Sabasports Match Preview
Euro 2024: Netherlands vs England
Kickoff Time: 2024-07-11 03:00 (HKT)
Source: REUTERS/Annegret Hilse
Since entering the knockout stage, Netherlands have quickly adjusted their form and game strategy. In the quarter-finals, Netherlands defeated Turkey 2-1 and successfully advanced to the semi-finals. This was also the first time since 1988 that Netherlands had come from behind and advanced in the knockout stages of the European Championship, and that year they eventually won the championship. When Ronald Koeman first coached Netherlands, he introduced the tactical concept of three central defenders and a defensively oriented approach. Upon his return to the national team, he decisively reverted to the traditional 4-3-3 formation. When facing strong opponents, Netherlands also rely on strong confrontations and tactical fouls to disrupt the game, thereby forcing the opponent to slow down their offense. Whether in attack or defense, Ronald Koeman’s tactical abilities are indeed convincing. It is worth mentioning that Netherlands have often been criticized for being “weak”. However, Cody Gakpo’s continued impressive performances have made the world recognize them once again. There is no doubt that Gakpo is the key player in their offense. His speed, skill, and intelligence will be crucial weapons in Netherlands’ attacking.
In the quarter-finals, England once again staged a dramatic comeback. In the 75th minute of the game, Switzerland took the lead by scoring and went ahead 1-0. However, just five minutes later, Bukayo Saka scored a beautiful goal to equalize for England. His goal undoubtedly brought the Three Lions back from the brink of elimination. In the end, England defeated Switzerland 5-3 in a penalty shootout and successfully advanced to the semi-finals. However, England’s performance throughout the tournament has been unconvincing. Despite having billions of dollars’ worth of players such as Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, and Declan Rice, England have failed to exhibit the high-quality cooperation one would expect. Take Rice, for example, he rarely gets involved in the game and when he does, he often opts for safe passes and sideways passes. The partnership between Bellingham and Foden also lacks chemistry. The former not only restricts Kane’s space but also lacks strong dribbling ability, while the latter operates from a deeper attacking midfield position and tends to share Rice’s workload. Possession is often dominated by safe passes and sideways passes, with limited breakthroughs. The lack of variation in tempo and difficulty in progressing from one level to another is what characterizes England’s current style of play.
In terms of overall strength and reputation, England are undoubtedly superior to Netherlands. However, the Three Lions consistently adopt a conservative playing style and rarely take the initiative in matches. Judging from their previous two knockout games, England have consistently fallen behind before equalizing. This pattern may foreshadow the upcoming game. Therefore, Netherlands, with their wealth of attacking routines, are more likely to seize the initiative and become a formidable opponent.
Netherlands’ Last 5 Games: WWLDW
24-07-07 Netherlands 2-1 Turkey
24-07-03 Romania 0-3 Netherlands
24-06-26 Netherlands 2-3 Austria
24-06-22 Netherlands 0-0 France
24-06-16 Poland 1-2 Netherlands
England’s Last 5 Games: DDDDW
24-07-07 England 1-1 Switzerland (PEN 5-3)
24-07-01 England 1-1 Slovakia (AET 2-1)
24-06-26 England 0-0 Slovenia
24-06-21 Denmark 1-1 England
24-06-17 Serbia 0-1 England
Head To Head Record:
19-06-07 Netherlands 1-1 England (AET 3-1)
18-03-24 Netherlands 0-1 England
16-03-30 England 1-2 Netherlands
12-03-01 England 2-3 Netherlands
09-08-13 Netherlands 2-2 England
Prediction: Netherlands to win or Draw