Netherlands 0-0 France summary: score, goals, highlights | Euro 2024
Netherlands - France: live updates
Full-time thoughts:
In the end, both sides appeared to think that a draw was not a bad result, given the third fixture still to come. Having said that, it was by no means a bore-draw, with chances flying left and right for both sides, especially in the first half.
In the first 45, the Netherlands blitzed France, pressing them high across the pitch and squeezing the life out of their attackers. However, given the crazy nature of the game, despite Gakpo, Simons and Memphis intertwining like Olympic ice skaters, France had the best chance when Rabiot squared to Griezmann inside the box, only for the pass to be poor and the Atleti player to fall to the floor as he scrambled to squeeze it under Verbruggen.
In the second half, France came out and bossed the ball, controlling the ball and dictating the flow of the game as the Oranje sat back and looked for the counter.
But just as happened in the first half, the dominance did not equate to chances in front of goal, and Xavi Simons thought he broke the deadlock with around 20 minutes to go. He would have put his side ahead in their worst moment of the game were it not for Dumfries' offside position as the ball hit the net, and the score remained level.
FULL-TIME!
The game, despite the chances, ends goalless!
Group D remains wide open and it's all to play for in the final match day.
We're into the final minute of the game...
Weghorst goes down on halfway and the Netherlands look to slowly let the air out of the high pressure situation on the pitch.
Koundé plays inside towards Kanté but Weghorst, who is 3 sizes larger than the Frenchman, swipes the ball behind.
5 added on...
PSG's star winger, Bradley Barcola, is warming up.
We're into the final minute of normal time.
Rabiot breaks away down the left but his pass towards Coman is terrible and almost runs out the other side of the pitch.
Rabiot is down after clashing knees with Dumfries.
Veerman clears after Giroud's header almost finds Griezmann making a late run into the box.
A long ball from deep forces Dumfries this time to run in behind but Saliba, who has been excellent, clears up the danger well.
Now it's France's turn to get their passing numbers up. Neither side are pressing heavily anymore and halfway possession is the theme as the clock ticks on. The tension, however, is building.
The Dutch are doing well to keep the ball as we tick past the 80 minute mark and enter the final 10. We're officially in 'late goal territory'.
Wijnaldum plays a ball through France's backline for Dumfries, but he's played 79 minutes of high-intensity football and looks back at the midfielder with the same face that I pull when asked to visit the in-laws.
Another Dutch change:
OFF: Memphis
ON: Weghorst
He chips the ball towards Van Dijk, who can't get in front of Theo and the Oranje have a corner.
Kanté brings down Wijnaldum, and the Netherlands have a free-kick around 30 yards from goal.
Memphis golazo, anyone?
Now it's the turn of the Netherlands to play keep-ball, passing it around the back as France watch on like the kids over the road.
Fifteen minutes to go...
As I was saying...
OFF: Dembélé, Thuram
ON: Giroud, Coman
France are preparing changes, although it seems like Coman and Giroud will be coming on.
We're back underway.
Poor lad, Xavi Simons. He thinks he's scored but instead it's offside and he's off the pitch.
OFF: Simons, Frimpong, Schouten
ON: Wijnaldum, Geertruida, Veerman
Offside given! France survive!
We're still waiting on the VAR decision.
VAR are checking for an interference in play.
A low cross was Gakpo was deflected back out to Xavi Simons who sent a driven effort into the far corner through the crowded box, but Dumfries' position was offside and the goal has been ruled out.
OFFSIDE!!!
XAVI SIMONS
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL
THE NETHERLANDS TAKE THE LEAD
Left, right, left, right, left... and the shot from Dembélé is screeched over the bar from the edge of the box!
That was sensational from France, who had kept the ball for around 30 passes prior to turning up the volume and catching the Dutch off guard. They're finding their flow...
HUGE CHANCE FOR FRANCE
Tip, tap, BOOM!
France go from snail football to lightning strike and charge forward, surprising everyone (including myself).
Griezmann is sent the ball inside the box but his shot is pushed wide by Verbruggen as the Atleti forward tumbles to the floor.
The pendulum of momentum is swinging France's way...
OVER THE BAR
Tchouaméni fires a header just over the crossbar!
Any sign of Kylian?
Nope, sorry... we've seen nothing yet from Deschamps to indicate he's ready to switch things up.
Thuram finds a yard on the edge of the box after slipping past Reijnders and drags his shot wide.
An hour of football gone and France are definitely commanding more respect and seem to have taped over the cracks theyshowed us all in the first period.
Kanté gets in behind down the left and plays square to Tchouaméni on the edge of the box. The Real Madrid midfielder goes for the spectacular but his shot is blocked out for a throw on the far side.
Rabiot slices his shot from inside the box and sends the ball into orbit. Again, however, it was a promising move down the right from France with good work between Koundé and Dembélé.
In case you weren't aware, the full name of the Dutch number 14 is Tijjani Reijnders. It's a shame you can't use names in Scrabble because he'd be worth a fortune. The J is worth 8 points.
And he hits it into said wall. A poor effort.
And he will take it. Four in the French wall...
Xavi Simons takes the ball from Reijnders and drives towards goal before being brought down by Dembélé. Memphis wants to take the shot from the edge of the box.
Kanté is finding much more room in behind Schouten in the Dutch midfield: Xavi Simons is a lot higher which is making his side's shape more of a 4-2-4 than a 4-3-3, allowing Kanté and Rabiot to float easier.
France play through the lines and the ball reaches Koundé on the right, who sees his cross blocked. Dembélé finds an inch on the edge of the box but his shot is also blocked. Positive from Les Bleus.
Well, Deschamps' message has reached the French players, who are moving much more ahead of the ball as the defenders keep possession. The Netherlands XI are sitting on halfway, shuffling from side to side like OAPs on disco night at the village hall.
It seems the movement from France is a little sharper in the opening moments, with various runs both inside and outside being made by the white shirts.
France start with some slow possession, with Dembélé eventually running it out of play after taking on Aké down the right.
And we're off for the second half!
France get us going.
No changes for either side.
Almost ready to go again!
Let's see if there are any changes.
And a great noise from those in the stands...
We've seen two fabulous teams in two fabulous kits playing fabulous football, and the fans have made the noise to match them!
Cargando...
Why didn't Rabiot shoot?
Well, I don't share the opinion of Opta that we don't have too much to say about the game, but we definitely agree on Rabiot not shooting, which might have been the chance of the game.
Cargando...
All to play for in the second half...
While the chances cooled somewhat in the final 10 minutes, we've seen some incredibly entertaining football on show.
The chances have been flying in from minute one with both sides going full throttle to take the advantage. While France have carved out some good opportunities, the momentum has certainly been with the Dutch, who have wasted plenty in front of goal.
The movement from the front 4 of the Oranjehas sent French heads spinning and Deschamps' plan hasn't managed to keep them at bay so far.
Gakpo, Memphis and Simons have been brilliant in combination play on the left and through the middle, with Frimpong a constant danger down the other side, although it must be said that Theo Hernández has had a fairly good night so far against him.
However, we're yet to see anything from Thuram and Dembélé, who have been squished to a pulp by the Dutch press out wide and in the middle, with all 11 players in orange working hard to keep a lid on things off the ball.
Having said all that, this is France. And while Rabiot didn't shoot when he was one yard out, instead squaring it to Griezmann, France are the team we're used to: they're not fantastic but they find a way to win, and there's a certain player on the bench who knows how to do that...
Aaaand that's all for now!
No goals at the break... somehow!
1 added minute.
Griezmann will be kicking himself after that one: the marking from the Netherlands was terrible as the ball was sent in from the left. However, the header was a tough one and comfortably caressed by the hands of Verbruggen.
We have a small stoppage in play as bottles are thrown onto the pitch by fans in the Oranje end.
And it's hit off the wall by the Atlético Madrid man and out for a corner.
23 metres (25 yards) from goal, this one. Griezmann and Dembélé are over the ball...
Dembélé, the eternal frustration, sends in a poor cross before seeing the ball bounce back at his feet. He takes a touch backwards and wins a fabulous free-kick on the right.
This one is much closer to goal...
Indeed, it was, and Van Dijk heads away.
France win a free kick on the left side of the box. Griezmann is over the ball, although it looks very far away for a shot.
Surely Deschamps' plan of putting Tchouaméni alongside Kanté was intended to stop these ferocious attacking transitions from the Netherlands, but right now they can count themselves lucky not to be behind.
Simons breaks away as the French defence retreat again.
He opens his body on the edge of the box but the contact is all wrong and the shot is weak towards the goalkeeper, who is grateful for the easy save.
Had Gakpo chosen a bigger size of boot tonight, he'd have been able to bring down the long ball over the top from De Vrij. It was a nice run from the Liverpool player, but Maignan had the advantage.
The biggest applause so far of the night goes to Griezmann, who races back to tackle Frimpong after a loose ball almost landed at the feet of the baby bullet train on the right.
Schouten gets the first booking of the game after bringing down Griezmann as the French counter through the middle.
Yet again it's a positive attack from the Netherlands between the three attackers and yet again it's a Gakpo pass that sees the Netherlands lose out.
Half an hour gone and Ronald Koeman hasn't sat down once.
France are looking for more control in possession but the lightning fast Netherlands attacks are slicing through them every single time, meaning they're incredibly scared to lose the ball.
CHANCE FOR FRANCE
The Dutch defence get caught sleeping and Thuram is away down the right, but his shot is sliced high and wide from a fairly tight angle.
A big chance for the Netherlands goes begging after a terrible pass from Gakpo sees the move break down.
The Oranje attacked with the former PSV man, who slid into Xavi Simons.
After being worked back to Gakpo, he wanted everything on his right foot and the touch allowed the defence to slip back into position. Then, somewhat inexplicably, instead of shooting, he played the ball straight out of play.
Memphis whips in a free-kick from the left that lands on the head of Denzel Dumfries, the star singer of the national anthems.
Unfortunately, his pinpoint accuracy for hitting a header isn't as strong as his capacity to hit a high note. Chance missed.
Stefan De Vrij takes the ball from Verbruggen and holds onto it, waiting for the right moment to attack. France hold off, catching their breath.
Booooooooo
A quick glance away from the pitch towards the clock tells me we're 20 minutes into the action already.
I couldn't tell you who's playing better; I couldn't tell you how many chances we've seen; I probably couldn't tell you my own surname at this rate. All I know is that this is a simply ridiculous match.
A superbly accidental moment of spinning in a circle from Kanté (yes, really) sees him lose his man via centripetal force and the ball is played wide to Theo, who wins a corner for France. The Netherlands defend well and launch their own attack. Breathless football.
SAVE FROM MAIGNAN
This could be 3-3 already. Gakpo drives inside from the left and is in yards of space as he fires a low drive to the far corner, which is pushed behind.
In the aftermath of that mess, France recovered the ball and Griezmann flashed a close-range shot just wide!
It's much better from Les Bleus, who may be finding their mojo.
Wow, OK, that was ludicrous.
Thuram flicks around the corner to Rabiot, who squares to Griezmann just a few yards from goal.
De Vrij and Verbruggen are scrambling but the Atleti forward falls over his own feet as the pass lands slightly behind him and the Oranje survive!
WHAT A MISS FROM FRANCE!
The press from the Netherlands in the wide areas of the pitch is suffocating the French movement through the thirds. It's constant 4vs3 overloads on both sides with a fantastic work-rate keeping their side on top.
Koundé is forced to head the ball out for a throw as a dangerous cross is whipped in from the right in what I will immediately categorise as another pretty Netherlands attack. France's 4-4-2 off the ball isn't doing the trick in the opening minutes.
At the moment I'd say the Oranje are in the better position: their attacks are hurting France down the middle and it seems that their defence can't cope with the merry-go-round rotation of Gakpo, Memphis and Xavi.
Simons' flick towards Memphis was delightful, and while it's true that Saliba had a hand on the attacker, it was certainly not enough for a penalty.
Memphis goes down inside the box after a sublime flick from Xavi Simons, but Mr Taylor says no!
Upamecano does well to race across to the right and stop Xavi Simons from advancing into an acre of space down the wing, after the RB Leipzig player had skipped past Kanté.
This game has started at approximately 30,000mph. Both sides are squeezing each other all over the pitch in ways England could only hope, and the chances are flying in!
CHANCE FOR FRANCE!
Erm, what's going on?
France come piling into the Dutch defence and the shot comes in from Griezmann on the left, who forces Verbruggen into an acrobatic save!
HUGE CHANCE FOR THE NETHERLANDS
Wow, what a start!
Koeman's side come out at full speed and Frimpong is sent flying down the right wing where he hits the ball across the goal after beating Theo for pace.
Maignan gets down well to save the effort and put it behind for a corner!
AND WE'RE OFF!
The Netherlands get us going from right to left.
A great rendition of the two national anthems...
It's an early draw for the battle of the national anthems, with Denzel Dumfries the unexpected star in the lineup.
Here come the two teams!
What a noise inside the Red Bull Arena as the twenty two players, led by referee Anthony Taylor, make their way onto the pristine pitch!
Almost ready to go!
The players are in the tunnel and ready to get going!
Kanté to have extra support today
Alongside Tchouaméni, N'Golo Kanté will have an extra layer of protection as this potential tricky Netherlands side try to play past him.
However, despite not playing at the top level of European football anymore, the former Leicester City man was named MVP of France's most recent game, against Austria.
Cargando...
A final reminder of the XIs:
If you've just joined us, welcome! Here are how the two teams will line up for the game, which kicks off in around 10 minutes!
NETHERLANDS:
GK: Verbruggen
DEF: Dumfries - Van Dijk - De Vrij - Aké - Frimpong
MID: Schouten - Simons - Reijenders
ATT: Gakpo - Depay
FRANCE:
GK: Maignan
DEF: Kounde - Upamecano - Saliba - Theo
MID: Tchouaméni - Kanté - Rabiot
ATT: Griezmann - Thuram - Dembélé
Here's Mbappé during the week
The man of the moment, even if he's not playing: Mbappé wore a sleek mask in his first training session post-nose injury, winning hearts nationwide with the patriotic design.
Ronald Koeman pre-game quotes:
What the lesson learned against Poland is that you need to play the high level for 90 minutes not just 60 minutes.
Be careful about where you lose the ball and in which parts of the pitch you really need to dare to play. To think about where you are in defence what's your position and what will happen if I lose the ball here. This is all very important.
Not everything depends on whether Mbappe is there or not. We know that he can be a game changer. He had a big influence on the last two games.
Twenty minutes to go!
The players are going through their pre-game warmup routines as the fans pile into the ground on all sides! This is going to be a sensational atmosphere!
And here's how Sofascore see the XIs:
They've got Griezmann on the left side of the attack, with Rabiot playing in a 3 in the middle of the park.
As for the Netherlands, Frimpong is an out-and-out winger while Xavi Simons is controlling from the middle, alongside Reijnders and Schouten.
Cargando...
Here's a reminder of the two starting teams:
NETHERLANDS XI:
GK: Verbruggen
DEF: Dumfries - Van Dijk - De Vrij - Aké - Frimpong
MID: Schouten - Simons - Reijenders
ATT: Gakpo - Depay
FRANCE XI:
GK: Maignan
DEF: Kounde - Upamecano - Saliba - Theo
MID: Tchouaméni - Kanté - Rabiot
ATT: Griezmann - Thuram - Dembélé
Netherlands vs France: head to head
Out of the almost 30 times the two sides have played against each other in what is a true European Clásico, France are slightly ahead with 15 wins to 11 for the Oranje.
However, despite not having won as many games, the Netherlands have scored more goals, with 57 to France's 53.
Here's a look at Mbappé's mask
It's not so much Ninja Turtles as budget Batman, but if he can score a hat-trick from the bench then I'm sure nobody will mind if it doesn't have the French flag on the front.
As for why he's been forced to change from the 'tricolore' to a sleeker style, here's Roddy's handy explainer.
Cargando...
Get your votes in!
We've got a live poll up on Twitter where you can have your say on what you think is going to happen later today.
If you're feeling extra brave, drop me a score prediction down below!
Cargando...
Here's the state of play in Group D:
We've now got the lovely updated Group D graphic after the Poland 1-3 Austria result has been logged by the computer elves at AS USA towers.
As you can see, things are as tight as a duck's tail feathers in Group D, although a win for France would indeed seal their spot in the next stage, given the fixtures yet to play.
While Les Bleus take on a poor Poland side, the Netherlands go up against Austria. Since both of the latter two can't win in the final game, it looks like that one will indeed be the crunch result in this fascinating group.
| group D | T | MP | W | D | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
FRANCK FIFE / AFP
Real Madrid's Tchouaméni makes the XI
Aurélien Tchouaméni is Deschamps' choice for the starting XI, replacing Kylian Mbappé.
On paper, replacing a forward with a midfielder doesn't fit square pegs into square holes, which means we expect another player, probably Antoine Griezmann, to sit closer to the attacking line than he did in the previous game.
Full time: Poland 1-3 Austria
Well, that was a fascinating game between two sides who needed to win to keep their hopes alive. Unfortunately for Poland, they look set to limp out unless they pull off what would be a shock win against France in their final game.
As things stand, all of France, Austria and the Netherlands are on 3 points a piece ahead of kick-off tonight.
Cargando...
Netherlands XI revealed:
GK: Verbruggen
DEF: Dumfries - Van Dijk - De Vrij - Aké - Frimpong
MID: Schouten - Simons - Reijenders
ATT: Gakpo - Depay
All about Leipzig:
· The city is located about 150 km (90 mi) southwest of Berlin
· It is the only city in what was East Germany to host games at Euro 2024
· Leipzig is home to over 600,000 people and means 'linden tree place' in English
· Leipzig University was founded way back in 1409!
· Today's venue was constructed for the 2006 World Cup on the site of the Zentralstadion
· The city has the nickname “City of Heroes” for the role it played in the fall of communism in Eastern Europe
· Leipziger Allerlei is the city’s speciality dish: vegetables, bread dumplings and crayfish tails in a creamy sauce
France XI revealed:
GK: Maignan
DEF: Kounde - Upamecano - Saliba - Theo
MID: Tchouaméni - Kanté - Rabiot
ATT: Griezmann - Thuram - Dembélé
BREAKING: MBAPPÉ BENCHED
The France XI has been revealed and Mbappé is on the bench!
Remember, as well as following along with this live text coverage, you can get your football fix on your TV or streaming device by following the handy guide from Fidel.
GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP
Poland 1-2 Netherlands: how it went
When Adam Buksa put Poland ahead after just 16 minutes in the first game, many thought we may be on for another shock result in this tournament that has had us on the edge of our seats for just about every game.
However, the Dutch courage soon showed and it was Cody Gakpo who equalised before the half-hour mark in Hamburg.
From then on, while the game was never completely one-sided, another goal from the northwest Europeans could well be on the way.
It was, but they had to wait, and Poland did what Poland do, drawing the life out of the game as their opponents pushed, with Wout Weghorst getting a late goal as the clock ticked towards the final five minutes.
It was enough to see them get three early points on the board and put Koeman’s side in a great position to qualify for the next round... if they win tonight.
How things went in the last game for Les Bleus...
Ahead of the first round of games (and before we all watched England play in denim jeans and flip-flops), France were the favourites of many to win the tournament outright, with stars such as Mbappé, Dembélé and Griezmann looking like too much to handle.
While their win over Austria was not inspiring, and an own goal needed from Max Wöber to separate the sides, France have never been scintillating to watch during their recent period of dominance, save for perhaps the World Cup final in 2022.
They dig themselves into holes and fling themselves out, with Deschamps’ calm, conservative style juxtaposed with top talent like the names mentioned at the top. It’s what they do and it’s what we might see tonight as they come up against a Netherlands side with an impressive amount of flair.
Cargando...
GOAL: Austria
Arnautovic - who is in the has he played in every tournament ever? group along with Xherdan Shaqiri, Yann Sommer and Ricardo Rodriguez - has scored from the spot to put his side up 1-3 with just over 10 to go!
HANNIBAL HANSCHKE / EFE
Here's the UEFA EURO 2024 Stadium for today's game:
As mentioned, the action today is set to take place at the home of RB Leipzig: the Red Bull Arena.
The largest stadium in eastern Germany, it was built on the site of the Zentralstadion before the rebranding from the energy drink that continues to dive-bomb its way into world football.
It holds around 42,000 fans and it’s set to be a fantastic atmosphere if the lively fans we’ve seen around the town are anything to go by!
France to wear their white away strip
And, as Stephen Warnock would say, thank goodness for this delight, I'm not complaining about that one!
Is this the best shirt at Euro 2024?
Cargando...
As mentioned, a lot of the talk ahead of this tie has been regarding Mbappé’s colourful mask, which was spotted in a recent training session leading up to the game. However, it seems that the forward won’t be able to sport the disguise during the actual match, as UEFA regulations don’t permit it.
Austria go ahead against Poland!
That's shaken things up in Group D!
Austria, with just over 20 minutes to go, have scored to make it 1-2 in Berlin!
Cargando...
Who to watch: Xavi Simons
While much has been made of ‘prodigy’ Xavi Simons, much has also been made of his lack of impact on a football pitch while wearing an orange shirt.
While I don’t think he’s got either chrysophobia or esperidoeidiphobia, it’s true that Simons’ games in the colour orange or the kit’s resemblance to a citrus fruit is the reason behind his less than stellar showings for the Netherlands.
However, we’re in his club stadium today, something which might give him a little more confidence around the place, and the oomph to shine in front of the expectant fans.
France have won seven of their past eight meetings with the Netherlands...
“Maybe I’ve just been lucky. Our first objective is to create issues for them on the pitch and then to limit their offensive play. We expect to have the ball more than the opponent – that is what we hope – and we have to make them suffer as well, that’s my objective.”
Thilo Schmuelgen / REUTERS
Who's the ref?
Get out your Referee Spotter’s Guides, ladies and gents, and turn to the Premier League pages: yes, we’ve got English regular Anthony Taylor with the whistle today in Leipzig.
The 45-year-old is a Premier League regular and certainly my favourite bald referee in the league at this moment in time.
Assistant referees
· Gary Beswick ENG
· Adam Nunn ENG
Fourth official
· Glenn Nyberg SWE
Video Assistant Referee
· Stuart Attwell ENG
The Netherlands fans are making their voices heard!
We've seen some fantastic fan performances during the tournament and the Netherlands are certainly making their case for being the noisiest!
Cargando...
And here's the latest: the Real Madrid player is set to miss out on a place in Deschamps' starting XI for their second game in the group stage.
It seems as though his broken nose has not healed sufficiently in time for the French forward to squeeze his way into the starting side, although the flow of the game will certainly increase or decrease his chances of getting on the pitch.
Team news: FRA
The big question mark heading into today’s clash is whether or not a certain Kylian Mbappé will be fit to start.
The Real Madrid forward suffered a heavy hit on the nose in France’s previous game and as such, his availability for the fixture has been questionable.
The player has been spotted wearing a mask in the colours of the French flag, although despite this bit of extra kit, he still was not given the green light to play in the days leading up to the game.
Team news: NED
Ronald Koeman’s Oranje side are, apart from young Ajax forward Brian Brobbey, who is doubtful with a hamstring issue, all fit and firing for the game.
We’ll be getting underway at the Red Bull Arena in around 90 minutes, which means everyone should be in their seats by 3 p.m. ET/ noon PT.
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to the eastern German city of Leipzig, where we’ve got another fantastic game on our hands in what has been a sensational Euro 2024 tournament so far!
The Netherlands are taking on France in one of the tougher games in the group stages!
It’s Joe here on duty for you with AS USA.