England Women v Netherlands Women International Friendly preview: Lionesses look to throw down a marker ahead of Euros

England Women v Netherlands Women International Friendly preview: Lionesses look to throw down a marker ahead of Euros

World heavyweights England and Netherlands clash ahead of the UEFA Women’s Euros. Will one of the favourites assert their authority?

Here’s our big game preview.

England women look to maintain unbeaten streak

Currently in the form of their careers and on the back of a 12-game unbeaten streak, stretching back to April last year, England women have well and truly bounced back from their disappointments in the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup and 2017 Euros.

Going into the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 tournament in July as second favourites at 4/1, England Women are in no need of a warm up but a friendly against top quality opposition in Netherlands will give them the practice of playing against the elite, and a squad of the sort of pedigree they will surely have to face in the knockout rounds.

England are marginal favourites at 11/8 and after scoring a mind boggling 53 goals in their last nine games, albeit against weaker opposition, are seething with momentum and well positioned to come away with a win in their final match before the opener of the Euros.

Ellen White who has become England Women’s all-time top scorer, scored a hattrick in the 20-0 destruction of Latvia and is the favourite to score first in the tie at 9/2, while she is just 13/8 to score at anytime.

The Netherlands’ ability and perhaps also the history between the sides sees both teams to score a likely occurrence at 4/5.

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Netherlands to go for 18th goal in three matches

The Dutch ladies are third favourites at 5/1 to win the Euros in July and like England will view this fixture as a prime opportunity to play some high quality opposition in preparation for the opening match.

Just like their counterparts, Netherlands have had some fantastic recent form, netting 17 times in their last two matches. A 12-0 win against Cyprus and a 5-1 victory over South Africa sees a Netherlands team that beat England in the 2017 Euros semi-final come into this match as only slight underdogs at 9/5.

The confidence Netherlands should take into the fixture after beating England in the Euro semi-finals in their last meeting, combined with the scintillating recent form of the Lionesses, sees the possibility of a draw less likely at 2/1.

Vivianne Miedema, who is cementing herself as one of the world’s best in women’s football, is the highlight of the Dutch squad and their most likely to score first at 5/1 and 9/5 to find the net at anytime.

Very evenly matched on paper and in recent results, England v Netherlands is expected to be a tight affair with both teams eager to show what they are made of in the precursor to the women’s Euros. A 1-1 draw is the most likely result at 9/2.

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