Alexa, play ‘Keep the Faith’ by Bon Jovi.

Gareth Southgate really is a loyal man, isn’t he? The England boss is sticking to what he knows.

While the performances have not been great, his players have pulled the team all the way to the last four.

Now they just need to start playing better football, then we will be dandy.

Sami Mokbel has only gone and done it again.

The leaked team news was indeed spot on – as it always is – meaning Gareth Southgate has made just one change.

The sole player coming in is Marc Guehi after he served his one-match suspension against Switzerland.

Happy with the team? (I’m guessing not)

Ian Ladyman, Mail Sport Football Editor, in Dortmund:

Sami Mokbel, our Chief Football Reporter, has already told us that the only change to tonight’s England team will be Marc Guehi for Ezri Konsa. I would have liked to have seen Cole Palmer come in for Phil Foden, who I think has been far from his best at this tournament.

But Gareth Southgate has shown loyalty to his players right the way through this tournament and he clearly believes they have it in them to improve and get this job done. I think this one may be a step too far from England. My prediction is 2:1 to the Netherlands.

We want to hear from you!

If you look to your right you will see a fancy new comments section, it looks fancy, right?

Well, it’s there waiting for you to feed your thoughts on the match all through the night.

There will be plenty to debate, so make sure you join in.

I always like to hear from our readers, your points of view are very interesting.

Opinions are what makes this sport so interesting.

Orange, all I see is orange.

Oliver Holt, our Chief Sports Writer, has already shared that the stadium is quickly filling up with Dutch fans.

It’s going to look mightily impressive when it’s full.

Will it effect the England players when they see it?

We will be getting England’s team news very, very soon.

As we revealed to you earlier,r we expect only one change with Marc Guehi returning from suspension to replace Ezri Konsa.

Ow will Gareth Southgate throw a curveball at us?

I highly doubt it, he never does…

It’s getting real now, isn’t it?

England have entered the building, and they look ready to do battle. There isn’t a smile in sight.

Is this what you like to see? A fully focused team.

Or would you rather they look a bit more relaxed than they do in these pictures?

I mean, I guess it doesn’t really matter.

Mail Sport’s Craig Hope is now at Signal Iduna Park, but during his trip earlier all he saw was orange.

It’s fair to say, there isn’t an English person in sight, apart from Craig himself of course!

Wow, the atmosphere outside Signal Iduna Park is electric.

Many of the nicer Dutch fans have made their march toward the stadium as kick-off closes in.

Some supporters are already in the ground, such as these England boys.

Cheer up lads, it’s the Euros semi-final!

Ian Ladyman, Mail Sport Football Editor, in Dortmund:

It’s a sultry and sweaty night here in Dortmund and we may get another thunderstorm before kick off. England have just arrived and are doing their walkabout. Dutch fans outnumbering the English already in the stadium.

Alan Shearer, former England captain, speaking about Harry Kane on BBC News:

I understand people asking the questions. Harry will himself say that he probably hasn’t performed or been as sharp as he would have wanted to be but he has got two goals.

But you don’t leave out your captain and your record goalscorer when you’re in a semi-final. I’d be amazed if that happened. I don’t see that happening.

Cody Gakpo has been on smoke this tournament!

I don’t know what he has been eating for breakfast in Germany, but it has got him firing on all cylinders.

Gakpo is certainly the danger man for the Netherlands and will be key for them against England.

He is the joint top scorer at this tournament with three goals, while also providing a superb assist against Romania.

If England can keep him quiet it will do wonders for their final hopes.

It will be hard, mind.

This isn’t the first time these two sides have clashed in a major tournament.

When you think of England facing the Netherlands, your mind surely goes straight to the demolition of the Dutch in 1996.

It is perhaps the best tournament performance England have put in over the past three to four decades.

They were untouchable that day as Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham both bagged braces.

Gareth Southgate played too… and was booked.

Let’s have a look at the head-to-head in major tournaments in full, shall we?

• England 1-3 Netherlands – Euro 88′
• England 0-0 Netherlands – 1990 World Cup
• England 4-1 Netherlands – Euro 96′

Statement from a UK Football Policing Unit spokesperson:

We are aware of some reports and videos circulating of disorder in Dortmund. It appears that there have been several instances of Dutch fans attacking England fans in bars and attempting to steal flags.

We understand this has resulted in minor injuries to five people. We are also aware that in addition to the tens of thousands of Dutch fans there to enjoy the game, there are groups of risk supporters who have travelled to Dortmund from the Netherlands.

Our officers are at the location supporting German colleagues. We would advise supporters to be aware of their surroundings and seek areas where there is a German Police presence.

Mike Keegan, Mail Sport, in Dortmund:

Five England fans left injured after a series of attacks by Dutch hooligans on bars where they were drinking. UK Police say gangs of Dutch risk fans have travelled and have warned England supporters to seek areas where there are German Police.

The Netherlands took a while to get going in this tournament, but boy is their engine running beautifully now.

They crawled their way through the group stage, finishing in third place behind Austria and France.

However, strong displays against Romania and Turkey has restored hope within the Dutch faithful.

They come here today full of confidence… and this is how they got here:

• MD1: Poland 1-2 Netherlands
• MD2: Netherlands 0-0 France
• MD3: Netherlands 2-3 Austria
• LAST 16: Romania 0-3 Netherlands
• QF: Netherlands 2-1 Turkey

I think it’s fair to say it’s been a treacherous road for England.

They have stumbled their way to the semi-final after moments of brilliance from the likes of Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka.

The Three Lions started off on a positive note against Serbia, but results and performances since have left little to be desired.

But despite everything, they have still made it to the last four. Let’s have a look back at England’s results.

• MD1: Serbia 0-1 England
• MD2: Denmark 1-1 England
• MD3: England 0-1 Slovenia
• LAST 16: England 2-1 Slovakia (AET)
• QF: England 1-1 Switzerland (England win 5-3 on penalties)

This place will be rocking in just a couple of hours time.

Signal Iduna Park is eerily quiet at this very second as fans still make their way to the ground.

I have a feeling tonight could be one of the best atmospheres of the tournament, it will be booming in there.

I’m itching to go already, but there is still a while to go.

Ahhhh, there are some England fans in Dortmund then…

With the lack of evidence that were many there, I was starting to get worried for a second that it would be a sea of orange.

But some of the Three Lions faithful are already inside Signal Iduna Park marking their territory.

How loud will they be later? We will have to wait and see.

Updates are coming in from the streets of Dortmund.

It seems the alleged attacks from Netherlands fans were unprovoked, according to a fan on X.

This is never nice to see.

Remember, it’s only a select few that give fans a bad name.

More photos have just come through of happy Netherlands fans marching toward Signal Iduna Park.

It’s honestly hard to fathom just how many Dutch supporters are in Dortmund.

They are everywhere, literally everywhere.

Oh dear, oh dear… this is not what you want to see.

For most of the day, we have seen both the Dutch and English fans enjoying their days in unison with no problems.

Unfortunately, the ugly side of football fandom has reared its head again.

It seems that Dutch fans have allegedly attacked English fans in a pub prior to the match.

Ugly scenes, very ugly.

I hope that all fans on the receiving end of these disgusting actions are OK.

We have touched on this already, but now we have a deeper analysis for you to have a look at.

Harry Kane’s performances have been splitting hairs at this tournament since the very beginning.

Mail Sport’s Chief Sports Writer, Oliver Holt, has written up a brilliant piece on the problem Gareth Southgate faces with Kane.

Should he be dropped?

To read more, click below:

Gareth Southgate, England manager, speaking about substitutions on Tuesday:

There are different reasons for making changes. We were happy with the way the team were playing in previous games but we have made a sub at half-time, it’s not pre-conditioned.

You are always looking at the freshness of the team and the balance of the team and whether changes are going to make an improvement to the team or not. But all of the players go into the game in good condition. The game will take us in a certain direction that will make that decision for us.

Right, it’s time to touch one of this week’s hot topics.

Gareth Southgate came under fire for his decision-making against Switzerland in the quarter-final.

If you don’t know why, I’ll tell you.

Southgate did not make any changes until England went 1-0 down in the 75th minute, despite the Three Lions struggling in the second half.

His refusal to switch things up was confusing as it was clear as day that the players on the pitch were flagging.

If the performance is similar today, he will have to make some early changes.

Otherwise, it could be too late…

He may be like Marmite, but he has a brilliant record.

Tonight will be England’s third quarter-final in just four tournaments under Gareth Southgate.

They hadn’t managed to reach that stage in nine tournaments prior…

Remember, the grass isn’t always greener. The days before these were pretty gloomy.

Mail Sport have managed to find some England fans. It’s like finding a needle in a haystack with the amount of Dutch in Dortmund.

The ones that we have spoken to seem fairly confident that England can get the job done tonight.

One fan said he keeps saying ‘it can’t get any worse’. It could, though, England could get knocked out this evening.

Imagine the Three Lions play their best football all tournament tonight, but still get sent packing.

That would be brutal.

Well, Harry Kane appears to be the topic of mass debate.

The England captain has provided so many big moments for England over the years. He’s Gareth Southgate’s Mr. Reliable’.

However, he hasn’t had the best of tournaments…

Fans have not been best pleased with Kane and it seems their patience has run thin with him. They want him to be dropped.

It’s such a tough call because even when Kane is not on it he comes up with so many big goals.

But England do have some good options, including Ivan Toney.

Despite all of this, though, we expect Kane to be leading the line yet again this evening.

It’s time for him to turn up.

Anonymous: Harry Kane should not be playing.

RB, Lincoln: England need a manager who can make the right selection, best left back is now fit and he keeps Trippier in – even if Shaw does 75 mins it’s better than 75 mins of an unbalanced team – Toney or Palmer for Kane.

Anonymous: If Kane is playing then we should drop golden boy Foden for Toney, swap Saka and Trippier over, and tell them to hit crosses in, with this I hope Foden makes me eat my words but I doubt it.

Dortmund is a sea of Orange today.

Every direction you look in there are thousands of people donning the orange shirt of the Netherlands.

But how come there are so many fans?

Well, the Dutch usually travel well, but the fact that Dortmund isn’t very far away really helps.

The weather is good too, so it’s a cracking day out for even those who do not have tickets.

Expect to see an orange wall replacing the yellow wall later.

Paul McVeigh, former Premier League star turned sports psychologist, on how fans frustration is affecting England:

Lots of the body language from my side looks like frustration if I was to put it into a category. I feel like the frustration is coming from the fans who are watching who are used to seeing these world-class players playing every week and expecting them to do the same things in the Euros.

I think that frustration from the crowd is starting to seep into the players. But ultimately the players are handling a very difficult experience and that’s what you have to put into perspective.

England fans, you are not happy…

It’s been a running theme this tournament that the Three Lions faithful haven’t been best pleased with Gareth Southgate’s team selections.

The story is exactly the same today, it hasn’t taken me long to figure out that none of you are happy with the leaked team.

If England win tonight, will it change your feelings?

Anonymous: Honestly, if that is the team I can’t believe it. So many questions starting with why isn’t Palmer starting? If Shaw can play and he’s your number 1 right back then play him. Southgate is a chump.

Anonymous: Excellent team choice by Gareth. We’re so lucky to have him as England manager.

I detect a hint of sarcasm…

Gareth Southgate, England manager, speaking on Tuesday:

Luke Shaw has been injured for four months, it wasn’t a possibility for him to play until the last match where he made a good contribution. We have to decide if he is ready to start but we are very happy to have him back.

He gives us balance, but Kieran Trippier has done a fantastic job. He has had many important nights with us over the last seven or eight years. He’s great around the squad, we are very fortunate to have players like him in our squad.

Luke Shaw is going to have to wait then…

After returning from injury off the bench against Switzerland, hopes of a return to the starting 11 skyrocketed for Shaw.

He certainly looked in good knick when during his cameo against the Swiss, he gave England an injection of energy.

But it seems Kieran Trippier will keep his place on the left.

Shaw said he was ready, but obviously, Southgate wants to give him more time (not that there is much left).

I wonder how many minutes he will get?

So, now you have been reminded, what are you all thinking?

In all honesty, the trend throughout this tournament has shown that Gareth Southgate likes to stick with what he knows.

Ideally, you’d expect more changes to be made after the performances this tournament, but you can never expect them.

So, personally, I’m not surprised he is just making the one.

But should he have made more, that is the question? And if you think he should have, who would you bring in?

England can never keep their team news quiet!

Mail Sport’s Sami Mokbel is a genius when it comes to nailing down England’s line-up before they take to the turf.

Information within the England camp has allowed Sami to pull together what tonight’s England team will be.

Well, it’s not going to look much different.

There will be just one change to the side that started the quarter-final with Switzerland, with Marc Guehi coming in for Ezri Konsa.

It means Luke Shaw is not yet trusted to start…

Thank you for holding the fort Michael, you have done a magnificent job, as always!

We are still love four hours from kick-off, and there is a lot to get through. So, don’t go anywhere.

I think we should remind ourselves of the leaked team news, don’t you?

A quick substitution over here at Mail Sport.

My Harry Bamforth has arrived and is ready to take over our live blog.

He will be the man to guide you through England’s semi-final against the Netherlands.

Over to you, Harry!

The Royal Family have posted a message of support to the England team on X.

Not sure if they have seen Ruud Gullit’s comments to Mail Sport about ‘Three Lions’ judging from this video.

It’s Coming Home…

The Dutch fans in Dortmund are showing no signs of running out of energy as the hours continue to count down until kick off.

Their supporters are still signing, dancing and celebrating at the fan zone in the city.

Former Netherlands’ midfielder Wesley Sneijder was among the guests to have been on stage with the fan zone band recently to continue the build-up.

England’s team from the famous Euro 96 win over the Netherlands have taken very different paths in the 28 years since.

Many have remained in the game, namely England boss Gareth Southgate.

Others have dipped their toes into the world outside football, including several appearances on talent shows.

Mail Sport looks at the Three Lions’ team of 1996 and where they are now.

Worth pointing out to Ruud Gullit that ‘Three Lions’ became the unofficial soundtrack to England’s run to the Euro 96 semi-finals.

England’s best performance of that run came against the Netherlands in the group stage.

Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham both scored twice as England earned a crushing 4-1 win in one of the most-acclaimed performances ever given by The Three Lions.

Mail Sport’s Joe Bernstein has caught up with Sheringham for an exclusive interview about that match and why he is backing Harry Kane to find his form at Euro 2024.

Mail Sport has caught up with Dutch legend Ruud Gullit in Dortmund.

Gullit was a key member of the Netherlands squad that won the European Championships in 1988.

He scored the opening goal in their 2-0 with in the final, with current Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman among his team-mates.

Gullit has given his thoughts ahead of tonight’s match and has claimed England fans singing the classic ‘Three Lions’ song acts as a jinx to their chances.

Pickford’s extensive homework for penalties has been key to the England goalkeeper’s impressive record in shoot-outs.

A photograph of Pickford’s water bottle during the match later showed the predicted sides that each Switzerland player would take their penalties.

Not that we are predicting tonight’s match will go all the way to penalties, but you can be sure Pickford will be prepared for such an occassion.

If you are wondering how Pickford’s ‘cheat sheet’ might look for the Netherlands’ likely penalty takers, Mail Sport has you covered.

READ MORE:

Jordan Pickford proved to be one of England’s shoot-out heroes against Switzerland.

His penalty save from Manuel Akanji gave the Three Lions the platform to go on to win the shootout.

Pickford has saved four shootout penalties at major tournaments from the 14 he has faced.

Between 1990 and 2012, his predecessors saved two from 36.

Mail Sport’s Craig Hope has taken a closer look at how Pickford has gone from being reprsenting chaos and hyperactivity to being a calming influence.

Mail Sport’s chief sports writer Oliver Holt has taken a look at how Gareth Southgate has helped to transform England’s fortunes.

He notes that while fans have been critical and at times abusive to the England boss in recent times, Southgate deserves more respect having led the Three Lions to three semi-finals in four tournaments.

Southgate is a win away from back-to-back European Championship finals.

The England boss, who was so linked with his penalty miss at Euro 1996, has been central to changing the narrative around shoot-outs.

READ MORE:

Keir Starmer has backed Southgate’s squad to book their place in the Euro 2024 final, but the new Prime Minister will not able to watch due to attending the NATO summit in Washington.

Starmer is hoping officials will keep him updated on the Three Lions score via diplomatic notes at the meetings.

He has also joked the Three Lions have not missed a penalty under his Labour government having dispatched all five of their spot kicks in the shoot-out against Switzerland.

‘I understand our phones are all taken off us, when we go into the Council, so I’ve not doubt we’ll be passed lots of notes with really important information about the summit, and one or two of those notes hopefully will be an update on the score, because I’m not going to be able to get it otherwise,’ Starmer said.

‘I’ve sent a message to the team, obviously I wish them well, I want them to win, and let’s hope they can do it.

‘I’d remind you, England have not missed a penalty under a Labour government in 2024.’

England supporters have been warned by German police not to sing ”10 German bombers’ at Euro 2024.

‘Ten German bombers’ – sung to the tune of ‘If You’re Happy and You Know It’ – refers to German casualties in the Second World War.

Fans have been filmed singing the controversial chant at times during the tournament, defying the warnings.

Footage ahead of tonight’s semi-final as shown Dutch supporters joining England fans in singing ‘Ten German bombers’.

Jamie Carragher has been far from the only one to point out England’s struggles during the tournament despite reaching the semi-finals.

Several England stars have faced criticism for their performances to date in Gemany.

Mail Sport’s Craig Hope has rated how England’s stars have performed at Euro 2024 to date.

Matt Barlow has also run the rule over how the likes of Cody Gakpo and Virgil van Dijk have performed for the Netherlands so far.

READ MORE:

Former England defender Jamie Carragher has been speaking on Sky Sports.

Carragher admits he is surprised be Southgate’s comments that England have played with ‘fear’ at the tournament.

The pundit believes England fans cannot escape from the fact the Three Lions have not played well at Euro 2024 despite reaching the last four.

Carragher, however, has predicted England will face enough to reach the final and is backing them to do it… on penalties.

It does surprise me a little bit, maybe because the expectation is so great on this team because of what they have done before. When I was playing it almost felt like the quarter-final was par and a semi-final was an unbelievable achievement,’ Carragher said.

It almost feels like now a semi-final is par for this group and that is a credit to them.

We can’t disguise the fact the team has been poor. The last game they started well for the first 15 to 20 minutes but we have won one game in five [in normal time]. There are very few players in the team who you could say are having a great tournament, it doesn’t feel like that.

It felt like something shifted with those celebrations after the penalties, like “we are in the semi-final and where we need to be”. We need to see the real England now and that may come from playing better opposition.

I think England just do it, it will be really tight and I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes to penalties. I think England go through on penalties.

Some amazing photos coming in from Dortmund of Netherlands fans.

There is a sea of orange at the Friedensplatz fan zone in the city, where their supporters have arrived on masse.

It is hard to pick out a fan who is not wearing their famous orange colours in the packed crowd.

Fans have been seen getting the pints in early in the hours building up to kick off.

One supporter has even turned up with a version of the European Championship trophy!

Could this be a potential boost for England?

Ronald Koeman and his Netherlands squad were left stranded on a station platform in stifling temperatures on Tuesday as they started their trip to Dortmund.

Dutch officials were forced to scramble for alternative arrangements when news filtered through that the Wolfsburg to Dortmund service they were waiting for had been cancelled thanks to a blockage on the line.

Instead of arriving in Dortmund ahead of a 7.45pm press conference on Tuesday night at the stadium, an emergency flight was booked to depart at 8.20pm.

That meant the Netherlands missed the opportunity for a warm-up and familiarisation session at Borussia Dortmund’s stunning Signal Iduna Park stadium.

Koeman laughed off the disruption in an interview, insisting his squad had been able to relax having had a 30 minute flight to Dortmund.

The Three Lions are expected to be backed by 40,000 fans in Dortmund.

Only a small number will have been able to get tickets for the semi-final, but that has not stopped fans from bringing a party atmosphere to the city.

Despite having to contend with extortionate prices for tickets, accommodation and travel, fans who are in Germany say it is worth it to cheer on Gareth Southgate’s team in their bid for glory.

READ MORE:

As if to illustrate that point further, the Dutch fans certainly seem to be getting in the party spirit.

Around 80,000 Dutch fans have are claimed to have made the trip over the border into Germany ahead of the semi-final.

Will they be celebrating tonight?

Gareth Southgate and his side will hope not…

England and Netherlands fans have descended on Dortmund ahead of tonight’s semi-final.

There may still be eight hours to go until kick-off but the atmosphere looks to be building nicely in the city.

England are expected to be outnumbered for the first time at the tournament this evening.

Mail Sport’s Mike Keegan reported that officials expect Ronald Koeman’s side to be backed by the majority of what will be a sold-out 80,000 crowd in Dortmund.

A 60-40 split is on the cards inside the stadium, while the Dutch will have half of Dortmund’s famous ‘Yellow Wall’. The remainder of those tickets went on general sale.

England’s predicted team will please Martin Keown.

The Mail Sport columnist was pleased with how the set-up helped England control the match against Switzerland, as well as pushing the likes of Phil Foden higher up the pitch.

Keown believes Foden’s partnership with Bukayo Saka can do damage to the Netherlands.

He suggests Foden’s positioning could cause a problem for Virgil van Dijk this evening.

READ MORE:

While there are plenty of opinions over the England team, there is expected to be only one change for tonight’s semi-final.

Gareth Southgate is predicted to stick with the same system the Three Lions deployed against Switzerland, according to information from sources close to the camp.

Mail Sport’s Sami Mokbel reports that centre back Marc Guehi, who was suspended for the quarter-final against Switzerland, is pushing for a recall in place of Ezri Konsa.

Luke Shaw is fit to start but Kieran Trippier is hopeful of keeping his place on the left.

Harry Kane will continue up front, despite concerns over his form and fitness.

Gareth Southgate has made few changes to his starting line-up at Euro 2024.

The England manager’s main problem area was central midfield ahead of the tournament, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Gallagher and now Kobbie Mainoo having played alongside Declan Rice.

Southgate opted for a hybrid formation for the quarter-final win over Switzerland, switching between a back four and a back three.

He could have some decisions to make tonight with Marc Guehi available again after suspension, while Luke Shaw has declared himself fit after coming on against Switzerland.

Mail Sport experts Chris Sutton, Oliver Holt, Ian Ladyman, Craig Hope, Sami Mokbel and Mike Keegan have picked their England line-ups for the semi-final.

READ MORE:

England boss Gareth Southgate admitted this week that his players have been guilty of playing with fear at times during Euro 2024.

I had to correct how the players were viewing things. But, of course, that feeling was being reinforced so vocally and actively outside and I think they were picking up on that too much,’ Southgate said on Tuesday.

Maybe it was expectation. Maybe it was a lot of external things as well. But now they’re very much in a “what’s achievable, what’s possible” sort of mindset.

‘We saw a truer reflection of ourselves in the last game and there was a lot within that to build on and take into the game.’

In the the latest episode of Mail Sport’s It’s All Kicking Off Euros Daily podcast, Mail Sport’s Ian Ladyman and Oliver Holt have discussed Southgate’s comments.

They pose the question whether England can shake off the fear ahead of tonight’s semi-final with the Netherlands.

Mail Sport’s Football Editor and It’s All Kicking Off podcast host Ian Ladyman offers the perfect scene setter for tonight’s match.

He notes that while it is the third semi-final in four tournaments for England under Gareth Southgate’s management, the mood feels different now.

Ladyman suggests we are now approaching the end of the Southgate eta, with gratitude to the England boss having eroded and a sense of entitlement having returned.

‘There will be no free pass for Southgate and his players if they lose tonight,’ Ladyman writes.

‘They haven’t played well in Germany, haven’t scored goals and haven’t entertained. They have muddled through.

‘Once upon a time that would have been enough, but not any more. So here in Dortmund it will be death or glory for England.’

READ MORE:

A huge day awaits for England with Gareth Southgate’s side bidding to reach consecutive European Championship finals.

The Three Lions are in Dortmund ahead of what promises to be another nerve jangling night for fans at Euro 2024.

While England have been unconvincing at Euro 2024, the same can also be said of their opponents the Netherlands, with both sides fancying their chances of reaching the final.

I will be here for the next few hours to build-up up to tonight’s match, bringing all the latest news and updates from the England camp, before handing over to my colleague Harry Bamforth for the live action and post-match reaction.

Who are you backing to join Spain in the Euro 2024 final?