England v Germany: Euro 96 semi-final – live! | Football

First things first: there’s no Jurgen Klinsmann for Germany. It wasn’t a bluff.

Right, England make one change from the win over Spain. Paul Ince, who was missed so badly on Saturday, returns from suspension to replace the newly suspended Gary Neville. The only slight surprise is the inclusion of David Platt ahead of Phil Neville, who most expected to be chosen to replace his brother.

That means England will play with three rather than four at the back. Terry Venables has obviously decided that this game is too big for a 19-year-old, even one as precocious as Neville. But his time will come; on the evidence of the last six months, he’s going to be a superstar.

The word from Wembley is that Klinsmann has bugger all chance of coming off the bench, even though he will sit among the German substitutes. His replacement is the 33-year-old Stefan Kuntz, who plays for Besiktas in Turkey – not, as some of you have suggested, for Nominative Determinism FC.

Germany have been ravaged by injuries, and two of their seven available substitutes are reserve goalkeepers.

Germany (3-4-2-1) Kopke; Babbel, Sammer, Helmer; Reuter, Freund, Eilts, Ziege; Scholl, Moller; Kuntz.
Substitutes: Bode, Hassler, Kahn, Schneider, Strunz, Bierhoff, Reck.

England (3-1-4-2) Seaman; Southgate, Adams, Pearce; Ince; Anderton, Platt, Gascoigne, McManaman; Shearer, Sheringham.
Substitutes: Flowers, Barmby, Campbell, Ferdinand, P Neville, Stone, Fowler, Walker.