It was the much-anticipated semifinal showdown between two great footballing nations in the nations league. Netherlands vs England, as both teams had to battle it out for a chance to meet Portugal in the finals. As the major club leagues for the season are over, a lot of attention has now turned to the nations league, and it sure has proved to be an exciting one for the fans.
Netherlands who missed out on the just-completed world cup tournament and are under the management of Koeman, are pushing to find their feet again and go back to the top where they belong. Earning their place in the semifinal stage, it was a great opportunity for them to show once again that they are back and are ready to become a force that they once were in the past.
England has been in the same shoes as the Netherlands but were found their feet quickly since Southgate took over as the coach of the English national team. They performed their way to their first world cup semifinal after a long time but were unfortunate to come short against the relentless Croatians. Just like the Netherlands, it was a great opportunity for this young English side to show what they can do on the pitch to play the final.
Brief Post-Match Analyses
It was a fabulous atmosphere at the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques Stadium, as fans were all buzzing with excitements and ready for the game. For both teams, this was more than just a friendly game, but a serious game that needed to be played with great determination and focus.
Netherlands lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, while England setup in a 4-3-3 formation. The game began and both teams started the game in a pretty slow manner, but later picked up intensity as the game progressed. It was England who broke the deadlock in the game, but the Netherland proved once again that they had more in their locker to turn the table around to see off the tie.
Rashford got the first goal of the match for England in the 32nd minute, converting from the penalty spot after been fouled in the box.
De Ligt canceled the lead in the 73rd minute, putting in a fantastic header to draw the game level.
Walker scored an own goal against his team in the 97th minute, after the backline was caught trying to play out from the back.
Promes sealed the victory for the Netherlands in added time, to ensure that they meet Portugal in the finals.
it was a great win for The Netherlands which means that they will now face Portugal in the finals. An exciting fixture it is with lots of expectations from both teams.
And that is a wrap…
What do you think about this match?
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