Netherlands 'Very Close' To Euro 2024 Dream, Ake Optimistic Against England

The Netherlands are on the brink of achieving their dream as they prepare for the Euro 2024 semi-final against England. Nathan Ake expressed his excitement about facing some of his Manchester City teammates, stating that the Oranje are close to securing their first major international honour since 1988.

The Netherlands had to come from behind to beat Turkiye 2-1 on Saturday night, thanks to a header from Stefan de Vrij and an own goal by Mert Muldur in Berlin. This victory set up a semi-final clash with England in Dortmund next Wednesday.

Reflecting on the upcoming match, Ake said, "I'm looking forward to it. There's a lot of players I know from the Premier League. We know their individual qualities and it's a semi-final so it will be tough." He added that the team is building momentum and feels ready for the challenge ahead.

Both the Netherlands and England have faced criticism for their performances in the tournament so far. Ronaldo Koeman's side progressed to the knockout stages as one of the best third-placed teams, having taken four points from Group D fixtures.

The Netherlands showed resilience by easing past Romania in the last 16 with arguably their best performance of the tournament before demonstrating their recovery powers against Turkiye. Cody Gakpo, who is joint-top scorer at the tournament, commented, "You can play good football but still go out. Obviously, I think everyone knows each country can play a little bit better but if you win, that's all that matters."

Building Momentum

Ake emphasised that whether they are considered underdogs or not does not matter. "We focus on ourselves. We know what we need to do. We are very close now," he stated confidently.

The Dutch team has been steadily gaining momentum throughout the tournament. They overcame tough stages at the start and have now passed another test with their win over Turkiye.

As they prepare for their semi-final match against England, Ake and his teammates remain focused on their goal of winning a major international honour for the first time since 1988.

The anticipation is high as both teams gear up for what promises to be an exciting clash in Dortmund next Wednesday.