Portugal will look to maintain an unbeaten record against the Netherlands that stretches back more than 20 years when the teams meet in their final UEFA EURO 2012 Group B fixture.

Head-to-head record
• Portugal have an exceptional record against the Netherlands, given the relative strength of their opponents. It reads W6 D3 L1.

• The teams have never scored more than twice against each other; their highest scoring fixture was a 2-2 World Cup qualifying draw in Porto on 28 March 2001.

• The sides first met in Porto on 17 October 1990 in a UEFA European Championship qualifier which Portugal won 1-0. The Netherlands prevailed by the same score in the return fixture in Rotterdam, on 16 October 1991, but have not beaten their opponents in eight encounters over the ensuing two decades, drawing three and losing five.

• The nations have twice met at major final tournaments – at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and at UEFA EURO 2004 in Portugal – with Portugal winning both fixtures.

• Under-21 sides representing the two countries met at the 2007 UEFA European U21 Championship finals in the Netherlands on 13 June 2007, with the Jong Oranje prevailing 2-1 in Groningen. Ryan Babel (33) and Maceo Rigters (75) put Foppe de Haan's team in front, before Miguel Veloso (77) replied for José Couceiro's side. The hosts went on to win the tournament.

• The Netherlands had previously landed the 2006 U21 title in Portugal, with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar the top marksman at the finals with four goals, two of them coming in the 3-0 final victory against Ukraine.

Selected previous meetings
25 June 2006: Portugal 1-0 Netherlands (Maniche 23) – Frankenstadion, Nuremberg, 2006 FIFA World Cup round of 16
Portugal: Ricardo, Nuno Valente, Ricardo Carvalho, Fernando Meira, Miguel, Maniche, Deco, Costinha, Luís Figo (Tiago 84), Pauleta (Petit 46), Cristiano Ronaldo (Simão 34).
Netherlands: Van der Sar, Van Bronckhorst, Mathijsen (Van der Vaart 56), Ooijer, Boulahrouz, Cocu (Vennegoor of Hesselink 84), Sneijder, Van Bommel (Heitinga 67), Robben, Kuyt, Van Persie.

• Eventual semi-finalists Portugal eliminated Marco van Basten's Oranje from the 2006 World Cup in the countries' most recent meeting, when both sides finished with nine men. Luiz Felipe Scolari's Portugal had Costinha (45+1) and Deco (78) dismissed, while Khalid Boulahrouz (63) and Giovanni van Bronckhorst (90+5) saw red for the Netherlands. With 16 yellow cards awarded, it was the World Cup finals' worst ever game in terms of discipline.

30 June 2004: Portugal 2-1 Netherlands (Cristiano Ronaldo 26, Maniche 56; Jorge Andrade og 63) – Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, UEFA EURO 2004 semi-finals
Portugal: Ricardo, Miguel, Jorge Andrade, Ricardo Carvalho, Nuno Valente, Cristiano Ronaldo (Petit 67), Maniche (Fernando Couto 87), Costinha, Luís Figo, Deco, Pauleta (Nuno Gomes 75).
Netherlands: Van der Sar, Reiziger, Stam, Bouma (Van der Vaart 56), Van Bronckhorst, Davids, Seedorf, Cocu, Overmars (Makaay 46), Van Nistelrooy, Robben (Van Hooijdonk 81).

• Scolari's Portugal booked their final place with this victory in Lisbon. Maniche's splendid stike proved decisive, even if Jorge Andrade's subsequent inadvertent conversion of a Van Bronckhorst cross gave Dick Advocaat's Oranje late hope.

16 October 1991: Netherlands 1-0 Portugal (Witschge 20) – De Kuip, Rotterdam, EURO '92 qualifying
Netherlands: Van Breukelen, Blind, Van Tiggelen, R Koeman, E Koeman, Wouters, Rijkaard (Winter 74), Bergkamp, Van Basten, Gullit, Witschge (Van't Schip 87).
Portugal: Vítor Baía, João Pinto, José Leal, Pedro Venâncio, Fernando Couto, Emilio Peixe (Cesar Dualte 80), Oceano, Rui Barros, Jorge Cadete, Paulo Futre, Nelo (Luís Figo 56).

• The Netherlands' only win to date against Portugal came in this qualifier in Rotterdam, with midfielder Richard Witschge hitting the only goal for Rinus Michels' men – his sole international strike in 31 appearances. Carlos Queiroz's side would miss out on the final tournament.

Form guide
• Having made their debut at the 1984 finals, Portugal have featured at every UEFA European Championship since EURO '96, and have never failed to progress beyond the group stage, famously reaching the final on home soil at UEFA EURO 2004 but losing to outsiders Greece.

• The Netherlands have missed just one EURO since they picked up bronze medals on their finals debut in 1976, missing the cut for the 1984 finals. Since winning the competition in 1988, they have never failed to progress beyond the group stage, though they have also not reached the final since.

Team ties
• Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder made their Netherlands debuts in a 1-1 friendly draw against Portugal in Eindhoven on 30 April 2003.

• The Netherlands' Rafael van der Vaart and Royston Drenthe played alongside Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe at Real Madrid CF in the 2009/10 season.

• In 2008/09, Pepe played alongside five Dutchmen at Madrid: Sneijder, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Huntelaar, Robben and Van der Vaart.

• Dutch internationals Stijn Schaars and Ricky van Wolfswinkel play in Lisbon with Sporting Clube de Portugal, where Rui Patrício and João Pereira are among their team-mates.

• Van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo played together at Manchester United FC from 2003 to 2006. They won just one major trophy together, the 2003/04 FA Cup, both scoring in the 3-0 final win against Millwall FC.

• Van Nistelrooy now plays alongside Portugal's Eliseu and Duda at Málaga CF.

• The Netherlands' Dirk Kuyt and Portugal's Raul Meireles were team-mates at Liverpool FC in 2010/11.

• Ricardo Quaresma and Sneijder played together at FC Internazionale Milano in 2009/10, helping to win the UEFA Champions League and an Italian double under Portuguese coach José Mourinho.

• Ricardo Costa and the Netherlands' Hedwiges Maduro are team-mates at Valencia CF.

• Robin van Persie scored twice in Arsenal FC's 4-0 UEFA Champions League home win against FC Porto on 30 September 2008.

• Kuyt struck a UEFA Champions League group stage goal at Porto for Liverpool on 18 September 2007, equalising in a 1-1 draw. He also hit the opener in the Reds' 4-1 win against SL Benfica in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals on 8 April 2010.

• Mark van Bommel was one of the scorers in FC Bayern München's huge 12-1 aggregate win against Sporting in the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League round of 16.

• Goalkeeper Rui Patrício played a role as Sporting eliminated FC Twente on away goals in the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round; the Portugal No1 came up for a late corner, and his header was deflected in by Peter Wisgerhof, with a 1-1 draw giving the Lisbon side – who also featured Veloso, João Moutinho, Postiga and Liedson – an away-goals success.