England will be taking aim at the UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 final on Thursday when they face hosts the Netherlands in the last four.
Back England at 11/8 to see off the Dutch
Mark Sampson’s side swept through their group, netting 10 times and conceding just once to reach the knockout stage.
They then raised their game once again in a meeting with France, edging a keenly-fought contest 1-0, courtesy of Jodie Taylor’s fifth goal of the tournament, to book their place in the semi-finals.
| Game | Netherlands vs England |
| Date | Thursday, August 3 |
| Time | 19:45 BST |
TV CHANNEL & LIVE STREAM
In the UK, the match will be available to watch live on television on Channel 4 and Eurosport 1 and by stream via channel4.com and Eurosport Player.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Channel 4 / British Eurosport | channel4.com / Eurosport Player |
In the US, the match will not be available to watch live on television but can be streamed online at ESPN3 on WatchESPN.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| None | ESPN3 |
SQUADS & TEAM NEWS
| Position | Netherlands players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Van Veenendaal, Christ, Geurts |
| Defenders | Van Lunteren, Van der Gragt, Van den Berg, Van Es, Dekker, Zeeman, Janssen, Van der Most |
| Midfielders | Spitse, Van de Donk, Martens, Roord, Groenen, Folkertsma, Van den Bulk |
| Forwards | Van de Sanden, Miedema, Jansen, Lewerissa, Beerensteyn |
While England have been watertight at the back, the Dutch have been just as tough to break down, with skipper Mandy van den Berg marshalling a defensive unit which has been breached just once.
At the opposite end of the field, Lieke Mertens and Sherida Spitse have netted two times apiece, while Arsenal summer signing Vivianne Miedema was on target in the quarter-final win over Sweden.
| Position | England players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Bardsley, Chamberlain, Telford |
| Defenders | Bronze, Stokes, Houghton, Potter, Stoney, Bassett, Greenwood, Alex Scott |
| Midfielders | Jill Scott, Nobbs, Christiansen, Williams, Moore, Carney, Bright |
| Forwards | Taylor, Parris, White, Duggan, Kirby |
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England will have to cope without two key figures in the semi-final encounter, with midfielder Jill Scott missing through suspension and goalkeeper Karen Bardsley ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a leg fracture.
Sampson, then, will have to shuffle his pack, with Liverpool’s Siobhan Chamberlain likely to provide cover between the sticks while Reading’s Jo Potter is among those pushing to deputise in the engine room
BETTING & GAME ODDS
England are 11/8 favourites to win, according to dabblebet, while the Netherlands can be backed at 2/1 to triumph, with the draw available at 21/10.
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You can get 9/4 on the Lionesses to keep another clean sheet and win to nil, with a nervy 1-0 success priced at 10/3.
GAME PREVIEW
England are the highest-scoring side in the competition by some distance, with a 6-0 victory over Scotland in their opening contest setting the tone.
Taylor has provided much of the spark in the final third, as she closes in on the Golden Boot, but she has been ably supported by those around her.
Captain Steph Houghton has been a colossus at the back, with Sampson having forged together a cohesive unit which blends passion with panache.
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The Lionesses will be well aware that they are fast closing in on a potentially historic achievement, as they seek to land England a first senior trophy since 1966, but also know that they cannot afford to take their eye off the ball.
Sampson’s side are on a run of seven successive victories, including friendly outings, but the Netherlands have won six in a row themselves and will have the lively home support behind them in Enschede.
England are, however, the only side left in the competition to have graced the final before and will be hoping that pedigree puts them in a position to make amends for defeats to Sweden and Germany in 1984 and 2009 respectively.