Under-21 semi-finals: England vs Netherlands facts

England renew their rivalry with Netherlands in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship semi-finals at the National Football Stadium in Bratislava having never lost a competitive match against their opponents.

Holders England were second behind Germany in Group B but then prevailed 3-1 against Spain in the quarter-finals, a repeat of the 2023 decider.

Netherlands survived playing more than an hour with ten men after Ruben van Bommel's first-half dismissal to edge out Portugal 1-0 in the last eight, Ernest Poku scoring a late winner. They were also runners-up in their section on four points, three behind Group D winners Denmark.

Previous European U21 Championship meetings

Matches 7
England wins 2
Netherlands wins 0
Draws 5
England goals 9
Netherlands goals 5

A late Thom van Bergen goal earned Netherlands a 1-1 friendly draw at home to England on 18 November last year, Dane Scarlett having given the visitors a fifth-minute lead.

Netherlands were 2-1 home winners against England on 19 November 2019, Javairô Dilrosun scoring the decisive goal two minutes into added time. That is the Jong Oranje's only victory in their last seven games against England, and the only one not to end in a draw.

The last three competitive matches between the sides have ended all square, most recently in the 2019 qualifying competition. England's Dominic Calvert-Lewin opened the scoring in Doetinchem, Bart Ramselaar earning a 1-1 draw for the home side; the return fixture in Norwich ended scoreless.

It took an epic shoot-out to settle the 2007 semi-final between the teams, hosts Netherlands eventually prevailing 13-12 on penalties after each side had taken 16 kicks. Maceo Rigters' 89th-minute equaliser had cancelled out Leory Lita's 39th-minute opener for Netherlands, who went on to claim their second successive title.

England had qualified for the 2002 tournament at Netherlands' expense, winning their play-off 3-2 on aggregate. Goals from Rafael van der Vaart and Dirk Kuyt had put the home side 2-0 up in the first leg in Utrecht, only for Sean Davis and David Dunn to earn a draw for David Platt's England, who went through thanks to Michael Carrick's second-leg strike.

Mike Sheron scored twice and Darren Anderton once as England beat Netherlands 3-0 in Portsmouth in 1994 qualifying; the first game in Utrecht had finished 1-1.

Poku got Netherlands' second goal in a 3-2 Under-18 friendly win against England in November 2021.

Form guide

England

This is England's 11th semi-final – level with Italy and Spain as the most in the competition's history.

Their record is W4 L6:
1978 Yugoslavia L 2-3 aggregate (1-2 h, 1-1 a)
1980 East Germany L 1-3 aggregate (1-2 a, 0-1 h)
1982 Scotland W 2-1 aggregate (1-0 a, 1-1 h)
1984 Italy W 3-2 aggregate (3-1 h, 0-1 a)
1986 Italy L 1-3 aggregate (0-2 h, 1-1 a)
1988 France L 4-6 aggregate (2-4 a, 2-2 h)
2007 Netherlands L 1-1 aet, 12-13 pens
2009 Sweden W 3-3 aet, 5-4 pens
2017 Germany L 2-2 aet, 3-4 pens
2023 Israel W 3-0

Before beating Israel two years ago, England's previous three semi-finals had been settled by penalty shoot-outs.

England are in the knockout stages for the fifth time since an eight-team final tournament was introduced in 1998. Before 2023 they had won only one of their four previous knockout ties in those finals but have now been victorious in the last four.

A team coached by Lee Carsley claimed England's first U21 title in 39 years in 2023, finishing first in Group C on a maximum nine points before beating Portugal (1-0), Israel (3-0) and Spain (1-0).

This is England's tenth successive final tournament campaign – the longest ongoing sequence in the competition – and a 12th overall; they last missed out in 2006.

Carsley's side qualified for these finals as Group F winners (W8 D1 L1), their 41 goals more than any other side. A 3-2 loss against runners-up Ukraine was their first away qualifying defeat in 12 years.

Harvey Elliott – a member of the victorious 2023 squad – was England's top scorer in qualifying on seven goals.

The 0-0 Matchday 2 draw against Slovenia ended England's run of eight successive final tournament victories.

A 1-2 defeat against Germany on Matchday 3 is England's only loss in 11 finals matches (W9 D1).

Champions in 1982 and 1984, England also reached four further semi-finals in the first six editions of the European U21 Championship.

Netherlands

The Dutch are in the semi-finals for the seventh time – their record is W2 L4:
1988 Greece L 2-5 aggregate (0-5 a, 2-0 h)
1998 Greece L 0-3
2006 France W 3-2 (aet)
2007 England W 1-1 (aet, 13-12 pens)
2013 Italy L 0-1
2021 Germany L 1-2

Netherlands have gone on to take the trophy on each occasion they have won their semi-final.

The Jong Oranje have reached the final tournament for the eighth time, although only the fourth since claiming back-to-back titles in 2006 and, as hosts, 2007.

In 2023 a team coached by Erwin van de Looi drew all three games to finish third in Group A behind co-hosts Georgia and Portugal.

That was only the second final tournament in which Netherlands had failed to progress from the group stage and the first since 2000.

Now coached by Michael Reiziger, Netherlands were the first side to qualify for the 2025 finals and finished with the only 100% record, their 30 points leaving them 11 points above Group C runners-up Georgia.

Reiziger's side conceded only three goals, less than any other side.

Noah Ohio was the Jong Oranje's top scorer in qualifying with seven goals.

The 1-2 Matchday 2 loss to Denmark ended Netherlands' 24-match unbeaten run in U21 EURO qualifying and final tournament matches (W18 D6), since losing 1-2 against Germany in the 2021 semi-finals.

Links and trivia

Have played in England:
Ian Maatsen (Chelsea 2018–24, Charlton 2020/21 loan, Coventry 2021/22 loan, Burnley 2022/23 loan, Aston Villa 2024–)
Million Manhoef (Stoke 2024–)
Rav van den Berg (Middlesbrough 2023–)
Dani van den Heuvel (Leeds 2020–24)
Noah Ohio (Manchester United youth 2015/16, Manchester City youth 2016–19, Hull 2024 loan)

Has played in Netherlands:
CJ Egan-Riley (PSV Eindhoven 2024 loan)

Have played together:
Hayden Hackney & Rav van den Berg (Middlesbrough 2023–)
Archie Gray & Dani van den Heuvel (Leeds 2020–24)
Charlie Cresswell & Dani van den Heuvel (Leeds 2020–22)
James Beadle & Ian Maatsen (Charlton 2020/21)
Tino Livramento & Ian Maatsen (Chelsea 2018–21)
James McAtee, CJ Egan-Riley & Noah Ohio (Manchester City youth 2016–19)

Samuel Iling-Junior and Ian Maatsen are both Aston Villa players.

Tommy Simkin and Million Manhoef are both on the books at Stoke, although the England goalkeeper spent 2024/25 on loan at Walsall.

Ohio won six caps for England's Under-16 side, scoring once.