England vs. Netherlands: Semi-Final PreviewEngland vs. Netherlands: Semi-Final Preview England, the tournament favorites, and the Netherlands, an unexpected dark horse, will face off in the semi-finals of EURO 2024 at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund on Wednesday, July 10. England’s Uncertain Journey Despite entering the tournament as the top-ranked team, England has yet to deliver a dominant performance. They have narrowly escaped the knockout stages with late goals in each match, drawing criticism for their inconsistent play. Netherlands’ Consistent Rise In contrast, the Netherlands have been one of the most impressive teams since the tournament’s start. Led by Cody Gakpo, tied for the Golden Boot race with three goals, they have showcased their dominance and explosiveness. Key Players to Watch * Cody Gakpo (Netherlands): The PSV Eindhoven forward is their leading scorer and has been instrumental in their attack. * Xavi Simons (Netherlands): The Manchester City midfielder has provided key assists and orchestrated the team’s offense. * Jude Bellingham (England): The Borussia Dortmund midfielder has been a key figure in England’s midfield and scored a crucial goal in the round of 16. * Harry Kane (England): The Tottenham Hotspur striker has scored in extra time to keep England’s tournament hopes alive. Match Prediction Despite their recent struggles, England’s star quality cannot be overlooked. However, the Netherlands’ consistency and explosiveness make them a formidable opponent. The match is expected to be a close contest, with England edging out the Dutch by a narrow margin. Prediction: Netherlands 1-2 England Broadcast Information The match will be televised live on Fox Sport in the United States. Kick-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET.
England entered EURO 2024 as favourites and were set to reach the semi-finals, where they will face the Netherlands, who were under the radar before the tournament but have been one of the most consistent teams since the start.
( MORE: EURO 2024 schedule, bracket )
The one constant for England has been a narrow escape from the knockout stages and constant criticism from around the world, as Gareth Southgate’s side are five games into EURO 2024 and have yet to produce a 90-minute performance to match their incredible quality and depth. Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane scored in the final minute of injury time and the first minute of extra time respectively to edge past Slovakia in the round of 16, before Bukayo Saka scored an 80th-minute equaliser to help England reach the penalty shootout and beat Switzerland in the quarter-finals.
On the one hand, the Netherlands have yet to play a giant in the knockout rounds, having beaten Romania and Turkey to reach the semi-finals. On the other hand, England haven’t done that either, and the Dutch have at least looked dominant and explosive at one point in this tournament. Cody Gakpo is tied with three other players in the race for the Golden Boot, but is the only one with three goals still playing. Team-mate Donyell Malen, alongside Bellingham and Kane for England, is just behind Gakpo with two goals.
How to watch Netherlands vs Englandstream link and start time
Kick-off: 3:00 p.m. ET, Wednesday (July 10)
Stadium: Westfalenstadion, Dortmund
How to Watch on TV, Stream in the US: Fox Sport
Dutch national team news, focus
Xavi Simons, 21, set up two of Gakpo’s three goals and has three assists in total at EURO 2024. Manchester City’s Nathan Ake assisted Gakpo’s other at left-back, but it’s Denzel Dumfries at right-back who continues to provide the width (and pace) to the wings. Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven is a frequent late-game safety sub for Ronald Koeman’s side and made an incredible block to deny Turkey a stoppage-time equaliser in the quarter-finals.
English team news, focus
Marc Guehi is expected to regain his starting place alongside John Stones after being suspended against Switzerland for accumulating yellow cards, although there is still some mystery over a three- or four-man defensive line. Kobbie Mainoo started for the second straight game alongside Declan Rice in midfield (Trent Alexander-Arnold started the first two games before Connor Gallagher got his chance in the group stage finale against Slovenia). From there, the only other question is whether Kieran Trippier remains at left-back or Southgate takes a gamble and selects Luke Shaw, who played 42 minutes on Saturday after being out injured since February.
Netherlands vs England prediction
In their worst and most desperate moments of this tournament, it was three of England’s brightest stars who rose to the occasion and saved the day. They will be lifted by it and it will be a back-to-back appearance in the European Champions’ final for the Three Lions. Netherlands 1-2 England.
