By: Nathan Chen

The semifinals go ahead as Euro 2024 continues with its fiery run. Spain, England, France, and the Netherlands are contending for that top spot. Now, we will take a short look at each team’s chances.
To begin, Spain’s performance has been the most consistent so far, being victorious in all their group matches and then beating Germany, despite injuries and suspensions, their ability to stack up with depth, and strategy makes them one of the most formidable teams.

England hasn’t played their best, as they’ve needed extra time and penalties to get past their opponents in their last couple of matches, has been shown. Additionally, team defense has looked subpar with only a few convincing victories.

France had a tight defense, letting in just one goal. But the big concern is that they failed to score a goal from open play. Their defense will be tested when they come up against Spain in the semifinals.
The Netherlands has excelled in their offense, led by Cody Gakpo. Their style of play is open and dynamic; hugely contrasted by England’s very cautious approach, the Netherlands’s strategy could carry them all the way to the Finals.

Though Spain’s convincing performances might dwarf the other teams, the sport allows any of these teams the opportunity to emerge victorious. That adaptability and grit will be tested through the semifinals.

Sources:
Euro 2024 semifinal, champion odds: Spain emerges as new favorite ahead of England – The Athletic (nytimes.com)

Image Credit by Anna Tarazevich