Euros preview: Netherlands

By Rachel Gore (30/6/25)

Above: The Netherlands starting line up ahead of their fixture against South Africa. Photo: Oranjeleeuwinnen.

The Netherlands took home the Euros trophy in 2017 but have underwhelmed since. This summer, the side want to impress once more and make it past the quarterfinals.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Daphne van Domselaar (Arsenal), Lize Kop (Tottenham), Danielle de Jong (Twente)

Defenders: Lynn Wilms (Unattached), Caitlin Dijkstra (VfL Wolfsburg), Ilse van der Zanden (Utrecht), Veerle Buurman (PSV), Merel van Dongen (Monteerey), Kerstin Casparij(Manchester City), Dominique Janssen (Manchester United)

Midfielders: Jill Roord (PSV), Sherida Spitse (Ajax), Danielle van de Donk (Lyon), Victoria Pelova (Arsenal), Damaris Egurrola (Lyon), Jackie Groenen (Paris Saint-Germain), Wieke Kaptein (Chelsea)

Forwards: Lineth Beerensteyn (VfL Wolfsburg), Vivianne Miedema (Manchester City), Romée Leuchter (Paris Saint-Germain), Esmee Brugts (Barcelona), Chasity Grant (Aston Villa), Renate Jansen (PSV), Katja Snoeijs (Everton)

Head coach:

Andries Jonker was appointed as the Netherlands Women’s head coach in 2022 with a contract which stretched to the end of the 2025 Euros. It has now been confirmed that this contract will not be extended and that Arjan Veurink will become the new head coach after this summer.

So far, Jonker has experienced 33 games in charge. These fixtures have resulted in 19 wins, four draws and ten losses.

Euros history:

It was not until 2009 that the Netherlands qualified for the European Championships, and it was in this debut year that they made it to the semi-finals. However, at the next tournament, in 2013, the side exited in the group stage after they failed to gain any wins.

Sarina Wiegman then led her Dutch team to victory on home soil in 2017. This win changed the trajectory of women’s football in the Netherlands as it prompted a growth in popularity and increased following of the women’s game.

Following this outstanding performance in 2017, fans had high hopes for the Netherlands at the 2022 Euros. Despite these, the squad exited the tournament in the quarter-finals after losing to France in extra time.

How they qualified:

The Netherlands finished second in their qualification group which included Italy, Norway and Finland. The side won two of their matches, drew three and lost one. Ultimately, it was an equaliser from Vivianne Miedema in their last game which secured their place at the Euros.

Strengths:

It is the attacking energy which is perhaps the Netherlands’ greatest strength. Their attack is technical, fast and incredibly clinical which lends to pressure on defenders and goalkeepers.

Another stand out element of the Netherlands’ play is their set pieces. Sherida Spitse can deliver targeted corners and free kicks which her teammates can transfer into goals. The team utilises high advantages during these set pieces and therefore pose aerial threats.

Additionally, the composition of their squad is a strength in itself. The Dutch squad consists of players with experience and younger ballers who have emerged more recently. This means that there are members who experienced the 2017 Euros win and are hungry for more success and players who will be attending their first tournament and are therefore yearning for victories.

Development areas:

The team’s Euros history highlights one of their biggest weaknesses, their lack of consistency. The side have gone from making it to the semi-finals to failing to escape the group stage and also from champions to being knocked out during the quarterfinals. Their 2025 qualifiers performance highlights this pattern as they experienced wins, losses and draws.

The Netherlands are also vulnerable in defensive transitions with their full backs often leaving space behind them that teams can quickly break through. This weakness was exploited by France in 2022 and ultimately caused the Dutch side to be knocked out of the tournament.

Recent matches that the Netherlands have played against top teams have shown that whilst they have a creative midfield, they often do not think quickly enough to keep the ball. This poses as an issue when excellent teams, like Sweden and Germany, press aggressively or change their tactics as the Netherlands can be slow to adapt.

Key players:

Vivianne Miedema:

The Netherlands is home to exceptional attacking talent with a big name being Vivianne Miedema. Miedema is clinical in the box and plays intelligently during the build-up. After being deemed fit from an injury she’s been carrying since April, she’ll be crucial for the team if she can keep up fitness.

Daphne Van Domselaar:

At the other side of the pitch, Daphne van Domselaar will be in the net. The goalkeeper makes exceptional saves and has recently won the Champions League with Arsenal. Whilst her domestic experience is impressive, the keeper does have less international experience than the keepers of other top teams and this could cause an issue when she’s faced with excellent strikers during high pressure games.

One to watch:

One Dutch player to keep your eyes on during the tournament is Danielle van de Donk. The midfielder is exceptionally good at linking midfield and attack which enables aggressive play from the forwards.

Success would be:

The Netherlands are in a tough group and will therefore have the initial aim of making it out of the group stage. If they succeed with this first task, the team will want to make it to the semi-finals. Ending their tournament journey at this later stage will prove to fans that the team are not on the up and that the younger players that have been introduced are helping to positively shape the squad.

Prediction:

The Netherlands will most likely make it out of the group stage and then through to the quarter finals. Due to previous recent results and inconsistencies it’s likely that the side’s journey will end in the quarter or semi finals.

Group fixtures:

5th July – Wales, Swissporarena, 5pm UK time

9th July – England, Letzigrund, 5pm UK time

13th July – France, St. Jakob-Park, 8pm UK time

This is the latest part of our Euros nation previews – click on the links below to view the previous articles:

SWITZERLAND: https://impetusfootball.org/2025/06/16/euros-preview-switzerland-2/

NORWAY: https://impetusfootball.org/2025/06/17/euros-preview-norway/

FINLAND: https://impetusfootball.org/2025/06/18/euros-preview-finland-2/

ICELAND: https://impetusfootball.org/2025/06/19/euros-preview-iceland-2/

SPAIN: https://impetusfootball.org/2025/06/20/euros-preview-spain-2/

PORTUGAL: https://impetusfootball.org/2025/06/21/euros-preview-portugal/

BELGIUM: https://impetusfootball.org/2025/06/22/euros-preview-belgium-2/