England vs Netherlands result: Kyle Walker own goal sees Three Lions lose Nations League semi-final
England fail to reach the inaugural Nations League final
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.England saw their dreams of Nations League glory dashed as the Netherlands prevailed in a see-saw semi-final in Guimaraes.
The Three Lions led through Marcus Rashford's first-half penalty but Matthijs De Ligt's equaliser saw the contest go to extra-time.
John Stones' error led to a Kyle Walker own goal before Quincy Promes wrapped things up and send the Dutch through to Sunday's final against Portugal.
Please allow a moment for the blog to load
A tough test awaits
Whichever side wins tonight will face a very tough test in the final.
Not only are Portugal reigning European champions, but they also have one of the best players in the world fit and raring to go...
Everything you need to know
Let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet, but should England see off the Netherlands tonight to reach their first competitive final since 1966, here is what you will need to know:
Not too long until team news...
A reminder of how we're expecting England to line-up this evening, with Gareth Southgate planning to rest Liverpool and Tottenham's European heroes.
England (4-2-1-3): Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire, Chilwell; Rice, Barkley; Lingard; Sancho, Sterling, Rashford.
Raheem Sterling makes his 50th appearance for England tonight and as rumoured he also picks up the captain's armband.
England go up against a pretty decent Netherlands side for a place in the Nations League final. Liverpool heroes Virgil van Dijk and Georginio Wijnaldum start as does Matthijs de Ligt.
Netherlands:
Cillessen, Dumfries, de Ligt, van Dijk, Blind, de Roon, de Jong, Wijnaldum, Bergwijn, Depay, Babel
Harry Kane starts on the bench tonight as he's probably still not 100% fit.
How will England go without him?
He has been directly involved in 34% of the 59 goals scored by England under Gareth Southgate with 17 goals and 3 assists; a higher share than any of his teammates.
Gareth Southgate names a relatively young side in this crucial game. Questions will arise after the game as to whether it was the right decision or not but how did the England manager balance his squad?
"It's been a strange, different sort of preparation but every time you get together, there are always complications of some sort," he said.
"We lost eight players with injury in March and young players came in and played brilliantly. We've shown incredible adaptability and resilience as a team.
"I have to assess all the players who were involved in Madrid. It was a unique game and set of circumstances, whether you won or lost, there are emotional and physical implications, and the fact they only arrived on Tuesday and there's been a lot of tactical work to be done."
In the last 14 matches between England and the Netherlands, England have only won two games. There have been seven draws and five losses.
In competitive matches the Netherlands have only lost to England once, at Euro '96 where the three lions won 4-1.
Another win for Gareth Southgate tonight and he'll become the first England manager to win more than once against the Netherlands in all competitions.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments