Ollie Watkins emerged as the hero for England, scoring a brilliant 90th-minute goal to secure a 2-1 victory over the Netherlands in the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-final. This win propelled the England men’s team to their first-ever major tournament final on foreign soil, sparking celebrations among fans and vindicating Gareth Southgate’s tactical decisions. Watkins, a late substitute for captain Harry Kane, received a clever pass from Cole Palmer inside the penalty area, executed a sharp turn, and fired a precise shot across Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen to clinch the dramatic win. This decisive moment ensured England’s place in the Euro 2024 final against Spain, rewarding Southgate’s substitutions and tactical approach amidst earlier criticisms of England’s tournament progress.
The match began with a shock as the Netherlands took an early lead. Xavi Simons unleashed a powerful strike in the 7th minute after dispossessing Declan Rice in a dangerous area. The Dutch threatened to extend their lead further when Denzel Dumfries’ header struck the crossbar shortly before halftime. However, England gradually asserted their dominance in the first half. Phil Foden was unlucky to see his shot hit the post and another effort cleared off the line. England’s persistence paid off when Harry Kane equalized from the penalty spot. A controversial VAR review led to the penalty award, and Kane confidently converted, leveling the score.
The second half witnessed a more balanced contest. The Netherlands reorganized and posed greater challenges to England, limiting their scoring opportunities. England thought they had taken the lead in the 80th minute when Bukayo Saka found the net, but the goal was disallowed due to Kyle Walker being ruled offside in the build-up. Responding to the growing tension, Southgate made crucial substitutions, introducing Watkins and Palmer. Watkins’ late goal proved decisive, leaving the Netherlands with no time to respond and securing England’s hard-fought passage to the Euro 2024 final.
Tactical First Half: England’s Midfield Ascendancy
Once the initial flurry of goals subsided, England established a clear tactical structure, building from the back with a three-man defense. This transformed into a 3-4-2-1 formation when in possession, effectively countering the Netherlands’ 4-2-3-1 setup. A critical aspect of England’s first-half strategy was creating a numerical advantage in central midfield. This enabled them to control possession and generate scoring chances. Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham played as dual number 10s, frequently interchanging positions and strategically positioning themselves on either side of the Netherlands’ deepest midfielders. They expertly exploited the spaces in the inside channels, working in tandem with Harry Kane. Kobbie Mainoo and Declan Rice further solidified England’s midfield control, ensuring dominance in this crucial area of the pitch throughout the first half.
England’s attacking impetus was particularly evident on the right side. With Kieran Trippier, a right-footed full-back, operating on the left flank, England’s left side lacked natural width and attacking flow. In contrast, England’s right flank, featuring Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden, appeared more threatening during sustained periods of possession. Their effective rotation, combined with intelligent off-ball movements from Kobbie Mainoo, created significant problems for the Dutch defense. Harry Kane’s tendency to drop deep further enhanced these forward movements, providing a crucial link-up play. Saka and Foden, in particular, exploited the inside-right channel, consistently troubling the Netherlands. Foden came close to scoring after a mesmerizing dribble, only to be denied by a goal-line clearance from Dumfries.
High Pressing Strategy of England
England’s impressive first-half performance was underpinned by their aggressive and coordinated pressing strategy. The front three of Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, and Phil Foden spearheaded the press, targeting the Dutch center-backs, goalkeeper, and left-back Nathan Aké. Bukayo Saka diligently tracked back to support Declan Rice and Kobbie Mainoo in covering the Netherlands’ midfield trio. Kieran Trippier fulfilled a dual role, supporting Marc Guéhi defensively while also being prepared to press Denzel Dumfries when he advanced. Memphis Depay’s deep runs occasionally posed challenges, but John Stones effectively neutralized this threat by committing to track him, effectively disrupting most of the Netherlands’ build-up play from the back.
Unable to penetrate or bypass England’s high press and defensive block, the Netherlands were increasingly forced to resort to long balls directed over England’s defensive line. Cody Gakpo moved centrally to partner Memphis Depay – and later Donyell Malen – forming a front two. However, with Saka consistently tracking back, Kyle Walker could tuck inside, ensuring that England’s three center-backs effectively outnumbered the Dutch front two. England’s defensive line excelled in winning aerial duels and securing second balls, regaining possession and thwarting Dutch attacks. Furthermore, the presence of Rice and Mainoo in midfield provided additional layers of defense, quickly recovering possession and stifling any potential counter-attacks.
Second Half Adjustments and Southgate’s Masterstroke
Both managers implemented changes at halftime. Luke Shaw replaced Kieran Trippier for England, a straight swap at left-back. Ronald Koeman had already been forced into a first-half substitution, replacing the injured Memphis Depay with Joey Veerman, a midfielder, and shifting Donyell Malen into a central attacking role. At halftime, Koeman made another attacking change, introducing Wout Weghorst and repositioning Xavi Simons into a narrower, more defensively oriented role.
These adjustments aimed to counter England’s box midfield structure. Simons’ more withdrawn position on the right effectively tracked Declan Rice, disrupting England’s midfield control. This allowed the Netherlands’ central midfield trio to adopt player-oriented marking schemes against Bellingham, Foden, and Mainoo, negating England’s numerical advantage in this area. Weghorst’s role involved screening and attempting to force England’s center-backs to one side, defending in an underloaded situation. This tactical tweak enabled the Dutch center-backs to maintain a 2v1 advantage against Harry Kane, as they were no longer being drawn out or impacted by England’s number 10s.
Although Luke Shaw provided better balance to England’s left flank, the Netherlands’ defensive modifications largely neutralized England’s attacking play in the second half. England struggled for penetration and attacking tempo, becoming increasingly reliant on individual brilliance. A rare moment of quality saw Walker’s overlapping run and cross find Saka, but the subsequent goal was disallowed for offside. Recognizing the need for fresh impetus, Southgate made decisive attacking substitutions, bringing on Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins. This proved to be a masterstroke, as the excellent combination play between Palmer and Watkins unlocked the Dutch defense and secured England’s place in the Euro 2024 final.
Gareth Southgate’s impressive unbeaten run in European Championship games extended to 13 matches, including the Euro 2020 final against Italy. While that final ended in penalty shootout heartbreak, England’s resilience, evident progress, and clinical finishing throughout Euro 2024 have presented them with another golden opportunity to lift the trophy for the first time.
