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England reached the final of Euro 2024 with a late, late victory over Netherlands on Wednesday, setting up a clash with Spain.
After falling behind to an early Xavi Simons goal – a wonderful strike after Declan Rice was dispossessed – England restored parity with a penalty.
It was a controversial call, but Harry Kane won the spot-kick, before converting with an accurate finish.
A nervy, back-and-forth possession game ensued, before England substitutes Cole Palmer and Ollie Watkins combined for the winner in the 91st minute, with the latter scoring from a tight angle.
But how did each player perform? Here are The Independent’s player ratings:
Netherlands (4-2-3-1)
Bart Verbruggen - 5: Dove the right way for Kane’s penalty, but the spot-kick was too accurate for him. Nutmegged by Foden’s (very) close-range shot but was saved by Dumfries. Power of Watkins’s late shot beat him.
Denzel Dumfries - 7: Unlucky to have a penalty and booking given against him for a challenge on Kane, leading to England’s goal. Cleared Foden’s close-range shot off the line later in the first half. Hit the crossbar with a header from a corner.
Stefan de Vrij - 5: Decent in aerial duels. Not quite as assured elsewhere, and was held off by Watkins for England’s winner.
Virgil van Dijk - 6: Also strong in the air when he needed to be. Tested Pickford with an improvised shot from a free-kick. Talked himself into a late booking.
Nathan Ake - 6: Seemed a little anxious at first, but settled down as the game progressed.
Jerdy Schouten - 5: Struggled to get ahold of the game, with England winning the midfield battle.
Tijjani Reijnders - 4: Did little of note, other than passing the ball out of play twice with two attempts meant for Dumfries.
Donyell Malen - 5: Made little impact before being replaced at half-time.
Xavi Simons - 8: Tackled Rice in a dangerous area for England, then pistoned a shot into the top corner. Great tackle, even better goal.
Memphis Depay - 5: Was substituted towards the end of the first half due to injury.
Cody Gakpo - 5: Has consistently been dangerous at this tournament, but was kept quiet here.
Substitutes:
Joey Veerman - 7: Brought on for the injured Depay in the first half. Put in a couple of great deliveries, one of which almost brought a goal for Van Dijk.
Wout Weghorst - 6: Wasn’t allowed to get in the game at first, but his presence became – as it so often does – a nuisance for the opposition.
Brian Brobbey - N/A; Joshua Zirkzee - NA.
England (3-4-2-1)
Jordan Pickford - 6: Could do nothing to keep out Simons’s wonder strike inside the first 10 minutes. Reacted pretty well to deny Van Dijk from a Dutch free-kick in the second half.
Kyle Walker - 6: Largely settled and composed. Could perhaps have done a little more to prevent Simons’s goal? Great run and tackle to deny Gakpo an opening in the second half.
John Stones - 6: Doesn’t always instil confidence, but this was the defender in assured form.
Marc Guehi - 7: Brought back in after his quarter-final suspension, and looked like he hadn’t missed a game. Made a crucial challenge to deny Weghorst a shot in the final 10 minutes.
Bukayo Saka - 6: Won a few challenges to kickstart surging runs into the Dutch half. Faded as the game went on, with England’s brighter moments coming via different sources. Received a yellow card late in normal time while halting a Dutch counter-attack.
Declan Rice - 5: Usually so assured, the midfielder was dispossessed by Simons near the England box in a crucial moment, as the Dutchman proceeded to open the scoring. Better thereafter, but still not at his best.
Kobbie Mainoo - 7: Great reading of the game and keenness in the tackle. Was all over the pitch.
Kieran Trippier - 6: His limitations in this formation are still apparent, but with that in mind, he did fairly well. Even so, he was replaced at the break as Southgate was surprisingly proactive in seeking an advantage.
Jude Bellingham - 6: Better than in recent games. His distribution and running helped to inform England’s positive approach here. Was booked for a risky, ill-timed challenge in the second half.
Phil Foden - 7: Like a few of his teammates, looked a level above his recent showings. After some silky feet in the Dutch box, he was denied a goal when Dumfries cleared off the line. Clipped the outside of the post with a long-range shot. Taken off with 10 minutes left in normal time.
Harry Kane - 7: Started more energetically than in recent performances, before fading in the second half. Won an admittedly controversial penalty, which he converted with a very accurate spot-kick. Replaced on 80 minutes.
Substitutes:
Luke Shaw - 6: Replaced Trippier at half-time. The positive, knock-on effect of his presence is evident for England.
Ollie Watkins - 8: Scored the winner in the 91st minute with a great strike on the angle. Just one moment, that was all he needed.
Cole Palmer - 7: Shanked the ball high and wide when he had a half-chance in the 88th minute; usually wraps his foot around the ball and finds the target there. However, he played a clever ball for Watkins to set up the England winner.
Conor Gallagher - N/A; Ezri Konsa - N/A.
