Head-to-head info
Overall, there’s been 22 meetings between England and the Netherlands. The Dutch have won three of the last four against the Three Lions, including a 3-1 victory in the Nations League in 2019. England has a mere one win in their last nine matches versus the Netherlands (four draws, four losses). This is the fourth meeting at a major competition between England and the Netherlands.
Can England produce the goods?
The Three Lions went into Euro 2024 as the favorite to lift the grand prize and although they still remain in the mix to do so, it hasn’t been convincing. England only scored twice in the group stages while winning once and compiling two draws. The Round of 16 was nearly a repeat of the Iceland defeat in 2016, going down 1-0 early to Slovakia before Jude Bellingham saved the day in injury time to force extra time. Harry Kane quickly put his side ahead for good.
As for the quarterfinals, Switzerland was seen as a team that could very well beat England. Again, they were facing a 1-0 deficit late in the second half but Arsenal man Bukayo Saka came to the rescue, scoring a beautiful equalizer. Nothing was decided in extra time, meaning the Three Lions had to win in penalties. Again, not a convincing result, but regardless, England is only two wins away from bringing it home.
Kane and Bellingham have been Southgate’s most reliable players up top, both scoring twice apiece. Overall, the Three Lions have bagged just five goals in the competition. It won’t be any easier on Wednesday either against a Dutch outfit with a strong backline anchored by Liverpool standout Virgil van Dijk. England is sitting at +165 odds to win outright in the semis at Sports Interaction.
Netherlands coming alive
Despite advancing to the last 16 as a third-place team out of Group D with a 1-1-1 record, the Netherlands have found their best in the knockout rounds. They hammered Romania 3-0 thanks to a brace from Donyell Malen and a goal from Cody Gakpo before coming back to beat Turkey in the quarters.
In fact, the Dutch scored twice in just six minutes to eliminate the Turks, who were one of the surprises of the tournament. The opportunities on target were even but the Netherlands did control 59% of the ball throughout the match. Gakpo is the main man for the Dutch and continues to prove why he’s one of the best attackers in the world. The Liverpool star has three goals and an assist. He’ll be relied upon to create some havoc on Wednesday.
Youngster Xavi Simons also has three assists while Malen is a player who can clearly come on and contribute as a substitute. This Netherlands squad is very talented and undoubtedly has what it takes to take down England. That’s why their odds aren’t far off the Three Lions at soccer betting sites.
