The England national team is set to face Spain in the Grand Finale in Berlin this Sunday.
On Wednesday, England triumphed over the Netherlands 2-1 at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, marking their first Euro finals appearance on foreign soil and back-to-back finals.
The Nigerian football community had hoped for a Netherlands victory, and the atmosphere erupted when PSG midfielder Xavi Simons capitalized on an error from England’s Rice, firing a powerful shot from 25 yards into the net in the 7th minute. Many expected the Dutch team to dominate the match.
However, England captain Harry Kane sought an equalizer and was awarded a penalty in the 18th minute after Dutch defender Dumfries fouled him. Kane converted the penalty smoothly, leveling the score. Dumfries received a yellow card for the foul.
England nearly scored again in the 22nd minute, but Foden’s attempt was cleared off the line by Dumfries, despite protests from the English players, which were dismissed by referee Zwayer.
As the game seemed headed for extra time, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins skillfully turned and slotted a shot into the far right corner after receiving a pass from Palmer, propelling England into the finals.
Statistically, the match was closely contested, with England holding 59% possession and completing 589 passes to the Netherlands’ 413. However, the Netherlands had more fouls (11-6) and corner kicks (3-0).
After the game, a beaming Kane remarked, “England is a match away from making history, and on Sunday, we aim to upgrade.”
England will meet Spain on July 14 at 8 PM Nigerian time at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.
There was some controversy regarding referee Felix Zwayer, who had previously been suspended for match-fixing. Fans questioned his suitability for officiating such a significant match. England player Bellingham had previously made statements that contributed to Zwayer’s suspension, but UEFA had not responded to media inquiries about a possible replacement as of Tuesday night.
Despite Netherlands appearing statistically stronger with 9-5 goals scored and 20-15 shots on target, England emerged victorious. They finished Group C with 5 points, scoring only 2 goals and conceding 1, defeating Slovakia 2-1 in the Round of 16 and edging past Switzerland on penalties in the quarterfinals.
Netherlands qualified as one of the best third-placed teams, finishing with 4 points in Group D. They defeated Poland and beat Romania 3-0 in the Round of 16 before overcoming Turkey in the quarterfinals.
Historically, both teams have faced each other in various friendly and competitive matches, with England winning their last competitive encounter at the Euro Nations League in 2019.
This is the 17th edition of the European Championship, featuring 140 goals across 50 matches, averaging 2.28 goals per match, with total attendance reaching 2,615,688.
Currently, six players, including England’s Harry Kane and Spain’s Danni Olmo, share the lead in goals scored, each with three, and both remain in contention for the Golden Boot.