The Dutch and the Three Lions’ showdown might be back and we have a feeling this time around it will be more thrilling than ever. From England’s perspective, if they come out third in their group stages, they may meet the Dutch on Sunday 27 June 2021, if they too perform well on their group stages.
As history shows, the two have shown no mercy for each other, with ruthless defensive play and piercing attacks from either side. This matchup will decide which of the two sides will be going on with the championship on the road to being crowned the Euro 2020 champions. The Three Lions are the favourites this year, and the odds are in their favour to take the cup home, but will the Dutch Euro 2020 team let them?
The Dutch and the Three Lions have a bitter rivalry. As a matter of fact, the defeat that England faced back in 2019 is still fresh in their memory. Winning the game meant that the Dutch were moving on into the finals while the Three Lions were booted out of the tournament. Some last-minute mistakes by the English side saw them getting punished and suffering a 3-1 defeat in the hands rather than at the feet of the Dutch. A win for England would mean moving on with the Euro 2020 competition and finally getting the long-awaited revenge.
The Dutch side defender Matthijs de Ligt, is the youngest ever player to play for the Netherlands national team making his very first debut at the age 17. The youngster can undoubtedly be defined as one of the best defenders of his age. His being chosen to be part of the national team goes to say a lot, it reflects the sort of talent he possesses. With that talent, Matthijs wishes to lead the team past the Three Lions. Matthijs’ form is impeccable at the moment, proven by the winning streak at Juventus which is assisted by his defensive abilities. The youngster plans to carry on with his run of luck into Euro 2020.
Moreover, with de Boer as coach, de Ligt feels their chances in the Euro are increased. Frank de Boer is renowned in his field of coaching. The once Dutch player came back to the team as a coach in September 2020. Matthijs hopes he has benefited enough from de Boer’s expertise to help the Dutch team live up to its expectations.
As if the chances for the Dutch could not be any better, Matthijs will be playing his central defensive position beside Virgil van Dijk. Van Dijk is an amazing defender who has been awarded the best defender award for the past two years. The two players will definitely keep the Netherlands ahead of the competition if they manage to keep to form.
We definitely think Matthijs de Ligt has the perfect recipe to lead the Dutch to defeat the Three Lions. De Ligt has the expertise from a renowned coach, the pressure from expectations which he is supposed to live up to, the perfect defending duo, a quick attack and midfield with an amazing level of ball distribution. Because the Dutch were last seen in the Euro in 2014, they have enough zeal to stay in the competition and climb up the leaderboard ahead of the Three Lions. Good luck to both teams!
