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ENGLAND fans have descended on Dortmund ahead of the huge semi-final Euros match against the Dutch.
Anticipation is rising as pints are drunk, punts are placed, and the nation braces itself for another nerve-wracking night of football.
One England supporter holds aloft a cutout of coach Gareth Southgate before the match
AP
Fans singing on the train to the ground
Paul Edwards
Paul EdwardsThe Three Lions face Holland tonight at Signal Iduna Park for a place in the final of Euro 2024 which will see the winner facing Spain.
Fans enjoyed the warm temperature in Dortmund today as they drunk beer with Dutch fans before the game.
Many donned their England shirts with pride as they get ready to will the team to victory.
Others had taken their shirts off and sang songs and chanted for England with a beer in hand.
Portsmouth FC fans had a supporters flag with ‘Bognor to Berlin’ written on it.
Fans Kate Wilkinson and Amy Dorman from Middlesborough raised the Flag of St George behind them as they posed for a photo.
But Three Lions supporters may be swamped by an orange sea of Netherlands fans, with 100,000 Dutch expected to descend on Dortmund.
England sneaked through the quarter-final on Sunday against Switzerland in a clinical penalty shootout.
That came after ace Bukayo Saka slotted a 90th minute goal to take the game into extra time.
At the end of the thriller, Prince William was seen fist pumping the air in celebration.
The Prince of Wales, who is the President of the Football Association met the stars in the tunnel after the side’s victory in the Dusseldorf Arena yesterday.
The heir, 42, has hailed the epic win as “nail biting to the very end” after he jetted over to join fans in Germany.
Wills shared his thoughts in a tweet after the match: “Nail biting to the very end. Well done @England! Semi-finals here we come! We believe. W.”
Gareth Southgate is set to only make one change to the starting team, with defender Luke Shaw also reported to be on the bench.
The Netherlands’ preparations were hit by major travel chaos on Tuesday.
Ronald Koeman was forced to cancel his press conference after a rail-line blockage forced the Dutch to fly from Wolfsburg to Dortmund.
It means they only arrived in the city less than 24 hours before kick-off against England, which could give the Three Lions an advantage.
The game is England’s bid to reach a second Euro final in a row after heartbreak against Italy in 2020.
The Three Lions haven’t brought a major trophy home to England since they won the World Cup on English soil in 1966.
The Dutch have only won the Euros at the 1988 tournament in West Germany, beating the Soviet Union in the final.
They have also played in the 1974, 1978, and 2010 World Cup finals, but have never won the gong.
England's Harry Kane dilemma laid bare as stats show MAJOR problem before Holland clash
GARETH SOUTHGATE has a Harry Kane dilemma ahead of the Euro 2024 semi-final, writes Kealan Hughes.
England face the Netherlands on Wednesday night as they bid to reach back-to-back Euros finals with their captain the subject of huge scrutiny.
Kane, 30, was taken off in extra-time against Switzerland after a lacklustre performance which saw the striker barely involved in play.
In 109 minutes, he completed just EIGHT passes – only one of which was in the final third.
Kane also made just four touches in the opposition penalty box, with critics lamenting his failure to get into the area to get on the end of one of Bukayo Saka’s many crosses.
Alan Shearer has advised Kane to do his work in the box rather than dropping back.
In fact his average position against Switzerland was DEEPER than wing-backs Saka and Kieran Trippier.
That might be understandable, with the pair bombing on to provide width.
But Kane was also, on average BEHIND Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and even holding midfielders Kobbie Mainoo and Declan Rice.
Read SunSport’s analysis on Southgate’s Kane dilemma in full.
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Paul Edwards
Paul Edwards
Paul Edwards
Paul Edwards
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