Having stormed past Ukraine in the quarter-finals, England now face a far tougher semi-final opponent in Denmark .
Gareth Southgate’s side beat Ukraine 4-0 in Rome thanks to a brace from Harry Kane and second-half goals from Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson. While nothing could match their 2-0 win against Germany in the round of 16 for sheer elation, it was arguably their most complete performance at Euro 2020 so far.
Denmark booked their place in the semis with a 2-1 quarter-final win against the Czech Republic in Baku. Their Euro 2020 campaign has been carried on a wave of emotion after Christian Eriksen’s cardiac arrest on the pitch midway through their opening game against Finland.
While it took the Danes a while to recover in the aftermath, they have impressed in the knockout rounds. On current form, they are the best attacking side at the tournament with 10 goals scored in their last three matches.
England have the best defence, however, having made history as the first side to keep five clean sheets from their first five games at the Euros. All in all, the tie is delicately balanced.
As he considers how best to deal with Denmark, Southgate faces some difficult decisions when it comes to his starting line-up. While he’s dealt with selection dilemmas deftly up to now, it doesn’t get any easier.
With two days to go until the two sides meet at Wembley, England’s latest training session gave an interesting insight into the state of the squad.
Here are five things we noticed from England’s pre-match preparations at St George’s Park.
Saka back in action
With all 26 members of Southgate’s squad in training, it looks like England have been given a clean bill of health ahead of the semis.
Bukayo Saka was left out of the squad to face Ukraine after picking up a “slight knock” , but he was heavily involved and looked physically sharp.
With Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling both undroppable at this stage, Southgate will have to decide whether to bring Saka back into his starting XI in place of Jadon Sancho. While Sancho impressed against Ukraine, Saka started against the Czech Republic and Germany and was also excellent.
Squad all smiles
Southgate has been lauded for the way he’s fostered a sense of togetherness in the squad over the last few years. England’s morale has been cited by players as one of the most important factors in their success, while Southgate has praised their “phenomenal” spirit.
Once again, the squad were all smiles at St George’s Park with Sancho, Jordan Pickford, Mason Mount and Declan Rice among those cracking jokes as they walked out onto the training pitch.
The players looked calm and relaxed which, given how often past England sides have crumbled under pressure, can only be a good thing.
Session ‘short and sharp’
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During the initial team huddle, Southgate’s assistant manager Steve Holland could be overheard promising the players a “short and sharp” session.
Having gone to the latter stages of the tournament, Southgate clearly doesn’t want to overexert his squad and risk any unnecessary injuries.
England have looked bright and energetic in the knockout rounds so far, which is down in no small part to the way Southgate and Holland manage their workload. After long, gruelling seasons with their clubs, with games coming thick and fast, the players don’t need an overly laborious training regimen.
Mount and Shaw in conversation
Early in the session, Mount and Luke Shaw could be seen talking animatedly to each other.
With Shaw setting up two of England’s goals against Ukraine and Mount teeing up Henderson to score from a corner, they – alongside Sterling – are among Southgate’s most important creatives at the moment.
Were they plotting how best to provide service to Kane against Denmark, or discussing their latest set-piece routines? It’s wild speculation but, then again, what’s the point of an international tournament without a bit of conjecture? One way or another, Southgate will find it hard to justify dropping either of them even if, at left-back, Ben Chilwell is available again.
Southgate deep in thought
Ever-present in the background, Southgate watched the session like a hawk.
While there will, as ever, be calls for him to start Jack Grealish against Denmark, he has proven that he’s highly resistant to outside pressure when it comes to making big calls.
Southgate’s most difficult decision is who to include alongside Kane and Sterling in his front three, with Grealish, Saka and Sancho all battling for minutes. Whether he saw anything in this session to help him make up his mind, only time will tell.
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