And then there were eight.
After an intense Round of 16, EURO 2024 returns on Friday with a stunning quartet of quarter-finals.
Here’s the biggest five questions we’re asking ahead of the games.
Can Spain spoil the hosts’ party?
It’s arguably the stand-out tie in these quarter-finals and the match that, in truth, should have been the final.
Spain, probably the best team of EURO 2024 so far, take on a Germany outfit who have thrilled in every one of the games so far.
La Roja were stunned early on in their Round of 16 clash against Georgia on Sunday but after a slow start steadily grew into the occasion and eventually showed all their qualities to make it to the last eight.
Luis de la Fuente’s side have impressed all over the park but it’s Nico Williams on the left flank who has drawn particular praise over the past few weeks.
The Athletic Club winger has been heavily linked with moves to Liverpool, Chelsea and Barcelona this summer and if you weren’t a regular LaLiga-watcher last season, it’s now easy to see why.
The 21-year-old has been tearing full-backs apart for fun in this tournament and will surely fancy his chances up against Joshua Kimmich on Friday afternoon.
If anyone is going to ruin Germany’s home party, then it’s Williams and his Spanish team mates.
Will Portugal stick with Cristiano Ronaldo?
It has been the big talking point for most of this tournament and fully came into view in the last round.
Portugal boss Roberto Martínez has stayed loyal up to this point but after their penalty shoot-out win over Slovenia in the last 16, is it time for the Seleçao to finally drop Cristiano Ronaldo?
Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure during the goalless draw in Frankfurt as the Al-Nassr man struggled to get on the end of crosses and sent numerous free-kicks sailing over the bar, having scored just one in 60 attempts during major tournaments.
And then there was the late penalty miss – which was well saved by goalkeeper Jan Oblak, but might prompt a change of penalty taker going forward, with the reliable Bruno Fernandes a more-than-able deputy.
It wasn’t just those obvious set-piece moments that raised eyebrows though. With a lack of movement off the ball and his team-mates trying to funnel everything towards him, it’s worth wondering whether Portugal would be better off with Gonçalo Ramos coming into the XI.
With France up next and a centre-back pairing of William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano to contend with, could the Iberian nation try utilising Ramos’s pace and pressing from the start, and deploy Ronaldo as an impact substitute instead?
Does Gareth Southgate have the answers for England?
Despite coming into this summer as one of the clear favourites, England have been a total snoozefest in Germany.
Bar the opening 10 minutes against Serbia and a three minute period between the end of full-time and extra-time in the last 16, Gareth Southgate’s side have been one-note and completely at odds with their pre-tournament expectations.
With the Players of the Season in LaLiga and the Premier League, as well as the Bundesliga’s top scorer in a front four, the attack was the one area of the side England felt they didn’t need to worry about.
How wrong they were.
The Three Lions’ attack have been – to a man – lacklustre, and there are now serious discussions about whether to drop Phil Foden or Jude Bellingham.
Three weeks ago, that would have seemed like madness, but with reports that Southgate is moving to a 3-4-3, there doesn’t seem to be a huge amount of room for both men.
Kane’s increased isolation and dropping deep as a result to retrieve the ball has seen many call out for pace down the flanks – something neither Bellingham nor Foden really possess.
Anthony Gordon or Jarrod Bowen could make more sense in one of those wide attacking positions but will Southgate have the nerve to drop one of England’s best players for the better of the side?
The jury is very much out on that one.
Is Cody Gapko the Player of the Tournament so far?
Perhaps it says more about the relative inconsistency of Europe’s best attackers at this tournament, but heading into the quarter-finals there hasn’t been a more potent forward than Cody Gakpo.
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher complained earlier this season that the Netherlands wide man “played the game in slow motion” but at EURO 2024, Gakpo has been in turbo mode.
With three goals to his name and one assist, Gakpo currently leads the top scorer standings and has a great chance to add to his tally on Saturday when the Dutch face Türkiye.
Vincenzo Montella’s side have been a breath of fresh air at this tournament but haven’t exactly screamed ‘defensive stability’ in their four games so far.
Türkiye conceded 21 shots against Austria last time out and needed some world class heroics from goalkeeper Mert Günok to make it through.
If Gakpo and the Netherlands are given the same space and time in the final third, there’s likely only side making it to the final four.
Who will make it to the semi-finals?
After what was a brilliant group stage and then a mixed last 16, the quarter-finals look about as open as they have at any European Championship over the past two decades.
It’s difficult to a remember a time when so many of the nations in the last eight were struggling in at least one aspect of their play but that makes for what’s likely to be four intriguingly brilliant games.
Germany were given frights by both Switzerland and Denmark, France haven’t clicked at all, England have been underwhelming as detailed above, the Netherlands need lots of chances to score, Portugal have a Ronaldo problem, Türkiye are so wildly gung-ho it will surely catch up with them, and the Swiss lack a true goalscorer.
Perhaps the only side we can’t really criticise is Spain, but even they looked beatable in the first 20 minutes against Georgia.
In truth then, it’s about as open as it could be possibly be for these mouth-watering weekend clashes.
Source Agencies
