The second semifinal of the UEFA Euro 2024 will take place tonight as the Netherlands will face off against England at the iconic Signa Iduna Park. Both the Netherlands and England had a difficult start in their respective group. England was the champions of Group C with 5 points, while the Netherlands were third in Group D with 4 points.
However, the Oranjee found their form back from the knockout round, defeating Romania by a 3-0 margin before eliminating Turkey from the quarterfinals.
But England have been struggling throughout the tournament. They had a tough fight against Slovakia in the round of 16 and defeated Switzerland in the tie-breaker. Now, the Three Lions will face one of the favorites in this tournament. Can they beat the Oranjee to reach the final?
Stats & Facts
- The Netherlands and England have played three matches against each other in major tournaments, including European Championships and FIFA World Cups. Both teams won once, and the remaining game ended in a draw.
- It will be the first meeting between the two sides in the UEFA Euro since 1996.
- The Three Lions have won just one of their last nine meetings with the Netherlands across all competitions. Their only win during this period came in a FIFA friendly in 2018.
- This is the fourth time England has reached the semifinal. However, the Three Lions failed to progress from the semifinals on their first two attempts. However, they reached the 2020 Euro final but lost to Italy on penalties.
- The Netherlands have progressed from only one of their last five semifinals in the UEFA Euro.
Team News
It’s been great news for England boss Gareth Southgate that Man United’s left-back has returned to the pitch after being injured for five months. He did not play a single minute in England’s first four matches but came off the bench during the match against Switzerland. The Man United’s left-back is fully fit to face off against the Oranjee tonight.
Marc Guehi served a one-game suspension with the match against Switzerland and is now available for the selection. But he has to fight with Ezri Konsa to get a place in the starting XI.
As for the Netherlands, Cody Gakpo is among the top scorers with three goals. He will lead the Dutch attack along with Memphis Depay. However, Donyell Malen could come into the starting XI, replacing Steven Bergwijn.
Possible Lineup for Netherlands:
Verbruggen; Dumfries, De Vrij, Van Dijk, Ake; Schouten, Reijnders; Malen, Simons, Gakpo; Depay
Possible Lineup for England:
Pickford; Luke Shaw, Stones, Guehi; Saka, Mainoo, Rice, Trippier; Bellingham, Foden; Kane
Prediction: Netherlands 2-1 England
Although the Netherlands suffered a lot in the group round, the Ronald Koeman boys have got their form back from the knockout round. Striker Cody Gakpo is getting goals, and he will be a great threat to the Three Lions.
Meanwhile, England are still struggling in this tournament. They could have been eliminated from the quarterfinal against Slovakia, thanks to the injury-time goals from Bellingham and Kane.
Therefore, we expect the Netherlands to beat England and progress into the final.
Betfair Odds
Netherlands: 3.14
Draw: 2.82
England: 2.73
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