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Key occasions
23 min: Nice probability for Toletti! Diani’s deep cross isn’t cleared correctly by the unsighted Wilms and rolls invitingly in direction of Toletti. She runs onto the ball, 12 yards from objective, however spanks a wild shot over the bar. That was one of the best probability of the match.
22 min “How seemingly is a Netherlands win in the present day?” says Brendan Giant. “As an England fan (however not an amazing watcher of the ladies’s recreation simply but) I see France as a giant menace and would moderately they went house now.”
It feels about 60/40 in France’s favour. To be sincere, and why wouldn’t I be, whoever England play from right here will likely be a giant menace – the 5 remaining groups are all potential winners.
21 min Cascarino cuts inside from the left, makes use of the overlapping Karchaoui by not utilizing her and smacks a rising drive that’s pawed away by Van Domselaar. She’s already made a handful of excellent saves.
20 min Cascarino’s deflected cross is headed behind for one more nook by Van der Gragt. Toletti floats it deep in direction of Renard, who flicks a header huge underneath strain. Once more, a half probability at greatest.
19 min This can be a actually good spell for France. Spitse is compelled to concede one other nook after a recreation of head tennis within the Dutch penalty space.
17 min A low cross from the fitting is shanked in direction of her personal objective by Janssen, and Van Domselaar flies to her proper to palm the ball away. That’s a fairly good save, particularly as she wouldn’t have been anticipating it. Moments later, Bilbault hits a candy shot from 25 yards that’s nicely held to her left by Van Domselaar.
15 min The left-back Casparij is caught upfield, which permits Diani to cost into area when France break. She runs 50 yards, to the sting of the world, earlier than driving a low shot that’s too near Van Domselaar.
14 min The nook is swung to the far put up, the place Renard will get away from Groenen however heads huge from 12 yards. A half probability at greatest.
13 min The ensuing free-kick is curled deep by Toletti and headed behind by Miedema. France’s first nook…
13 min Groenen is fortunate to keep away from a yellow card for a cynical sort out on Karchaoui.
12 min For the primary time within the match, France haven’t scored within the first ten minutes.
10 min The nook is a large number and nearly goes out for a throw-in.
9 min The Netherlands are coming into the sport. Miedema tees up Spitse for a long-range drive that hits a defender and spins behind for a nook.
8 min Spitse flips Toletti up within the air, a problem that appeared worse stay than on the replays. No yellow card.
5 min Netherlands have their first prolonged spell of possession. Casparij turns Perisset very neatly on the left and curls a bouncing cross in direction of the far put up, the place Karchaoui inadvertently heads the ball in direction of her personal objective. Peyraud-Magnin leaps to make a cushty save.
3 min France have made a quick, dominant begin, with the Netherlands barely crossing the midway within the first jiffy.
2 min “Ah!” says Charles Antaki. “The director has discovered, early doorways, the fan with the factor on her head which is both a curling stone or a spherical of cheese. The latter might be extra seemingly, provided that she’s a Netherlands fan, however presumably there’s some curling finished on canals within the winter?”
You’re asking me? I’m an knowledgeable in only a few issues, and canal curling is emphatically not certainly one of them.
1 min A half probability for France within the first minute. Diani threads an excellent move into Geyoro within the space, however Janssen ensures she will’t get a clear shot at objective and the ball dribbles by means of to Van Domselaar.
1 min Peep peep! France kick off from left to proper as we watch. This might be spectacular.
Right here come the gamers. It’s a pleasing night time in Rotherham, round 21C, and the Dutch finish is the same old sea of orange.
“Hello Rob,” says Peter Oh. “I’m positive the orange-clad plenty will assist the Dutch workforce really feel like they’re taking part in in Rotterdam and never in Rotherham.”
The gamers who will miss the semi-final if they’re booked tonight
France Sakina Karchaoui
Netherlands Lineth Beerensteyn, Dominique Janssen, Jill Roord, Damaris Egurrola
Louise Taylor’s preview
Crew information: Miedema begins
Vivianne Miedema returns for the Netherlands, certainly one of three modifications from their win over Switzerland. Kerstin Casparij and Victoria Pelova additionally are available, with Aniek Nouwen, Jill Roord and the injured Lieke Martens lacking out. The inclusion of Casparij means Dominique Janssen will transfer throughout to centre-back.
Corinne Diacre, who rested quite a few France gamers in opposition to Iceland, returns to her strongest XI. There are two modifications from the facet that beat Belgium of their second recreation: Melvine Malard for the injured Marie-Antoinette Katoto up entrance and Sandie Toletti for Clara Mateo in midfield.
France (4-3-3) Peyraud-Magnin; Perisset, Mbock Bathy, Renard, Karchaoui; Toletti, Bilbault, Geyoro; Diani, Malard, Cascarino.
Substitutes: Chavas, Lerond, Palis, Torrent, Tounkara, Mateo, Bacha, Dali, Baltimore, Sarr, Cissoko.
Netherlands (4-3-3) Van Domselaar; Wilms, Van der Gragt, Janssen, Casparij; Groenen, van de Donk, Spitse; Beerensteyn, Miedema, Pelova.
Substitutes: Weimar, Lorsheyd, Nouwen, van Dongen, Roord, R Jansen, Dijkstra, Leuchter, Olislagers, Egurrola, Brugts.
Preamble
Now this is a quarter-final: France and the Netherlands, third and fourth on the earth rankings, taking part in for the fitting to face Germany within the final 4. In simplistic phrases, it’s the underachievers in opposition to the champions. And the underachievers are favourites.
France – and despite the fact that I’m typing this I nonetheless don’t totally consider it – have by no means reached the semi-finals of the European Championship. The Netherlands haven’t any such simian backpack: they received the competitors in memorable fashion in 2017.
The Netherlands’ defence of their title has been each completely wonderful and barely underwhelming. They beat Portugal and Switzerland and drew with Sweden, which is about par, however they needed to work tougher than anticipated for these two wins. “We’re nonetheless ready,” says their supervisor Mark Parsons, “for that efficiency the place all of us say we acquired to a stage that offers us goosebumps.”
There’s a caveat – the absence of Vivianne Miedema, who was in Covid isolation for the video games in opposition to Portugal and Switzerland. She is again within the beginning XI tonight. Sadly it’s one in, one out for the Netherlands, as the good Lieke Martens is out of the match with a foot drawback.
The French are additionally with out one a Paris Saint-Germain star: Marie-Antoinette Katoto, who suffered a critical knee harm within the second group recreation in opposition to Belgium. Melvine Malard deputised excellently within the draw in opposition to Iceland and begins tonight, however Katoto is a giant loss.
France made a rampant begin to the match, scoring 5 within the first half in opposition to Italy. Since then they’ve been loads quieter – they misplaced the second half 1-0 to Italy, beat Belgium 2-1 and drew 1-1 with Iceland in what was, for them no less than, a lifeless rubber.
Iceland’s 102nd-minute equaliser, so late it was nearly posthumous, ended France’s run of 16 consecutive wins. That sequence included a 3-1 victories over the Netherlands on the Tournoi de France in February. However it’s exhausting to understand how a lot we must always learn into that, particularly as two of the objectives had been scored by – yep – Marie-Antoinette Katoto.
The France supervisor Corinne Diacre says the Netherlands are most likely favourites tonight, although I’d disagree with that. To not her face. Not cos I’m frightened of her.
Objectively, France are slight favourites to undergo. However everyone knows that, in a heavyweight conflict like this, something is feasible.
Kick off 8pm.
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