‘I think we will have a Premier League-style game’Netherlands face England in Dortmund semi-final Micky van de Ven has hailed England’s quality but believes they play “really defensively” as the Netherlands set about analysing their opponents before a heavyweight semi-final in Dortmund on Wednesday. Van de Ven, who anticipates “a Premier League-style game” with high intensity, and his teammate Cody Gakpo said they were aware England had received criticism at home and were under pressure to produce. “We do read some press and see how they speak about the England team but they are in the semi-finals – that shows they have quality,” Van de Ven said. “They have played really defensively, that’s true. Today, we will begin analysing them intensively and will learn more.” Continue reading...

United weighing up whether to pay €40m release clauseVan Nistelrooy awaiting visa to join coaching staff Manchester United are closing in on signing Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna after terms with the striker and his agent’s commission were agreed. The club are deliberating over whether to trigger the the Netherlands international’s €40m (£34m) release clause or negotiate a higher fee that would allow payments by instalments. Erik ten Hag is also targeting the centre-backs Jarrad Branthwaite and Matthijs de Ligt and cashflow is an issue for United, so having the funds to operate in the market is a balancing act reliant in part on outgoings that would draw finance from fees and the removal of salaries. Continue reading...

Squad news and reaction from Germany Join in! Email Xaymaca with your thoughts Gareth Southgate spoke about the criticism he’s received throughout the tournament. “I can’t deny that some of the personal nature, you know … ,” he said. “This is a job where you get ridiculed, and your professional capability is questioned beyond belief, and I don’t think it’s normal to have beer thrown at you either. Continue reading...

‘They need to see me strong in those moments’ Manager must choose between Konsa and Guéhi for semi Gareth Southgate has hit out at the personal nature of the criticism and ridicule aimed at him but said it is fuelling his attempts to guide England to glory at Euro 2024. England secured their third semi-final in four tournament appearances under Southgate after beating Switzerland on penalties and are determined to keep the journey going when they face the Netherlands in Dortmund on Wednesday. This is expected to be the manager’s final tournament in charge of England and he has seemed worn down at various points over the past month. Continue reading...

Supporters salute Gareth Southgate’s competitive recordWin over Switzerland proves an ‘unbelievable experience’ It was the early afternoon after the night before and Düsseldorf’s Altstadt had returned to something like normality. The streets were largely clear, there were brass bands parping in the square, and sitting quietly and heavy-lidded in the restaurants were the remnants of England’s travelling army. After England’s nerveless victory over Switzerland, during the penalty shootout at least, the Three Lions have gone back to their base in Blankenhain to prepare for Wednesday’s semi-final against the Netherlands. For many of the supporters, meanwhile, tens of thousands of whom were in the city for the game, their tournament is over. The airport was calling, but with a few extra memories tucked inside the hand luggage. Continue reading...

Reaction from Netherlands win over Turkey and moreGet in touch! Share your thoughts in an email to Taha Respect to Ronald Koeman for actually giving an answer here instead of the usual diplomacy of: “We’re just focused on the semi-final, ready for any side, blahblahblah." If we play the final, my preference is Spain because we had France in the group stage.” For Ronald Koeman, as for Louis van Gaal before him, when there is an emergency for the Netherlands, call for Wout Weghorst. The Burnley striker might not be the Cruyffian idea of the Total Footballing front man, but this is not the first time he has turned a game for his country after coming off the bench. Weghorst didn’t score, but he gave the Netherlands a focal point to their attack around which Cody Gakpo, Memphis Depay and Xavi Simons could operate, and he gave them a way that Austria couldn’t find in the last 16 to break down this Turkish defence. He actually won only one header, touched the ball just 13 times, but presence is not easily measured by statistics. Continue reading...

Netherlands set up last-four clash with win over TurkeyKoeman: ‘We had to suffer but finally it is a great success’ Ronald Koeman savoured the prospect of a Euro 2024 semi-final against England as “something special” after the Netherlands booked their place with a thrilling comeback win over Turkey. Two of Europe’s old powers will meet in a major tournament for the first time since 1996 after Stefan de Vrij and an own goal from Mert Muldur overturned a half-time deficit. Koeman’s players rode their luck late on but saw out a storm of pressure and face what promises to be a high-octane occasion in Dortmund. Continue reading...

There have been nine own goals at this tournament – as many as the first 15 European Championships combined By Richard Foster for The Football Mine When the Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen deflected Randal Kolo Muani’s shot past his own goalkeeper to give France 1-0 win and a place in the quarter-finals, he became the ninth player to score an own goal at Euro 2024. It was not the first time France have benefited from an own goal at this tournament – 66% of their goals have been scored by their opponents. Nine own goals in 44 matches is a startling number. To put it in context, the joint-top scorers in Germany – Cody Gakpo, Georges Mikautadze, Jamal Musiala and Ivan Schranz – have three goals each. Only one team has scored more goals, the hosts Germany with 10. There have been 20 own goals in the last two European Championships, one every five matches. That is remarkably high considering there were only nine in the first 15 European Championships, between 1960 and 2016, an average of one every 30 matches. Continue reading...

Former Dutch player of the year is level in the Golden Boot race and offers his national side a true cutting edge Andre Ratiu was having a decent tournament until he got to Munich and was made to look a dud by Cody Gakpo. The full-back, with his blue hair and ability on the ball, was sent one way then the other and finally left in limbo as the Netherlands’ No 11 crafted the space to crash a pinpoint shot inside the near post and open the scoring in their last-16 tie with Romania. The goal set aside some on-field nerves and the Dutch duly went on to put the Romanians to the sword. Well, eventually anyway. They crafted opening after opening and had 23 shots in total, but only six were on target, and it took until the final 10 minutes for the Oranje to seal the deal with a brace from Donyell Malen. Continue reading...

Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! The European Championships has a big problem: how are they going to fit 3,000,000 Turks inside the Olympiastadion (capacity 74,475) for their quarter-final against the Netherlands on Saturday? Germany hosts the largest Turkish diaspora in the world, making the likes of Berlin, Munich and Cologne – just to name a few – glorious melting pots. No wonder Lukas Podolski opened his own chain of kebab shops in the country. The former Arsenal forward is now worth £180m thanks to Mangal Doner, where you can get a Podolski sandwich for less than £7. In the dressing room there’s a bit of music, maybe we’ll have a drink … when you lose you feel bad, so it’s nice to win” – Donyell Malen shows the Dutch still have that liberal streak as he suggests the squad might get on the Tin after their 3-0 win over Romania. Continue reading...

Defender’s gesture has apparent far-right connotationsUefa inquiry could lead to him missing quarter-final tie Merih Demiral, Turkey’s goalscorer from their last-16 win over Austria, could face a ban from their quarter-final against the Netherlands on Saturday after Uefa opened an investigation into a gesture with apparent far-right connotations. Demiral, a centre-back, was the unlikely match winner for Turkey in Leipzig but may be in line for disciplinary action after celebrating his second goal with a “wolf” salute. It is associated with the right-wing extremist nationalist group Grey Wolves and is banned in Austria, where it is punishable by fines of up to £3,400, since 2019. Continue reading...

A tie that had promised noise, tempo and a rattling intensity delivered emphatically. At its conclusion Turkey’s substitutes and staff could hurtle on to the pitch in celebration of a quarter-final spot, their colleagues having seen out wave after wave of Austria pressure that did not yield a leveller. They will face the Netherlands in Berlin after seeing out a game they led for all bar the first 57 seconds, the centre-back Merih Demiral scoring the second-fastest goal in European Championship history and adding another in the second half. Despite a response from Michael Gregoritsch and a frantic finale that brought heroics from the Turkey keeper Mert Gunok, there was to be disappointment for Ralf Rangnick’s highly fancied team. The smart money had been on an early goal; the surprise was that it came from Turkey. They had been well warned about Austria’s propensity to score inside the first 10 minutes and, when Rangnick’s side poured forward from kick-off, it seemed reasonable to anticipate more of the same. Continue reading...

BBC Sport pundits Alan Shearer, Alex Scott and Ashley Williams discuss the "brilliant" performance from Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo as Ronald Koeman's side beat Romania 3-0 in Munich.

Just in case anyone needed reminding, the Dutch know how to play football. Clicking back into gear after a stumble against Austria, the Netherlands brushed aside the challenge of Romania – literally in the case of Cody Gakpo bursting beyond Radu Dragusin to set up the decisive second goal – and head into the quarter-finals in form. This was a vindication for coach Ronald Koeman, whose selection was spot on and his substitutions even more so. For their opponents, this still counts as a good tournament, and their fans made one heck of a noise. But the gulf in class between Romania and the Oranje in blue was clear and only grew larger as the game went on. Donyell Malen scored a brace in the last 10 minutes after coming on at half-time, confirming a first-half lead delivered clinically by Gakpo. Continue reading...