Declan Rice, one of England's unsung heroes, would be tasked with shackling Griezmann, who has created five big chances (15 chances total) so far for France this tournament. In addition to keeping Griezmann quiet, he would also need to be proactive on the ball in a game which would see them continue to control most of the possession as they have all through the tournament 64.9% on average (second highest of all teams in the competition). He, alongside Jude Bellingham in the English midfield, presents a perfect blend of ball recovery and ball carriage with ball retention and deft interplay.

England's attack is where their most talented players can be found, and Southgate would be looking to make efficient use of his many options. With captain Kane as the only assured starting attacker, Southgate would be left to choose two out of three of England's biggest prospects in the last half a decade. Saka and Foden are the more technical, and Rashford is the faster and stronger among them. If Kane is to be deployed as a false 9, Rashford should be Southgate's choice to stretch the France defence and give Kane a target to aim for.

Whatever combinations Southgate decides to use in midfield and attack will have to be tactically alert in what could be a game of chess for both sides. France usually looks to concede possession and territory to their opponents, which would mean England would have to make judicious use of the ball. Even with a "defensive" formation, they need to be attack-minded whilst avoiding losing the ball in dangerous positions.

Even if Southgate decides to play with the same formation he started the tournament with, he has a strong bench to turn the game around tactically and personnel-wise in what would be the hardest opponent so far in the game. Games like this are decided by who can capitalize more on their opponent's mistakes and be clinical with small margins.

To win, England will have to efficiently nullify France's midfield engine and effectively penetrate their wide positions with precision and believe that the pendulum of luck will swing in their favour today.