England take on the Netherlands in the second semi-final of Euro 2024, with both sides looking to book a place in Sunday’s final as they face off in Dortmund.
The Three Lions put in an improved performance against Switzerland but still required penalties to reach the semis, with Bukayo Saka shining, but they will know they need to improve again if they are to beat the Dutch.
Gareth Southgate’s men remain slight favourites to make Sunday’s showpiece, but they’ll need to be wary of the threat from players including Cody Gakpo, Xavi Simons and Memphis Depay.
Ronaldo Koeman’s side started the tournament in a similar fashion to England, but a 3-0 win against Romania followed by an enthralling 2-1 turnaround in the quarter-final against Turkey means that the Oranje will be quietly confident ahead of Wednesday’s game.
Follow the latest updates and reaction from the Netherlands vs England below:
England have ‘confronted’ their shortcomings. Next up? Netherlands
“The great thing is we’re not sitting here happy with a semi-final,” Southgate said. “We want to go further…”
That is one fact amid all of these different emotions that shouldn’t be forgotten. England are still just a match from one of the greatest stages in the game, as well as a chance to rectify Euro 2020.
Karl Matchett10 July 2024 10:00
Netherlands vs England referee: Who is Euro 2024 official Felix Zwayer?
The experienced official, 43, has been refereeing since 2005, but was given a six-month ban from officiating by the German Football Federation in 2006 after accepting a €300 bribe to cover up for fellow official Robert Hoyzer.
Zwayer later brought Hoyzer’s match-fixing plot to light, and after his ban he rebuilt his own reputation and his career, despite Hoyzer being banned for life.
Karl Matchett10 July 2024 09:45
Virgil van Dijk can silence legends and end feud by guiding Netherlands to Euro 2024 final
Of all the players around Europe to chastise, to suggest hasn’t had a positive impact on teammates and to berate for not playing well enough, Virgil van Dijk will feel like a baffling choice to regular viewers of the Premier League.
As an individual star and then as captain, the Dutch defender has raised Liverpool to regular trophy winners, been the most accomplished centre-back in the game and won everything going since moving to Anfield, as well as finishing second in the 2019 Ballon d’Or, a mere seven vote points behind Lionel Messi.
Yet as can so often be the case, the domestic perception of a player does not match the international one on home soil. Van Dijk has been pilloried by some of the biggest names in Dutch football history, not just once, not just at this tournament, but relentlessly, for years.
Karl Matchett10 July 2024 09:36
England aren’t finishing Euro 2024 like they started – and it’s still unclear if that’s a good thing
As Berlin and the Henri Delauny trophy come into clearer view, it is almost as if Gareth Southgate’s vision of his side is even more clouded. England’s run to the Euro 2024 semi-final certainly hasn’t been one of those classic cases of a team finding itself as a tournament goes on. So much around Southgate’s side still doesn’t make sense, bar their own iron will, as was all illustrated so chaotically in that quarter-final victory over Switzerland.
What is maybe most significant is that this doesn’t feel as important as it did even a week ago, whatever about three weeks ago. England very much don’t start like they’ll finish, and this doesn’t seem to matter that much. By contrast, the eventual changes seem to result in the winning of ties.
That doesn’t actually mean Southgate has stumbled on what works, though, in another way that can happen in such games.
Sonia Twigg10 July 2024 09:03
Gareth Southgate addresses prospect of earlier substitutions against Netherlands at Euro 2024
The Three Lions boss only made one change before the 84th minute in the round of 16 against Slovakia, and none at all before the 78th in the quarter-final against Switzerland. England have played 120 minutes twice, and the manager opted against making the sixth change available to him in the added 30 minutes on both occasions.
Following the last-eight shootout win, he spoke about several players including Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham being out on their feet and, given the high temperatures in Dortmund ahead of the semi-final encounter, fatigue may be an increased concern for England this time around.
Sonia Twigg10 July 2024 08:41
Harry Kane addresses fitness concerns ahead of England’s crunch Euro 2024 semi-final
Harry Kane has declared he is “getting better and sharper”, saying he has become accustomed to “question marks over my fitness or my form” throughout his career ahead of England’s Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands.
England’s campaign has seen constant discussion over the captain’s physical condition, with another early substitution against Switzerland leading to calls that Ivan Toney comes in for Wednesday’s semi-final in Dortmund.
Kane came into the tournament after picking up a back injury during the final weeks of the season with Bayern Munich, and there have been questions over whether he has been able to press to the level required for England’s gameplan.
Sonia Twigg10 July 2024 08:22
England v Netherlands
When is Netherlands vs England?
Netherlands face England in the second semi-final at Euro 2024, with the game kicking off at 8pm BST on Wednesday 10 July in Dortmund.
The match will be broadcast live on ITV 1 and STV, while UK viewers can stream the game via the ITV X and STV Player platforms and apps. You can find a full list of which channel is showing each match here. Coverage starts at 4pm on BBC One and the iPlayer.
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Sonia Twigg10 July 2024 08:03
Predicted line-ups
NED – Verbruggen, Dumfries, De Vrij, Van Dijk, Ake, Schouten, Reijnders, Bergwijn, Simons, Gakpo, Depay
ENG – Pickford, Walker, Stones, Guehi, Saka, Rice, Mainoo, Trippier, Foden, Bellingham, Kane
Sonia Twigg10 July 2024 07:47
Early team news
Netherlands have not seen anybody suspended during the tournament and despite losing several names to injury ahead of the Euros starting, seem to have escaped without further losses during their five matches so far. The big decision for Ronald Koeman will be whether to stick with Steven Bergwijn starting on the right or to bring in either Donyell Malen or Wout Weghorst, the latter meaning a reshuffle of the attack, Xavi Simons likely moving to the flank.
Marc Guehi is back from suspension and with Luke Shaw having returned to fitness to appear off the bench in the quarter-final, England should also have a full 26-man squad for Gareth Southgate to choose from. Starting Shaw or not – and if in place of Kieran Trippier or someone else – will be the manager’s big decision, while Guehi may not come back into the side if Ezri Konsa keeps his place.
Sonia Twigg10 July 2024 07:31
England v Netherlands
Gareth Southgate’s side have gone to extra time in both knockout fixtures, meaning they’ve only won a single game at the tournament so far in 90 minutes, but through Harry Kane’s extra time winner and a penalty shootout victory over Switzerland, they’re into the last four again.
Netherlands were convincing in dispatching Romania in the last 16 and came from behind to beat Turkey in the quarter-final, but were themselves up and down in the groups, finishing third behind France and Austria.
They won the European Championship in 1988 while England have never done so – but it’s the Three Lions who have better recent history after reaching the Euro 2020 final, as well as the 2018 World Cup semis.
Sonia Twigg10 July 2024 07:18