Four have become two but who really impressed in the semi-finals? Let’s find out. There’s a very solid argument to say that Jordan Pickford is England’s greatest ever goalkeeper. The man couldn’t stop Xavi Simons’ rocket in the first half against , but was otherwise incredibly solid as Gareth Southgate’s men reached their first final on foreign soil.
His sliding block may have inadvertently helped Dani Olmo’s shot go in on Tuesday but Jules Koundé was one of the few French players who could leave the semi-final with his head held high. Koundé has been sensational all tournament, despite Les Blues stuttering. Okay, so we’re squeezing in Kyle Walker slightly out of position here but the defender was superb against .
His ageless pace and tireless work ethic completely neutered Cody Gakpo, who up to that point had been one of the players of the tournament. Many pondered whether Aymeric Laporte’s move to Saudi Arabia would hinder his performance at these EUROs but the Al-Nassr man has been consistently excellent. Despite Robin Le Normand’s suspension in the semi-final, Laporte remained his composed self in the face of France’s spirited attack.
Is Marc Cucurella the revelation of this tournament? The Chelsea man struggled all season long in the Premier League and then looked lost in the opening game against Croatia. Cucurella though, has grown into this tournament and was, once again, exemplary against , totally shutting down the threat of Ousmane Dembél.
