England vs Netherlands: Harry Kane and Virgil van Dijk battle poor form in bid to lead way to Euro 2024 final

One on his heels as a Bukayo Saka cut-back spears into the box and is comfortably cleared; the other crouched, five yards behind the defensive line, as Marcel Sabitzer breaks a botched offside trap to score Austria's winning goal.

To call these the defining images of the respective tournaments of Harry Kane and Virgil van Dijk would be a touch harsh. They are, after all, each about to lead their country out in a Euros semi-final, knowing one or the other will do likewise in Sunday's showpiece against Spain in Berlin.

Still, though, they are snapshots that fuel the nagging sense that tonight's renewal of what was, until recently, a totemic Premier League rivalry, comes at a time when its two principles are a diminishing force. In permanent decline? No, that would be premature. Kane, about to turn 31, scored 36 times in the Bundesliga last season, while Van Dijk, 33 at the start of this week, was outstanding for much of Liverpool's campaign before their title challenge faded late on.

Rather, it has so far looked as if this summer's tournament might simply have come along at an inconvenient moment, when for a multitude of speculative reasons, neither are quite on top of their game.

Naturally, as face and figurehead, each has thus become a lightning rod for an unconvincing — but still advancing — team. For Gary Lineker's uncharacteristic criticism of Kane, read a rather more predictable outburst from Marco van Basten, who it seems has had it in for Van Dijk for much of the past half-decade.

"He's got to lead, and he's the one we're going to hold accountable in the end," Van Basten said, after the 3-2 group-stage defeat to the Austrians, though it remains to be seen whether that sentiment holds should the Dutch captain hold the trophy aloft at the Olympiastadion this Sunday.

There have been calls in native quarters for both Kane and Van Dijk to be dropped, the kind of punchy views a little easier to push when they have almost no chance of realisation; like the manifesto pledges of a fringe party.

True, Ivan Toney has been impressive off the bench, while the Dutch are blessed with depth at centre-half, having left both Tottenham's Micky van de Ven and Kane's Bayern Munich team-mate Matthijs de Ligt on the bench for the quarter-final win against Turkey.

But neither Gareth Southgate nor Ronaldo Koeman are likely to have given more than a moment's thought to heading into tonight's game without their most inspirational leaders.

So, what of their duel? Kane has a decent record against Van Dijk, scoring six times in 10 Premier League meetings, but the Dutchman emerged a comfortable winner from the equivalent of their heavyweight title fight, when shackling a half-fit Kane as Liverpool eased past Tottenham in the Champions League Final in 2019.

That, though, was Van Dijk in his absolute prime, Uefa's, the Premier League's and his peers' player of the year that season and second only to Lionel Messi in voting for the Ballon d'Or.

Kane, meanwhile, yesterday insisted again that the back injury which curtailed his club season is behind him now, suggesting that using his fitness to explain his middling form would be an "easy" excuse and talking up the challenge of facing down an old foe.

"Virgil is one of the best defenders in the world, and has been for a long time now," Kane said. "He's strong, he's powerful, he's quick.

"We've had some really good battles over the years. Sometimes he has won that battle, sometimes I have won that battle."

Whoever claims victory this evening will cast their summer in a new light.