England’s Recent Form
- Draw Streak: England have drawn their last four games.
- Consistent Scorelines: Three of those matches ended 1-1 after 90 minutes.
- Harry Kane: He has scored 65 goals for England, the most of any player.
England’s Semi-Final Journey
England’s dramatic passage to the Euro 2024 semi-finals came after a tense penalty shootout win over Switzerland. Despite going 1-0 down to a close-range finish from Breel Embolo, Bukayo Saka netted a late equaliser, but England’s overall performance remained lacklustre. They struggled to create chances, with Saka’s goal being their first shot on target in the 80th minute.
It’s uncertain if Gareth Southgate will stick with the three-at-the-back system, especially with Marc Guehi returning from suspension. England have only beaten Serbia in regular time during the tournament and will need to step up their game against a Netherlands side that has shown improvement since the group stage.
Dutch Consistency
The Netherlands secured a solid 3-0 victory over Romania in the round of 16 and came from behind to defeat Turkey in the quarter-finals. Cody Gakpo leads the tournament scoring charts with three goals, and the Dutch have netted nine times in five games, four more than England.
Despite a 3-2 group stage defeat to Austria, the Oranje progressed as one of the third-placed teams and have been strong since then. This is their first semi-final appearance since 2004, having last lifted the trophy in 1988. The Netherlands won their last meeting against England 3-1 in the 2019 Nations League.
Extra Time Likely
Both of England’s knockout games have gone to extra time, and this match against the Netherlands could follow the same pattern. The Dutch are the best team England have faced so far, and with England’s tendency to avoid risks under Southgate, extra time seems probable if the game is level near the end of normal time.
Three of England’s last four matches have finished 1-1 after 90 minutes. Correct score backers should consider another 1-1 draw. Harry Kane, despite criticism, has scored two of England’s five goals in this tournament and remains a good bet to find the net.
Kane anytime goalscorer 2/1
