Heavyweights France and Germany aim to reach Euro 2016 final
Germany starting XI: Neuer, Can, Boateng, Howedes, Hector, Kroos, Schweinsteiger, Kimmich, Ozil, Draxler, Muller
World champions hope to reach back-to-back finals at major tournaments
Host nation out to replicate World Cup success on home soil in 1998
Winner will face Portugal in final on Sunday following their win over Wales
The Home Nations may now all be out but Euro 2016 goes on with a blockbuster semi-final clash as Germany take on France for the right to feature in Sunday's final.
Joachim Low's team are still on course for a double as they look to claim the European Championship following their World Cup win in Brazil two years ago.
But having won the World Cup on home soil as a player in 1998, Didier Deschamps will now be hoping to claim Euro glory as a manger when he leads out his France team in Marseille.
Follow the action as it happens as the teams battle to face Portugal in Sunday's Paris final.
From injured Germany midfielder Sami Khedira on Twitter
The Germany midfielder, who limped off against Italy, is joined on the sidelines by suspended defender Mats Hummels.
Germany confident of spoiling yet another party as Joachim Low's men set their sights on eliminating France once again
KIT HOLDEN: It's a case of deja-vu for the world champions. Two years on from their 7-1 demolition of Brazil, Germany once again face the hosts and fellow favourites in the semi-final of a major tournament.If Joachim Low's side are to add a European Championship win to their World Cup title, they need to be the party-poopers again. They need to beat the hosts, and disappoint the home fans.
For all the symmetry, a repeat of that brutal win over Brazil seems unlikely. By far the two best teams in this tournament, there is little to separate Germany and France. If they are to win another title, the world champions are going to have to fight for it.
Here are the full line-ups from the Stade Velodrome
- Germany: Neuer, Kimmich, Boateng, Howedes, Hector, Can, Schweinsteiger, Ozil, Kroos, Draxler, Muller.
- Subs: Leno, Mustafi, Khedira, Schurrle, Podolski, Weigl, Tah, Gotze, Sane, Gomez, Ter Stegen.
- France: Lloris, Sagna, Koscielny, Umtiti, Evra, Pogba, Matuidi, Sissoko, Griezmann, Payet, Giroud.
- Subs: Mandanda, Jallet, Rami, Kante, Cabaye, Gignac, Martial, Schneiderlin, Mangala, Digne, Coman, Costil.
- Referee: Nicola Rizzoli (Italy)
Joachim Low players inspect the pitch as Germany players take in the Velodrome
Snoop Dogg record sales set to plummet in France (maybe)
Expected France starting XI
Lloris, Sagna, Koscielny, Umtiti, Evra, Pogba, Matuidi, Sissoko, Griezmann, Payet, Giroud.Bastian Schweinsteiger comes in to captain Germany side
Germany make three enforced changes as they bid to book successive major tournament finals.Mario Gomez and Sami Khedira are ruled out through injury and are replaced by Julian Draxler and Bastian Schweinsteiger.
In defence Mats Hummels is suspended and he is replaced in the line-up by Emre Can.
Paul Pogba is at the centre of a transfer tussle between Manchester United and Real Madrid amid the biggest game of his career… now can the France star live up to the hype and drag his side past Germany?
JACK GAUGHAN: This European Championship was always earmarked as a barometer for Paul Pogba. Here he was, standing tall with the weight of a home nation upon him, knowing the judging eyes are prying.Just how good is he? How far can he drag France along? Will be become a victim of hype?
Only 23, he is already well-versed at carrying teams.
Juventus owe much of their continued - and, on a continental level, surprising - success to his midfield mastery.
Martin Keown's Euro 2016 big match analysis: 'France and Germany are the two best teams, I hope this is more free-flowing'
This could be an epic. These are arguably the best two teams left and I’m hoping this is the defining match of the tournament.France cruised through after a 5-2 over Iceland, while the Germans did it the hard way by beating Italy on penalties.
France vs Germany combined XI: Who joins Arsenal star Mesut Ozil and Dimitri Payet in Euro 2016 semi-final dream-team?
JONNY SINGER: On Thursday night two of Euro 2016's pre-tournament favourites go head-to-head in Marseille for a place in the final.While hosts France started slowly and have grown into the tournament, world champions Germany looked in control in the group stages, sweeping aside all before them, but then struggled against Italy, creeping through on penalties.
Now, with Portugal awaiting in Paris, the tournament's two most talented squads will do battle, but who would you pick in a team made up from both sets of players?
Sportsmail puts together the strongest possible XI...
Both teams are parking the bus at the Velodrome...
...let's hope that's not a metaphor for what we can expect on the pitch...
The calm before the storm inside the Stade Velodrome
Only a storm of exuberant fan noise though. No dangers of any rain storms judging by the clear blue skies in the south of France.
Euro 2016 still has the world champions and the host nation in the tournament
But this competition's final isn't big enough for the both of them. Only one can face Portugal in this Sunday's finale so good evening all and welcome to Sportsmail's live coverage of the defacto final second semi-final.
