4 things we learned from England's Euro 2024 semi-final victory over Netherlands

They've endured their fair share of scrapes and bloody noses, but England are in the final of another major tournament.

Following another rollercoaster clash, this time with the Netherlands in the semi-final, Gareth Southgate's men booked their place in the showpiece event thanks to Ollie Watkins' late strike in a 2-1 victory. England have won just two games in normal time at Euro 2024, but that matters little as they prepare to to make history this weekend.

England have certainly reserved their strongest performances of Euro 2024 for the latter stages. A tactical shift against Switzerland in the quarter-final has seemingly loosened the shackles, but they know they will have to be at their blistering best to overcome a Spain side in red hot form.

That's Sunday's problem though, for now here are four things we learned from the semi-final victory over the Dutch.

England have changed the narrative

Come the end of the group stage, England had established themselves as one of the worst sides to watch at Euro 2024. Turgid, slow and uninspiring, no amount of individual talent could paper over the cracks, with the Three Lions struggling to muster opportunities in the final third.

However, the knockout stages have shifted the narrative. The football still may not be the greatest we have ever witnessed - although it is improving significantly - but England are now a seemingly unbeatable force. Southgate has instilled a spirit that is difficult to overcome.

Jude Bellingham's 94th-minute overhead kick against Slovakia, five stunning penalties during the shootout with Switzerland and Watkins' superb 90th-minute winner against the Netherlands exemplify how England have gone from fragile to unflappable over the course of Southgate's reign.

While they have been far from convincing at times, England haven't tasted defeat at Euro 2024.

Gareth Southgate is braver than we thought

Southgate has often been accused of lacking the bravery required to alter matches from the sidelines, and justifiably so for much of Euro 2024. He has generally left his substitutions late in matches, failing to sacrifice his favourites despite their underwhelming performances.

However, Southgate changed his attitude on Wednesday evening. While he still waited until late in the game to make changes to his forward line, he was brutal in hooking Harry Kane and Phil Foden. The former had netted the equalising penalty but was once again on the fringes, while Foden was actually offering his strongest performance of the competition to date.

But Southgate still withdrew them as he looked to capitalise on tired legs in the Netherlands team. His alterations paid dividends.

Watkins replaced Kane up top and produced a stunning winner late in the game, making the kind of run beyond the Dutch backline that Kane simply wouldn't have. The Aston Villa forward was supplied by Cole Palmer, who offered fresh legs capable of drifting into central areas from the right flank.

Having taken significant and often understandable stick for much of the tournament about his tactical acumen and negative approach, Southgate's positive changes turned the game on its head. His substitutions helped England reach a second straight Euros final.

Kobbie Mainoo is the answer to the midfield conundrum

Southgate no longer yearns for Kalvin Phillips. Having struggled to identify Declan Rice's new midfield partner with the Trent Alexander-Arnold experiment backfiring, the England boss finally turned to 19-year-old Manchester United sensation Kobbie Mainoo in the knockout rounds. He has been swiftly rewarded.

Mainoo was once again at the heart of England's most positive moments against the Dutch. The ice running through his veins was colder than ever as he helped the Three Lions dominate the midfield battle, with his pressing and physicality allowing England to sustain pressure on Bart Verburggen's goal.

Mainoo won all of his duels against the Oranje, also making a combined four tackles, interceptions and recoveries - the joint-most of any player in a white jersey. He oozes class and exudes confidence, with the in-game intelligence of someone ten years his senior.

Going forward, the teenager was crucial, too. Only Rice and John Stones made more passes into the final third, no player created more chances for England and he also topped the charts for expected assists.

The Man Utd dynamo has earned his reputation as an all-action wonderkid in the engine room. More importantly, he has earned a guaranteed starting spot in the final.

It's not just English officials who make mistakes

Even with the Premier League on its summer break, English referees have still been slaughtered over the past few weeks. Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor, the only two British referees at Euro 2024, have come under fire for their displays, but Wednesday's game highlights that high-profile mistakes are not limited to the United Kingdom.

German official Felix Zwayer was the man with the whistle at Signal Iduna Park. England fans had expressed their concerns prior to kick-off, with the 43-year-old previously suspended for match-fixing. Jude Bellingham had taken aim at Zwayer during his Borussia Dortmund days following a controversial Der Klassiker performance.

However, England fans were rather pleased with Zwayer's outing come the full-time whistle. After all, the German had awarded the Three Lions possibly the softest penalty at this tournament by some distance.

Kane was the beneficiary of the extremely questionable call. With a quarter-of-an-hour played, the Bayern Munich forward fired a volley aimlessly over the bar, but was grazed by the studs of Denzel Dumfries as he attempted to block the shot. Kane's decision to writhe around in 'agony' was justified by VAR's decision to send Zwayer to the monitor.

Even ITV's referee expert Christina Unkel was bemused, but once Zwayer was sent to the screen, there was only one outcome. To quote Paul Merson: "The game's gone, Jeff."

VAR must take responsibility for sending him to take a second look, but Zwayer delivered a questionable performance even after the Kane equaliser. It's fair to say that he won't be taking charge of Sunday's final.

READ MORE OF THE LATEST ENGLAND NEWS, QUOTES & MATCH PREVIEWS