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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sam Lovett

England vs Netherlands prediction: How will Uefa Nations League semi-final go?

England saw their dreams of Nations League glory dashed as the Netherlands prevailed in a see-saw semi-final in Guimaraes.

The Three Lions led through Marcus Rashford's first-half penalty but Matthijs De Ligt's equaliser saw the contest go to extra-time.

John Stones' error led to a Kyle Walker own goal before Quincy Promes wrapped things up and send the Dutch through to Sunday's final against Portugal.

 
Good evening and welcome
 
Thank you for joining us for live coverage of the Nations League semi-final match between England and the Netherlands.
 
Kick-off in Portugal will be at 7.45pm BST. Team news will be released shortly after 6pm and stick with us in the meantime for all of the latest news and big match build-up.
 
Match preview
 
For the latest team news, odds and our match prediction, make sure you check out our pre-match preview piece.
 
 
FA condemnation
 
The build-up to this match has of course been sadly overshadowed by fan disorder in Portugal last night and the Football Association has today called the fans involved in disturbances in Porto an "embarrassment" to the England team.

The Three Lions' preparations for Thursday's Nations League semi-final with Holland in Guimaraes have been overshadowed by another night of disruption in nearby Porto.

England supporters clashed with Portuguese police and were seen hurling bottles, prompting some local families watching the hosts' match against Switzerland in a fan zone to flee with their crying children.

'England 'til I die' filled the air along with more unsavoury chants - just the latest embarrassing chapter when the Three Lions travel abroad, with trouble marring last year's trips to Amsterdam and Seville.

An FA spokesperson said: "The FA strongly condemns the scenes witnessed in Porto overnight. Anyone responsible for these disturbances cannot be seen as true England supporters and are not welcome in football.

"They are an embarrassment to the team and the thousands of well-behaved fans who follow England in the right way.

"We are liaising with the UK Football Policing Unit."

 
Miguel Delaney in Portugal
 
Our Chief Sports Writer was in Porto last night to report on Portugal's clash with Switzerland, and has written the following piece on the shameful scenes involving England supporters which followed the game.
 
 
Portugal 3-1 Switzerland
 
A recap of what happened in the first Nations League semi-final.
 
 
Southgate keeping coy
 
 
 
Gareth Southgate refused to name his England captain on the eve of the Nations League semi-final clash with Holland as Raheem Sterling revealed he was left "fuming" by claims he would skipper the side.

The Three Lions take on Ronald Koeman's Holland in Guimaraes on Thursday night with hosts Portugal waiting for the winners in the final.

A press release circulated late on Tuesday evening suggested Sterling would lead out the Three Lions to mark the occasion of his 50th cap.

There was no official confirmation from the Football Association at the time, while Southgate remained tight-lipped over who would wear the armband when he addressed the media at his pre-match press conference.

The press release read: "The Football Writers' Footballer of the Year is set to wear the Captain's armband for England's UEFA Nations League semi-final fixture against The Netherlands in Portugal, on Thursday evening, 6th June."

But, amid reports the Manchester City man will captain the side, Sterling insisted he knew nothing of the release and had not spoken to anyone, including Southgate, before Tuesday evening - revealing he apologised to the England boss when he realised what had happened.

"I couldn't tell you that," Sterling replied when asked what had prompted the release of the statement.

"I woke up this morning fuming. I hadn't had a conversation with Gareth or anyone in my agency, so it was a strange one to wake up to.

"The first thing I did after I came off the phone to my agent was see Gareth down the hallway, and I apologised to him for what had happened. I don't know where that's come from."

Southgate would not be drawn on who would captain his side in Guimaraes, given there are fitness concerns over regular skipper Harry Kane.

The Tottenham forward appeared jaded as he made his first start for seven weeks in Saturday's 2-0 Champions League defeat to Liverpool.

Southgate refused to rule Kane out of the contest against the Dutch and would not give away any of his team selection in advance so as not to give Holland boss Ronald Koeman an advantage.

"If I confirm anything about the team other than that Raheem is playing, I'm doing half of Ronald's job for him," he said.

"I don't want to discuss the captaincy. Harry Kane is our captain. If he doesn't play, then I have a decision to make. I'm not prepared to say whether Harry Kane is playing tomorrow."

 
It isn't a very nice night in Portugal...
 
 
And could it be about to get even worse?
 
 
6pm pitch inspection
 
 
 
There is set to be a pitch inspection at 6pm due to the incredibly heavy rain in Guimarães this afternoon.
 
If the match officials deem the pitch to have completely flooded then there is a chance the semi-final will be postponed.
 
However Miguel Delaney, who is covering the match for our this evening, has said that the rain seems to be easing off and that it would be a surprise to see the game cancelled at this point.
 
The Dutch revival
 
For anyone wondering exactly how the Netherlands have so quickly recovered from two dismally failed qualifications to become a team who now suddenly look like European champions, it’s actually probably worth taking a trip to Gelderland next week, rather than Portugal for the Nations League this weekend.

There, the 30th international Marveld Tournament will be taking place. The event is not just one of the most prestigious underage competitions on the continent but - crucially - the last one for under-15s before they turn under-16. The latter is the age band at which young players can move within the EU, and players can be picked up for a mere £130,000 at the end of contracts.

It is why many of the top clubs often send their first-team scouts, rather than just their academy scouts, to the event.

Read more:

 
Relax...
 
 
Well that minor panic didn't last long. 
 
A tough test awaits
 
Whichever side wins tonight will face a very tough test in the final.
 
Not only are Portugal reigning European champions, but they also have one of the best players in the world fit and raring to go...
 
 
Everything you need to know
 
Let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet, but should England see off the Netherlands tonight to reach their first competitive final since 1966, here is what you will need to know:
 
 
Not too long until team news...
 
A reminder of how we're expecting England to line-up this evening, with Gareth Southgate planning to rest Liverpool and Tottenham's European heroes.
 
England (4-2-1-3): Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire, Chilwell; Rice, Barkley; Lingard; Sancho, Sterling, Rashford.
 
England team news 
 
Raheem Sterling makes his 50th appearance for England tonight and as rumoured he also picks up the captain's armband.
 
 
 
England go up against a pretty decent Netherlands side for a place in the Nations League final. Liverpool heroes Virgil van Dijk and Georginio Wijnaldum start as does Matthijs de Ligt.
 
Netherlands:
 
Cillessen, Dumfries, de Ligt, van Dijk, Blind, de Roon, de Jong, Wijnaldum, Bergwijn, Depay, Babel
Harry Kane starts on the bench tonight as he's probably still not 100% fit.
 
How will England go without him? 

He has been directly involved in 34% of the 59 goals scored by England under Gareth Southgate with 17 goals and 3 assists; a higher share than any of his teammates.

 
 
Gareth Southgate names a relatively young side in this crucial game. Questions will arise after the game as to whether it was the right decision or not but how did the England manager balance his squad? 

"It's been a strange, different sort of preparation but every time you get together, there are always complications of some sort," he said.

"We lost eight players with injury in March and young players came in and played brilliantly. We've shown incredible adaptability and resilience as a team.

"I have to assess all the players who were involved in Madrid. It was a unique game and set of circumstances, whether you won or lost, there are emotional and physical implications, and the fact they only arrived on Tuesday and there's been a lot of tactical work to be done."

 
In the last 14 matches between England and the Netherlands, England have only won two games. There have been seven draws and five losses. 
 
In competitive matches the Netherlands have only lost to England once, at Euro '96 where the three lions won 4-1.
 
Another win for Gareth Southgate tonight and he'll become the first England manager to win more than once against the Netherlands in all competitions. 
 
 

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