Ollie Watkins’ late goal and Harry Kane’s penalty stunner secured England a 2-1 win over the Netherlands in the second semi-final of EURO 2024 at the BVB Stadion Dortmund.
Gareth Southgate’s men made history as the Three Lions will play a final of a major tournament on foreign soil for the first time. They are now one step closer to ending their 58-year wait to win a major tournament. England will face Spain in the final on Sunday at the Olympiastadion.
The game began with the Netherlands dominating the first ten minutes. Xavi Simons gave the Dutch an early lead with a stunning goal outside the English box. Simons picked the ball on the left and drove it towards the penalty box before unleashing a stunner.
However, the Dutch couldn’t maintain their momentum as England quickly bounced back. Harry Kane’s side started to dominate possession and create more chances. Kane scored the equalizer in the 18th minute, placing the ball into the net despite the Dutch goalkeeper’s efforts.
England slowed the game down after leveling the score and focused on breaking the Dutch defense with small passes. They came close to taking the lead in the 22nd minute, but Denzel Dumfries made a goal-line save to keep the score 1-1.
By the 25th minute, England had produced four shots on goal and maintained 65.8 percent possession. In the 34th minute, Memphis Depay was substituted for Joey Veerman by the Netherlands.
Phil Foden, who had a standout game, almost scored again in the 38th minute, but the Dutch goalie saved his left-footed shot. The first half ended with the score tied 1-1, with England dominating after Simons’ goal.
Both sides made tactical changes at the start of the second half. For the Dutch, Donyell Malen was replaced by Wout Weghorst, while Luke Shaw came on for Kieran Trippier for England.
In the 64th minute, Jordan Pickford made a crucial save from a Dutch corner taken by Virgil van Dijk. Bukayo Saka, unmarked inside the Dutch box, fired a shot towards the goal, but it was offside.
With 20 minutes remaining, star players Harry Kane and Phil Foden were substituted for Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer. The Netherlands created more chances in the second half, but it was Watkins who scored the winning goal in added time. He turned well inside the Dutch box after receiving the ball from Palmer and placed a shot that was impossible for the Netherlands goalkeeper to save.
Watkins’ late goal confirmed England’s place in the EURO 2024 final. The Three Lions beat the Netherlands 2-1 in Dortmund, marking their second consecutive appearance in the tournament’s final. In EURO 2020, England faced Italy in the final but lost after a heartbreaking penalty shootout.
