Dortmund. England aims for back-to-back European Championship finals when it meets the Netherlands in Dortmund in the second semifinal of Euro 2024. The winner will play Spain in Sunday’s final. Kickoff is at 9 p.m. local time or 2 a.m. on Friday Jakarta time.

Both teams conceded the opening goal in their quarterfinals before coming back to win. England defeated Switzerland in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw, while the Netherlands won 2-1 against Turkey.

After a win on penalties in his 100th game in charge of England, coach Gareth Southgate defended his often-cautious tactics as the kind of “streetwise” style successful teams use. The backlash from England fans, including some who threw plastic cups at him after a group-stage game, is “quite difficult” to deal with, he added.

“I don’t really understand the criticism. What he’s done for the country, for us as players as well, he really took us to the next level ... I’ve got a lot to thank him for because he showed a lot of faith and trust in picking me when he didn’t have to,” England defender Luke Shaw said about manager Gareth Southgate

The Netherlands will be by far the highest-ranked team England has faced after group games with Serbia, Denmark, and Slovenia, followed by knockout games with Slovakia and Switzerland.

The referee for the game is Felix Zwayer, who once had ties to a match-fixing scandal in Germany. England midfielder Jude Bellingham was fined 40,000 euros ($43,400) in 2021 while playing for Borussia Dortmund for criticizing Zwayer.

England has relied on the right-footed Kieran Trippier at left wing-back, but his tendency to cut inside has meant England has made little use of the left wing all tournament. Left-footed Luke Shaw came off the bench against Switzerland for his first minutes since February after injury. Shaw says he's fit to start against the Netherlands if Southgate picks him, and the coach said Tuesday he had a tough decision to make.

Southgate has to choose whether to stick with Ezri Konsa in the center of defense after he replaced the then-suspended Marc Guéhi against Switzerland. Guéhi is eligible again. There's scrutiny of Harry Kane's fitness after the England captain went off with a cramp in extra time against Switzerland. Ivan Toney came off the bench and scored one of England's five successful penalties in the shootout.

Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman could keep his lineup unchanged for the third game in a row, with Memphis Depay starting alongside Cody Gakpo and Steven Bergwijn up front.

“Hopefully it’s us that will have the ball more than England. So it’s more England that’s running. I expect a high-intensity game,” Netherlands defender Micky van de Ven said.

The Netherlands hasn't reached a European Championship final since it won the tournament in 1988 and was last a semifinalist in 2004. 

Gakpo and Spain's Dani Olmo are the top-scoring players left at Euro 2024 with three goals. What was initially thought to be a fourth for Gakpo against Turkey was instead ruled to be an own-goal. Kane and Bellingham are England's top scorers with two.

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