World Cup semi-finalists England have been drawn to face Netherlands in the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League in June, while reigning European champions Portugal will go up against Switzerland.
The draw for the ‘Final Four’ stage of the inaugural edition of the brand-new competition for European countries took place in Dublin on Monday, 3 December.
The two semi-finals will be held on 5 June and 6 June, respectively, while the third-place playoff and the final have been scheduled for 9 June.
The four semi-finalists won their respective groups in the top-tier of the Nations League, with both Netherlands and England qualifying in dramatic circumstances.
The Dutch – absentees at the 2018 World Cup – showcased their growth under new head coach Ronald Koeman by emerging out of a difficult group featuring World Cup winners France as well as Germany with a thrilling draw against the dethroned champions in their final outing – clinched by a stoppage-time equaliser from Virgil van Dijk.
England, meanwhile, continued their progress under Gareth Southgate by following their dream run in Russia with a stunning come-from-behind win over World Cup runners-up Croatia.
The Netherlands-England semi-final will be played at Guimaraes, with Portugal having already been awarded hosting rights for the ‘Final Four’.
Euro 2016 champions Portugal, who finished top of Group A3 ahead of Italy, will face Switzerland in Porto. The Swiss stunned No. 1-ranked Belgium by turning a 2-0 deficit into a 5-2 win to advance from Group A2.
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