Wales v Netherlands stay: Vivianne Miedema scores stunner towards Women’s Euro 2025 underdogs
Wales make their major tournament debuts as they take on Netherlands at Euro 2025. The Welsh are the lowest-ranked team at the Euros and have been drawn in a heavyweight group alongside holders England, 2017 champions Netherlands and France.
But Wales are determined to embrace the occasion and inspire a generation back home when they play the Netherlands in Lucerne. “This is what we’ve been wanting,” head coach Rhian Wilkinson said. “To showcase Wales as a country, this team and their talent.”
Former captain Sophie Ingle has been named in the Wales squad despite not playing a competitive match in over a year after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury while Netherlands have a number of star players including striker Vivianne Miedema.
“They are a top team, very fluid, and have some of the biggest stars in the game,” Wilkinson said. “They’re really an enjoyable team to watch and I’m looking forward to challenging my team against them.”
Follow updates from Wales vs Netherlands in our live blog below
GOOOOOOAL! Wales 0-1 Netherlands (MIEDEMA 45+2)
WOOOOW! What a way to bring up the 100! Miedema bends in a stunning shot from the angle of the box, finding the top corner with a vicious, bending strike! She becomes the first Netherlands player, male or female, to reach 100 goals for her country!
Wales 0-0 Netherlands
45 mins: Into three minutes of stoppage time. Wales clear what was the Netherlands’ first corner of the match, then James nips in well to beat Miedema to the ball…
Wales 0-0 Netherlands
43 mins: Wales with a bit of sustained pressure at the end of the half, and they win another corner after Green’s shot from distance is blocked wide by Brugts.
Holland’s first corner is cleared at the front post, then it breaks to Woodham but she can’t keep her shot down from inside the box!
Still, that raises the belief for Wales by another level. And they’re very close to making it to halftime level.
Wales 0-0 Netherlands
36 mins: Holland does ever so well to win a corner down the right and it fives Wales the chance to send some red shirts forward into the box. The cross, though, is cleared by the Netherlands at the front of the six-yard box.
Wales 0-0 Netherlands
34 mins: OFF THE POST! Wow, what a goal this would have been from Jill Roord! She takes down a knockdown and cracks a vicious half-volley from 25 yards that swerves at the last moment and crashes into the post! So unlucky!
But Wales survive!
Wales 0-0 Netherlands
29 mins: Sigh of relief for Wales as Casparij takes off on the overlap but her ball across goal evades Miedema, who was waiting for the touch. Then, there’s the break at the other end for Wales but Brugts recovers well as Holland looked to burst away.
Wales 0-0 Netherlands
26 mins; Another opportunity for Wales to stall the game as we reach the first cooling break. Temperatures are slightly cooler than they were at the start of the tournament, but they are still in the high 20s.
Wales 0-0 Netherlands
23 mins: The stats show Netherlands have had 75 per cent of the possession at the midway point of the first half, while the Dutch fans behind Clark’s goal are starting to jeer and whistle with the time-wasting they believe is happening already in this game. There’s a booking for Woodham as she wastes more time over a throw-in.
Wales 0-0 Netherlands
19 mins: The referee calls captain James over for a chat after suggesting, I think, that Clark is already on her last warning for time-wasting. Still, Wales have indeed managed to break a chunk off of the game.
Wales 0-0 Netherlands
15 mins: More signs of danger for Wales as Miedema turns into the box but her shot is blocked. The defending from Wales is suddenly a bit more desperate as Roberts fails to clear the pass to Roord. There’s an excellent block in there from Ladd and James.
The Wales goalkeeper Clark requires some treatment, which comes at a ideal time for Wales just to break the game up a bit. Quite convenient that…
