UEFA EURO 2024 Semi-Final: England vs the Netherlands and the key strategic battles for a place in the final – tactical preview

There’s no hiding that England’s performances in the Euros this summer have been sub-par for much of their time in the tournament – although they showed a slightly stronger attacking impetus in their quarter-final victory over Switzerland. A focus on the negatives has been a constant theme for England fans during this competition, and while many of the criticisms aimed at the team are somewhat justified (in terms of performance), there are positives to keep in mind from what Gareth Southgate’s side has shown thus far. Additionally, tournament football is an entirely different entity to week-to-week club football so it is unrealistic to expect them to steamroll their way to the final.

The Netherlands weren’t fancied by many prior to the tournament’s beginning, but with the competition’s third-best attacking output so far, they offer a clear threat that has proven to be difficult to combat. Fast-paced attacks and 1v1 dribbling has been key figures in the Netherlands’ tactics and could cause England a few issues on Wednesday in the semi-final.

This tactical analysis will provide insight into some significant tactical aspects to expect from both teams ahead of the fixture – the analysis will draw on key tactics displayed in their respective quarter-final appearances while also considering what we’ve seen from both sides before the previous round.

England

We mentioned positives and negatives in the intro of this analysis, and in this segment, we will be looking into both. Southgate’s formation change against Switzerland was widely reported in the build-up to the game, with the England manager looking to combat Switzerland’s 3-4-3 system. Aside from looking to cancel out Switzerland’s threat, the aim behind the switch was to allow the wing-backs to get more involved while also finding influential roles for Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden. However, with the Netherlands consistently fielding a 4-2-3-1 so far in this competition, Southgate could revert to a back four. Regardless of the formation, Southgate will hope to see a similar performance from Arsenal player Bukayo Saka, who reminded people just how influential he can be in attack against Switzerland.

England’s formation played a role in allowing for heavy attacking support in wide areas against the Swiss, but so did an increase in positive play and confidence in attack—something they must look to maintain if they revert to a 4-2-3-1 against the Dutch.

Saka was outstanding in the quarter-finals – it seemed as though Southgate had finally found a way to get the flanks (particularly the right flank) involved consistently in build-up and attack. The example above shows us how England can provide a good support structure in attack with Saka having nearby support from Kyle Walker and Phil Foden – even though Foden is tucked inside and marked; his positioning leaves Saka in a 1v1 rather than being doubled up on.