Euro 2024 Semifinal: Netherlands v England preview

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UEFA Euro 2024 has provided unrivalled thrills and spills thus far, and the volume will only be turned up even further when the second semifinal kicks-off on Wednesday 10 July at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund, as the Netherlands battle England.

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Match background

The Netherlands have grown as a force in this tournament, recovering from finishing third in Group D behind Austria and France to batter Romania 3-0 in the round of 16. They then showed great composure and resilience to come from behind and defeat Turkey 2-1 in the quarterfinals – via unlikely hero Stefan De Vrij and an own goal from Mert Muldur. The Oranje may not have the sheer talent of the other three semifinalists, but they have a canniness and self-belief that could yet carry them to glory.

England, despite their lack of cohesion throughout the tournament, have advanced into the final four on the back of topping Group C, a dramatic extra time 2-1 win over Slovakia (in which Jude Bellingham pulled the game from the fire with an incredible goal), and a penalty shootout triumph over Switzerland in the quarterfinals. Gareth Southgate’s side have not fully capitalised on the tools they have at their disposal, but that perhaps makes it even more impressive that they have got this far… and hints that they could hit their stride at just the right time.

What the teams are saying

“It will be a great night on Wednesday between two big nations – a historic night,” predicted Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman. “If we play in the final, my preference is Spain because we had France in the group. But first we must prepare in the best way to play a good semifinal.”

“Our intention is to play with the ball, but you have opponents trying to stop you. Our team has been under enormous pressure from the start, and they did so well. Now we can’t score lots but the last three games we’ve played against five at the back. We’re through to our third semi-final in four attempts but that’s not where we want it to end,” said England coach Gareth Southgate.

Players to watch

Memphis Depay – The attacker with Ghanaian heritage has scored just once at the tournament thus far but has nonetheless played with his characteristic swagger. Memphis Depay’s movement and maverick style could be a real challenge for the England defence to handle.

Bukayo Saka – The Arsenal winger played somewhat out of position as a wingback against Switzerland but still made a major contribution – including a superb equalising goal. Bukayo Saka’s pace, movement and shooting ability will be a major feature of the Three Lions’ play on Wednesday night.

Head-to-head

In head-to-head terms, Netherlands and England have met in 22 matches dating back as far as 1935. The Oranje have claimed seven wins compared to six for the Three Lions, while nine games have been drawn.

The teams last met in the semifinals of the UEFA Nations League in June 2019, with the Dutch winning 3-1 in Guimaraes, Portugal, thanks to strikes from Matthijs de Ligt and Quincy Promes, as well as a Kyle Walker own goal.

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UEFA Euro 2024 broadcast details

All times CAT

Wednesday 10 July

21:00: Netherlands v England – LIVE on SuperSport Premier League, SuperSport Maximo 1, SuperSport Maximo 2 and SuperSport Maximo 360