We are down to the last four of the competition and because it is has been poorly publicised in the UK, I should probably begin by explaining who is still in it. We start with this semi-final which sees Lee Carsley’s England take on Israel, a team they have already beaten in the group stages. Three hours later, Spain will play Ukraine in the other match to decide who will contest the final.
Our focus is on England v Israel. It has been a faultless progression to the semis for the young Three Lions. They have not conceded a goal in four games and have been pretty efficient in front of goal. Carsley has some exciting players at his disposal, with Morgan Gibbs-White, Noni Madueke and Anthony Gordon impressing at the tournament.
Israel have become a bit of a surprise package but they have earned their spot in the semis. They made it through a tough group, seeing off Czech Republic and Germany to progress to the quarters, where they defeated co-hosts Georgia on penalties. One leading star is Oscar Gloukh, whose performances have helped put him in the gaze of the continent’s leading clubs.
In the group match, England triumphed 2-0 but they know how difficult an opponent Israel are. It should be an intriguing semi.
