran Trippier cannot, and Guéhi is set to return, so it leaves the man in charge with some big calls to make.

In attack, Harry Kane and Phil Foden’s struggles have been well documented but barring injury, it seems unlikely that Ivan Toney and Cole Palmer will be trusted to move from super-subs to starters for this semi-final.

Has Olmo earned a starting spot?

Dani Olmo has been forced to wait patiently for opportunities throughout this European Championship.

He has started just one of Spain’s five games so far and in their quarter-final against Germany, again found himself among the substitutes.

But fate, or more accurately a hard tackle from Toni Kroos, offered him an earlier-than-anticipated opportunity to impress by replacing the injured Pedri and he certainly grasped it.

Olmo opened the scoring with a low finish and then set up Mikel Merino’s dramatic last-gasp winner in extra-time to take his tournament stats to two goals and two assists in four games.

His presence also offered a chance to relieve the creative pressure on wingers Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, a vital factor in the victory.

Surely it is enough to convince Luis de la Fuente that he simply must start against France.

What can we expect from Mbappé?

This is perhaps the biggest question surrounding the semi-finals given how the France captain’s tournament so far has developed.

He arrived in Germany on the back of finally securing his long-awaited blockbuster Real Madrid move but a broken nose in the opening game quickly brought the newest galáctico back down to earth with a nasty bump.

That has led to his wearing of an uncomfortable mask for the duration of the tournament and it should not be taken lightly just how tough that has been for the 25-year-old.

“It limits my vision. The sweat gets blocked,” he admitted. “It feels like I’m in 3D, that I’m a VIP guest at the Euros.”

Team-mate Randal Kolo Muani backed up those assertions after trying it on for himself: “You can’t see anything wearing it! It’s difficult but we laugh about it.”

Less of a laughing matter was the fatigue which hit Mbappé so hard during extra-time of their quarter-final against Portugal that he admitted to requesting his substitution due to extreme tiredness.

Reports in France also suggest that the ugly nature of his PSG exit and the continued saga over unpaid wages are also negatively impacting his mindset at the moment.

All that considered, is it wise to persevere with the struggling striker? Or should Deschamps drop his superstar skipper?

Can unsung Dutch hero win midfield battle?

Facing a midfield including Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham is a daunting task for any side.

But for Ronald Koeman, he has a man at his disposal who will not only relish the challenge of dealing with them but be backing himself to win it.

In a team with stars like Virgil van Dijk and Memphis, Jerdy Schouten of PSV is far from a household name but in his homeland, has been receiving plenty of well deserved plaudits for carrying the midfield in the absence of Frenkie de Jong, Teun Koopmeiners and Marten de Roon.

“Against Türkiye, it seemed like everywhere the ball went, Schouten was there!” former Dutch international Ernie Brandts told De Telegraaf.

Outside of Cody Gakpo and club colleague Van Dijk, the 27-year-old has arguably been the Netherlands’ outstanding player so far this summer and a transfer could be on the cards on the back of his performances, so impressive has he been with his tireless work rate and bustling work around the engine room.

His quarter-final display may have been his best yet – a fact that is all the more impressive when it is considered that he was walking a suspension tightrope that could have saw him banned for this crunch clash. He has made it and his presence is pivotal.