UEFA Euro Preview: The Clash of Titans! Netherlands Aiming to Rediscover Past Glory, Southgate Eyeing Consecutive Finals with England

On July 11 at 3 AM, the second UEFA Euro semi-final will see the Netherlands take on England. This Dutch-English clash is a battle of contrasting styles, with the Netherlands striving to recapture their past glory, while England, boasting five players worth over €100 million each, hopes to reach consecutive finals.

The Netherlands finished third in their group with one win, one draw, and one loss but have since eliminated Romania 3-0 and Turkey 2-1 in the knock-out rounds to advance to the semi-finals.

England advanced from the group stage undefeated with one win and two draws. However, their journey through the knock-out stages was fraught with peril as they required extra time and a penalty shootout to overcome Slovakia and Switzerland, respectively.

The Netherlands won the UEFA Euro in 1988, and reaching the semi-finals this year has them aiming for a renaissance. Their forward Cody Gakpo has been a standout performer, scoring three goals so far. Although England has never won the UEFA Euro, they reached the final last time around and are now pushing for back-to-back appearances. Despite having a wealth of talent in midfield and attack, England struggles to coalesce as a unit, relying on moments of brilliance from Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, and Bukayo Saka to narrowly progress in the knock-out stages.

In their last five UEFA Euro matches, the Netherlands scored nine goals, averaging nearly two per game. In contrast, England managed only five goals across five matches, including extra time in the knock-out rounds, highlighting a significant difference in attacking prowess.

Since 2002, the teams have met eight times, with the Netherlands holding the upper hand during regular time with two wins, five draws, and one loss. Their most recent encounter was in the 2019 UEFA Nations League, ending 1-1 in regular time before the Netherlands scored twice in extra time to win, although this included an own goal by Kyle Walker. Notably, the Netherlands defeated England 3-1 in the 1988 group stage, while England avenged that loss with a 4-1 victory in the 1996 group stage.

In terms of defensive solidity, England conceded just three goals in five games, giving them a slight edge over the Netherlands. With a valuation of €1.52 billion, England’s squad is twice as expensive as the Netherlands’, featuring high-value players like Bellingham, Phil Foden, Saka, Declan Rice, and Kane.

In UEFA Euro semi-final history, the Netherlands’ record stands at one win and four losses, whereas England has one win and two losses from three semi-finals, with their sole victory coming in the previous tournament. Judging by semi-final records, the Netherlands’ win rate appears less impressive.

This Dutch-English confrontation is not just a clash of styles but a do-or-die affair. The Netherlands aim to return to the final, while England dreams of making consecutive finals to end their trophy drought.

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