Netherlands vs England
Uefa Nations League Finals 2019
Venue: Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, Guimaraes
Date: Thursday, June 6, 2019
Kick-off time: 7:45pm BST
It is time for England fans to start dreaming of summer glory once again as the Three Lions begin their bid for Nations League glory in Thursday's semi-final against Netherlands.
England looked down and out after their first two Nations League group-stage qualifiers, losing 2-1 at home to Spain before a goalless draw in Croatia.
However, Gareth Southgate's side rallied to seal a stunning 3-2 win over Spain in Seville, and reached the finals with a 2-1 comeback win over Croatia at Wembley.
After the disappointment of their World Cup semi-final exit last summer England are now just two games away from glory - but they must beat Ronald Koeman's resurgent Netherlands, who topped a group featuring France and Germany.
Listen to our Uefa Nations League podcast below, and read on for our comprehensive preview...
Predicted line-ups
Netherlands: Cillessen, Dumfries, Van Dijk, De Ligt, Blind, De Jong, Wijnaldum, Van de Beek, Depay, Promes, Bergwijn
England: Pickford, Walker, Stones, Maguire, Chilwell, Rice, Barkley, Lingard, Sanco, Sterlinbg, Rashford
Squads
Netherlands squad
Goalkeepers: Marco Bizot (AZ Alkmaar), Jasper Cillessen (Barcelona), Kenneth Vermeer (Feyenoord)
Defenders: Nathan Aké (Bournemouth), Daley Blind (Ajax), Stefan de Vrij (Inter Milan), Denzel Dumfries (PSV), Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax), Hans Hateboer (Atalanta), Patrick van Aanholt (Crystal Palace), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielders: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax), Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Davy Pröpper (Brighton and Hove Albion), Kevin Strootman (Marseille), Donny van de Beek (Ajax), Tonny Vilhena (Feyenoord), Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool)
Forwards: Ryan Babel (Fulham), Steven Bergwijn (PSV Eindhoven), Luuk de Jong (PSV Eindhoven), Memphis Depay (Lyon), Quincy Promes (Sevilla)
England squad
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland (Stoke City), Tom Heaton (Burnley), Jordan Pickford (Everton)
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Ben Chilwell (Leicester City), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Michael Keane (Everton), Harry Maguire (Leicester City), Danny Rose (Tottenham), John Stones (Man City), Kyle Walker (Man City)
Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham), Ross Barkley (Chelsea), Fabian Delph (Man City), Eric Dier (Tottenham), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Declan Rice (West Ham)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Raheem Sterling (Man City), Callum Wilson (Bournemouth)
Match officials
- Referee: Clement Turpin (FRA)
- Assistant referees: Nicolas Danos, Cyril Gringore
- Video Assistant Referee (VAR): François Letexier
- Assistant VAR: Nicolas Rainville
- Fourth official: Tasos Sidiropoulos
Prediction: Netherlands 1-2 England (AET)
Netherlands may have missed out on the 2018 World Cup, meaning a fair few fans elsewhere will not be fully aware of Koeman's work since then.
The Dutch topped a group featuring the two previous World Cup winners - France and Germany - beating both nations at home, and should really have won against the Germans in Gelsenkirchen.
With arguably the world's two in-form centre-backs - Virgil van Dijk and Matthijs de Ligt - at the back, England will need to be at their best in attack.
Expect this one to go to extra-time, or even a penalty shootout.
Tickets
Click here for more information from Uefa's website.
Betting tips via Betfair | UK users only | Subject to change
Who will reach the final?
- Netherlands: Evens
- England: 31/20
First goalscorer
- Harry Kane: 7/2
- Calum Wilson: 5/1
- Memphis Depay: 6/1
- Marcus Rashford: 11/2
- Donny van de Beek: 11/1
- Raheem Sterling: 11/2
- Matthijs de Ligt: 221
- Virgil van Dijk: 20/1
Click here to find the latest match odds and place a bet.
TV channel and live stream, and online coverage
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports' Football and Main Event channels from 7pm, and is available via Now TV with a day pass on offer for £8.99. Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via SkyGo and the SkyGo app.
Head to Head history and results (h2h)
The two nations have faced each other 21 times, and are level on six wins apiece with nine draws.
The last time the two sides met in an official competition was back at Euro '96, with England famously winning 4-1 at Wembley thanks to braces from Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham.
