France and the Netherlands played out the first 0-0 draw of Euro 2024 on Friday in Leipzig as each side claimed a point that moves them close to qualifying for the knockout phase.
Les Bleus, who beat the Dutch twice during qualifying for these finals, were unable to find a way through the Oranje rearguard in the absence of Kylian Mbappe, who remained an unused substitute while he nurses a broken nose.
Antoine Griezmann, captain in Mbappe's absence, was involved in France's best chances of the game, failing to convert when Adrien Rabiot inexplicably passed with the goal at his mercy in the first half before scuffing a shot from a similar close-range angle in the second.
Xavi Simons had the ball in the net for Ronald Koeman's side, but his crisp strike from inside the box was ruled out for offside after the on-pitch officials deemed Denzel Dumfries was in the way of goalkeeper Mike Maignan. A lengthy VAR check upheld the decision.
With both of these teams winning their opening games against Poland and Austria respectively, it always felt likely that this would be something of a risk-averse encounter. A draw sets up each side nicely for qualification for the Round of 16 with one Group D game remaining.
🇳🇱 Netherlands 0-0 France 🇫🇷
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) June 21, 2024
Before tonight, none of the last 50 games at the European Championship had finished 0-0 (England vs Scotland at Euro 2020).
That run is over.#Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/o8Zr4hk2fD
It was France who dictated much of the play and certainly missed the majority of the best openings, one of which came in the first half when Rabiot exchanged passes with Marcus Thuram and, rather than shoot from six yards out, tried to prod a pass to Griezmann that allowed the Netherlands to scramble clear.
Cody Gakpo stung Maignan's palms and Griezmann did likewise to Bart Verbruggen with a header and a fierce dipping shot, before Thuram lashed over from a tight angle with the final half-decent chance before the interval.
France seemed to step up the tempo a little in the early phase of the second half and Griezmann had a golden chance to break the deadlock, only for his touch from the industrious N'Golo Kante's pass to leave him with a difficult shot that Verbruggen just about blocked.
Just as Les Bleus looked to be taking control, the Netherlands struck what they thought was the opener, Simons controlling his first-time strike beautifully after Maignan had stuck out a leg to deny Memphis Depay. The flag was raised after Maignan protested that the offside Dumfries had prevented his attempt to make a save, and VAR agreed after a check lasting over two minutes.
With Austria having earlier beaten Poland 3-1, both France and the Netherlands know they will qualify for the last 16 by avoiding defeat on matchday three. Deschamps' men face the Poles, who have lost two from two and are officially eliminated, while the Dutch must prepare for a potentially engrossing showdown with Ralf Rangnick's Austria.
MORE: Euro 2024 schedule and results, updated LIVE | Who will win Euro 2024? Latest odds and predictions | How to watch all the Euro 2024 action
Netherlands vs. France final score
| Fulltime | Goal scorers | |
| Netherlands | 0 | |
| France | 0 |
Venue: Red Bull Arena, Lepizig
Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)
Confirmed lineups:
Netherlands (4-3-3): Verbruggen (GK) — Dumfries, De Vrij, Van Dijk, Ake — Schouten (Veerman), Simons (Wijnaldum), Reijnders — Frimpong, Depay (Weghorst), Gakpo
France (4-3-3): Maignan (GK) — Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernandez — Rabiot, Kante, Tchouameni — Dembele (Coman), Thuram (Giroud), Griezmann
MORE: Kylian Mbappe injury updates: Latest news as France star avoids surgery after suffering broken nose
Netherlands vs. France stats
| Netherlands | Stat | France |
| 8 | Shots | 15 |
| 4 | Shots on target | 3 |
| 0.33 | Expected goals (if applicable) | 1.42 |
| 37% | Possession | 63% |
| 397 | Passes | 658 |
| 3 | Corners | 6 |
| 13 | Fouls | 8 |
| 1 | Yellow cards | 0 |
| 4 | Offsides | 0 |
Netherlands vs. France live updates, highlights from Euro 2024
Fulltime: Netherlands 0-0 France
That's that in Leipzig. We have our first 0-0 draw of the tournament, which is a result that suits both teams reasonably well. France failed to find a breakthrough as Mbappe watched on, although Griezmann, Rabiot and Thuram could easily have done so. Meanwhile, Simons' disallowed strike is likely to cause plenty of debate even if it doesn't ultimately mean much in terms of qualification. Both these teams are now on four points and are almost certain to reach the Round of 16, while Poland are officially the first team to be eliminated from these finals.
90+3 mins: Verbruggen is currently walking with the ball at his feet. Nobody is closing him down. The fans aren't happy, but we're very much into "whatever you do, don't lose" territory here.
90 mins: Kante takes Kounde's pass in the box, and it's Wout Weghorst making the block! Excellent defending from the striker. We're into five minutes of added time here.
88 mins: Rabiot surges clear down the left, but his cross has too much on it for substitute Kingsley Coman. That should have been a better delivery.
82 mins: Giroud wins a good header to cushion the ball back to Griezmann, but his space for a shot is quickly closed down. The Netherlands look to be sitting back and settling for a point here.
75 mins: Changes for both teams, with the biggest cheer coming as Olivier Giroud enters the fray.
72 mins: NO GOAL! After a long, long VAR check, the on-field decision stands. Boy, that's going to cause some debate.
Xavi Simons' potential match winning goal for Netherlands against France was disallowed after a VAR check decided that Denzel Dumfries was in an offside position and affected the play. pic.twitter.com/PPz7IdqUoS
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 21, 2024
69 mins: GOA — NO! Depay spins superbly but Maignon saves his low shot. The ball falls to Simons, who lashes home a first-time finish, but the offside flag is raised because Dumfries was standing in the way of the goalkeeper. This is a big call for VAR...
68 mins: Upamecano wins a tackle on the halfway line and Griezmann leads a break. He finds Dembele, who turns Ake once, then twice, and blasts narrowly over the bar. Netherlands are hanging on a little at the moment.
65 mins: GRIEZMANN! Thuram drives into the box and the ball breaks for Kante. His pass bobbles through to Griezmann, whose first touch isn't quite on point, and his scuffed attempt is blocked behind by Verbruggen. Griezmann was off-balance, but that was a huge chance.
63 mins: TCHOUAMENI! That was close! Dembele's cross from the right is a good one, Tchouameni gets just above Stefan de Vrij, but his header flies about a foot over the bar. France are looking a little more dangerous now.
60 mins: That's better! Thuram gets the ball 25 yards out, drives infield this time, and tries to pull his shot towards the bottom-left corner. It goes wide, but not by much.
59 mins: I'm not saying France are wary of over-committing to the attack, but Tchouameni has just attempted a shot from 30 yards out, facing away from goal at a right-angle, with two Netherlands players blocking his view. The ball went out for a throw-in.
55 mins: Netherlands win a free-kick 25 yards from France's goal. There's lots of build-up, fan excitement, agitation. Depay puffs out his cheeks, steps up... and kicks the ball straight at Thuram's head.
Hey, Siri, show me a moment that encapsulates this game. (Other smart assistants are available).
52 mins: Kante sets off on another strong run with the ball, leaves Simons on the turf... and puts his shot somewhere near the flight path to Berlin.
Kickoff: Second half
We're off again. No changes.
Halftime
Kante makes another run forward... and Taylor blows his whistle to stop him in his tracks. It's just the fourth game of the tournament with no goals in the first half. Rabiot wasted the best chance of those first 45 minutes.
🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) June 21, 2024
🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠
🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠
🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠
🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠
🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠🟠
🏟️😍#NothingLikeOranje #NEDFRA pic.twitter.com/7YPngDrNcJ
44 mins: Nathan Ake slips under pressure from Dembele and makes sure the ball doesn't escape his grasp while on the ground. He'll take a yellow card for that. We'll have just one minute of added time here at the end of a half where not a great deal has happened.
41 mins: Dembele wins a free-kick from Virgil van Dijk on the edge of the box. Griezmann steps up, but the wall does its job. There are now drinks being thrown in Griezmann's direction as he heads to take the corner in front of Dutch fans.
36 mins: Griezmann and Dembele each lose the ball to allow a Netherlands counter, and each time, the end product is wasteful from Frimpong and Xavi Simons. Koeman will want more from these breaks.
29 mins: Thuram! He looks offside, but replays show he timed his run to perfection. His finish is anything but, the ball flying high over the bar from a narrow angle. That's a waste.
23 mins: The fans have been raucous throughout this first half, but the game itself has quietened down a little. Netherlands choose to send some men up from the back for a deep Depay free-kick, but Dumfries can only head behind on the stretch.
17 mins: Good save, Maignan! Cody Gakpo cuts in from the right and aims for the far corner, but France's keeper pushes the shot around the post. Depay's corner is then something of a waste.
14 mins: How have France not scored? Why didn't Rabiot shoot?? Goodness me. Rabiot plays a terrific one-two with Thuram, and the return pass sends him through on goal. However, rather than shoot from six yards out, he tries to prod the ball to Griezmann, it goes behind his captain, and in the end the Dutch scramble it clear. Griezmann then steers just wide after France come again.
Seriously, why didn't Rabiot just shoot? Remarkable.
Watch in USA:
A HUGE CHANCE FOR FRANCE
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 21, 2024
Why did Rabiot not shoot this? 😱 pic.twitter.com/x5aKVAj4Aq
10 mins: Memphis Depay goes down in the box with his back to William Saliba. He asks for a penalty, but Anthony Taylor rightly says no way. The Dutch are looking a threat on the break whenever they disrupt France's possession play.
4 mins: Bart Verbruggen denies Griezmann! France work it really nicely after winning back possession on halfway, Rabiot tees up his captain, and his shot is tipped over the bar. Good start to this game.
2 mins: Early chance for the Netherlands! A loose ball falls to Frimpong and he sprints away from Lucas Hernandez. The left-back does well to make up the ground and put off the winger before his shot is tipped away by Mike Maignan. A big early opportunity there, and a reminder of Frimpong's incredible speed.
Kickoff: First half
Here we go!
5 mins before kickoff: The players have emerged from the tunnel and kickoff is moments away. Before then, we'll have a moment's applause to honour Gerhard Aigner, the former UEFA general secretary — and 'father' of the modern Champions League — who died this week at the age of 80.
10 mins before kickoff: In case you wondered, Mbappe will NOT be wearing his French tricolore mask, or a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle mask, or anything else of that kind. Basically, UEFA rules say protective wear like this has to look as boring as possible. Boo.
MBAPPÉ 🥷 pic.twitter.com/k9wOpYVvK5
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) June 21, 2024
20 mins before kickoff: Wayne Rooney is a pundit for BBC today. He says Ronald Koeman was "great to work with", and that "as a human being, I thought he was fantastic. He was a really good manager from my point of view." Rooney played under Koeman at Everton, which didn't go too well, so that's interesting praise from the former England star.
Rooney also says "you could never knock" Memphis Depay for his work rate and attitude.
45 mins before kickoff: In today's earlier Group D game, Austria produced a superb performance to down Poland 3-1 and take a big step towards possible qualification for the Round of 16. Ralf Rangnick's team are now in good stead at least to go through as one of the best third-place sides — although they will likely need a result against the Netherlands on matchday three to be sure of that.
🇦🇹🥳#EURO2024 | #POLAUT pic.twitter.com/Z0KUjFo58T
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 21, 2024
Team news
The Dutch appear to be going 4-3-3 to combat their opponents' system. In comes Jeremie Frimpong, although the Bayer Leverkusen star looks to be playing as a right-sided forward, in front of right-back Denzel Dumfries. Xavi Simons drops back into midfield alongside Jerdy Schouten and Tijjani Reijnders.
Representing 𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗝𝗘! 🦁🔥#NothingLikeOranje #NEDFRA pic.twitter.com/2oTtVmQn4Z
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) June 21, 2024
Antoine Griezmann was passed fit for France and takes the captain's armband, with Mbappe on the bench. Aurelien Tchouameni comes into midfield and Marcus Thuram spearheads the attack.
The kits are ready 🤍#NEDFRA | #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/1AzLQT7wXq
— French Team ⭐⭐ (@FrenchTeam) June 21, 2024
1 hour 30 mins before kickoff: The Netherlands will be hoping for a repeat of their Euro 2008 clash with Les Bleus, when they romped to a 4-1 victory thanks to goals from Dirk Kuyt, Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder.
WOW WOW WOW! 🤩#NothingLikeOranje #CreateHistory https://t.co/IxuMecBPgW pic.twitter.com/wd56A5Gznz
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) June 21, 2024
Current captain Virgil van Dijk was a 17-year-old at Willem II at the time, where he was told he'd be unlikely to make the grade. He was then signed by Groningen after impressing a scout, who happened to be former Netherlands international Martin Koeman — the father of Oranje coach Ronald.
I'm not sure any of that is relevant to tonight's game, but it's a nice story. So, you're welcome.
1 hour 50 mins before kickoff: According to French publication L'Equipe, Didier Deschamps has chosen to start with Adrien Rabiot on the left for this game, with Aurelien Tchouameni coming into the side after over a month out with injury. Rabiot's positioning is said to have been chosen to counter the threat of Netherlands right-back Denzel Dumfries.
Oh, and Mbappe just might be a substitute...
2 hours before kickoff: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of a mouthwatering Euro 2024 clash between the Netherlands and France in Leipzig. Didier Deschamps has a selection headache brought about by the actual headache Kylian Mbappe presumably suffered on account of his broken nose.
— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) June 19, 2024
Netherlands vs. France kickoff time
This Euro 2024 match kicks off from the Red Bull Arena on June 21 at 9:00 p.m. local time in Leipzig
Here's how that time translates across some of the major territories around the globe:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA/Canada | Fri, Jun. 21 | 3 p.m. ET |
| USA/Canada | Fri, Jun. 21 | 12 p.m. PT |
| UK | Fri, Jun. 21 | 8 p.m. BST |
| Australia | Sat, Jun. 22 | 5 a.m. AEST |
| India | Sat, Jun. 22 | 12:30 a.m. IST |
Euro 2024 Group D standings
| Pos. | Team | GP | W-D-L | Goals | Goals against | Points |
| 1. | Netherlands | 2 | 1-1-0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 2. | France | 2 | 1-1-0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 3. | Austria | 2 | 1-0-1 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| 4. | Poland - E | 2 | 0-0-2 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
E = Eliminated
Netherlands vs. France lineups, team news, starting 11
There are no major injury concerns for Ronald Koeman and the Netherlands.
Wout Weghorst made a strong case for being elevated to the starting lineup when he starred as the matchwinner against Poland, but the former Wolfsburg and Manchester United target man has to be an impact sub once more, as Memphis Depay leads the line. Memphis is just five goals behind Robin van Persie's all-time Netherlands record of 50 international goals.
Jeremie Frimpong comes into the lineup and looks to be playing as a right-sided forward. Joey Veerman drops to the bench.
Netherlands starting lineup (4-3-3): Verbruggen (GK) — Dumfries, De Vrij, Van Dijk, Ake — Schouten, Simons, Reijnders — Frimpong, Depay, Gakpo
Netherlands subs (max 15): Bijlow, Flekken, Geertruida, De Ligt, Wijnaldum, Weghorst, Van de Ven, Veerman, Blind, Malen, Brobbey, Maatsen, Zirkzee, Bergwijn, Gravenberch
There's good news for France regarding Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann. Mbappe is able to be a substitute despite his broken nose, while Griezmann is fit to start and takes the captain's armband.
Didier Deschamps gives the nod to Marcus Thuram ahead of veteran striker Olivier Giroud in attack.
France starting lineup (4-3-3): Maignan (GK) — Kounde, Upamecano, Saliba, Hernandez — Rabiot, Kante, Tchouameni — Dembele, Thuram, Griezmann
France subs (max 15): Samba, Areola, Pavard, Mendy, Camavinga, Giroud, Mbappe, Kolo Muani, Zaire-Emery, Fofana, Coman, Clauss, Konate, Barcola
Netherlands vs. France live stream, TV channel
Here's how to watch this Euro 2024 match across selected areas of the world's major regions:
| TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA | Fox | Fubo, Fox Sports app/website, ViX |
| Canada | TSN 1, TSN 3, TSN 4, TVA Sports, TLN | TVA+, VIVA |
| UK | BBC One | BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| India | SONY TEN 2, SONY TEN 3 | JioTV, Sony LIV |
USA: Netherlands vs. France from the Red Bull Arena will be televised in the United States on Fox, with Spanish-language streaming via ViX. The game is also available to stream on Fubo, which is currently offering a FREE seven-day trial.
Radio coverage of the match can be followed on SiriusXM FC.
UK: This Netherlands vs. France Euro 2024 match will be broadcast in the UK on BBC One. Streaming can be found on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.
Canada: TSN and TVA (French) will be providing coverage of this match. TLN and VIVA are other options to view the game.
Australia: Australia's sole broadcaster for Euro 2024 is Optus Sport.
India: Euro 2024 matches are available to stream on JioTV and Sony LIV and Netherlands vs. France can also be viewed on Sony Ten Network on TV.
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