4️⃣ questions ahead of the EURO 2024 semi-finals ❓

The stages for the Euro 2024 semi-finals have been established in Munich and Dortmund.

Here are the four most pressing questions before of those matches.

Will Southgate persist with the changes?

After being so careful with change this summer, England manager Gareth Southgate stunned many with his significant system overhaul against Switzerland.

Without the suspended Marc Guéhi, the manager chose to bolster his backline by bringing in Ezri Konsa and switching to a three-man defence, though pre-match indications that Bukayo Saka would be fielded as a left wing-back were thankfully unfounded given how he saved the day on the right with a Man of the Match performance in securing a semi-final against the Netherlands.

England met fire with fire by copying the Swiss' 3-4-2-1 structure, but with Ronald Koeman set to remain with his fluid 4-2-3-1, will Southgate stick with his new system or revert to his previous form?

Luke Shaw came on for his first appearance of the tournament and provides his team with a natural left-back solution that Kieran Trippier lacks, and Guéhi is expected to return, leaving the man in command with some tough decisions to make.

In attack, Harry Kane and Phil Foden's problems have been well chronicled, but barring injury, it appears unlikely that Ivan Toney and Cole Palmer can be trusted to progress from super-subs to starters in this semi-final.

Has Olmo earned a starting spot?

Dani Olmo has had to wait patiently for opportunities during the European Championship.

He has only started one of Spain's five games thus far, and he was once again a substitute against Germany in the quarter-final.

Only Fabian Ruiz (8.15) has earned a better WhoScored rating than Dani Olmo (8.02) at 

3 of Olmo's 4 appearances have come from the bench... 🤯

But fate, or more correctly, a brutal tackle from Toni Kroos, presented him with an earlier-than-expected opportunity to shine by replacing the injured Pedri, which he took full advantage of.

Olmo opened the scoring with a low finish before setting up Mikel Merino's thrilling last-gasp triumph in extra time, bringing his tournament total to two goals and two assists in four games.

His presence also provided an opportunity to relieve the creative pressure on wingers Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, which proved critical in the victory.

Surely it is enough to persuade Luis de la Fuente that he must begin against France.

What should we expect from Mbappé? 

This is undoubtedly the most pressing concern surrounding the semi-finals, given how the France captain's tournament has progressed thus far.

He came in Germany after finally completing his long-awaited mega Real Madrid transfer, but a fractured nose in the first game swiftly brought the newest galáctico back down to earth with a terrible bump.

That has resulted in him wearing an uncomfortable mask for the entirety of the tournament, which should not be underestimated given how difficult it has been for the 25-year-old.

"It limits my vision. "The sweat gets blocked," he admits. "It feels like I'm in 3D, that I'm a VIP guest at the Euros."

Randal Kolo Muani, a teammate, backed up his claims after testing it on himself: "You can't see anything! It is challenging, but we laugh about it."

Less amusing was the fatigue that struck Mbappé so severely during extra time of their quarter-final against Portugal that he admitted to demanding a change owing to acute exhaustion.

According to reports in France, the acrimonious manner of his PSG exit, as well as the ongoing controversy over unpaid salaries, are all having a detrimental affect on his psyche right now.

All things considered, is it sensible to stick with the failing striker? Should Deschamps dismiss his superstar captain?

Can an unsung Dutch hero win the midfield battle?

Any team will find it difficult to deal with a midfield that includes Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.

But Ronald Koeman has a man at his disposal who will not only embrace the challenge of dealing with them, but will also be confident in his ability to win.

Jerdy Schouten of PSV is not a familiar name in a squad with talents like Virgil van Dijk and Memphis, but he has received a lot of well-deserved praise in his home country for carrying the midfield in the absence of Frenkie de Jong, Teun Koopmeiners, and Marten de Roon.

"Against Turkey, it seemed like Schouten was everywhere the ball went," former Dutch international Ernie Brandts told De Telegraaf.

Outside of Cody Gakpo and club colleague Van Dijk, the 27-year-old has arguably been the Netherlands' best player this summer, and a move could be on the cards based on his performances, which have been impressive with his tireless work rate and bustling work around the engine room.

His quarter-final performance may have been his best ever, which is even more impressive given that he was on the verge of being suspended for this crucial match. He made it, and his presence is crucial.