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  • Kick-off: 19:45
  • Venue: Stade de Suisse Wankdorf, Berne
  • Attendance: 30000
  • Referee: Fandel, H

Live Commentary

90mins

Full-Time: HOLLAND 4-1 FRANCE.

90mins

Holland can take it easy against Romania as they're already through to the last eight, but it will be a nervous encounter between Italy and France next Tuesday.

90mins

HOLLAND 4-1 FRANCE. A superb SNEIJDER strike from the edge of the area puts the seal on a perfect night for the Dutch.

90mins

Robben, who has been excellent since coming on at half-time, drills a shot inches wide.

88mins

Ribery's effort is just too high. Holland can breathe again.

87mins

Henry wins a late free-kick just outside the area.

85mins

Anelka goes down in the area under Joris Mathijsen's challenge but it's no penalty.

83mins

It's almost 4-1 but Coupet races back after van Nistelrooy had lobbed him to turn the ball away for a corner.

82mins

Jeremy Toulalan becomes the third player to go into the referee's notebook.

80mins

Ribery cuts open the Dutch defence but no colleague can turn his cross home.

78mins

Holland bring Wilfred Bouma on for van der Vaart.

77mins

Henry heads Ribery's flicked free-kick over the bar. Time's running out for France.

76mins

France win a series of free-kicks as they try to respond.

75mins

France bring Anelka on for Govou.

74mins

The match has the makings of a classic as it enters its final 15 minutes.

72mins

HOLLAND 3-1 FRANCE. Another break by Holland ends with ROBBEN blasting a shot from a tight angle past a startled Coupet. Amazing stuff by the Real Madrid man.

71mins

HOLLAND 2-1 FRANCE. Willy Sagnol surges down the right-hand side and finds HENRY who flicks the ball home.

70mins

The French are doing all the pressing, but Holland continue to look dangerous on the break.

68mins

France try to respond but the Dutch look tight defensively.

66mins

Van Persie leads another Holland break but there's no-one up with him and the move breaks down.

64mins

France conceded the second goal just when they were enjoying their best spell of the match.

62mins

This game is following a very similar pattern to Holland's win against Italy four days ago.

60mins

France respond by bringing Bafetimbi Gomis on for Malouda.

59mins

HOLLAND 2-0 FRANCE. A superb counter-attack by the Dutch ends with Robben whipping in a left-wing cross that VAN PERSIE fires towards goal. Coupet gets a hand to the ball but can't stop it crossing the line.

58mins

Sneijder's long-range free-kick is blocked by Makelele as play swings from end to end.

56mins

Another change by the Dutch as Robin van Persie replaces Kuyt.

54mins

Henry is clean through after beating the offside trap but although, the Barcelona man lobs van der Sar the ball also sails over the bar. A bad miss.

53mins

The referee is getting annoyed with the Dutch for time-wasting - another yellow card could be in the offing.

52mins

Ooijer is booked after tangling with Malouda.

50mins

Replays suggest the referee was correct, but France are certainly firing on all cylinders now.

49mins

Henry is convinced his goal-bound shot is handled by Andre Ooijer but the referee waves play on.

48mins

France have started the second half well, forcing the Dutch on to the back foot.

47mins

Henry creates a chance in the opening stages of the second half with some great skill and van Bronckhorst his forced to hack the ball off Ribery's boot.

46mins

Van Basten has made a change at the break with Orlando Engelaar making way for Arjen Robben.

46mins

Holland get the second half underway.

45mins

Half-Time: HOLLAND 1-0 FRANCE.

45mins

As it stands, Holland are through to the last eight, while the Italy v France game on Tuesday suddenly looks very interesting.

43mins

Henry turns in an instant on the edge of the area, but bends his shot over the crossbar.

42mins

The game is now very even although you get he impression Holland could move up a couple of gears if they needed to.

40mins

Holland settle the flow of the game down again after their recent wobbles.

38mins

Holland are hanging on now as Ribery launches another swift attack.

36mins

France pour forward again, but this time the Holland keeper saves Ribery's shot.

35mins

Better by France as Govou, who has probably been their best player so far, is denied by van der Sar.

34mins

Van der Vaart is eventually able to rejoin the action after treatment.

32mins

Makelele is booked for lashing out at van der Vaart.

31mins

Every time France attack, Holland have little difficulty snuffing their threat out.

29mins

The pace of the match has dropped as Holland toy with their opponents.

27mins

Kuyt and Khalid Boulahrouz combine well, but no-one can get on the end of the latter's driven cross.

25mins

France have finally woken up, but Holland still look the better team.

23mins

Edwin van der Sar is forced to make his first save, stopping Govou's effort with his legs. Better by France.

22mins

France are having trouble getting the ball so great is Holland's dominance.

21mins

Terrible defending allows Kuyt to get a shot on goal but it's only a half-chance and the Liverpool player scoops his effort over the bar.

19mins

It's all Holland as Rafael van der Vaart has a shot from the edge of the penalty area blocked after an intricate passing move.

18mins

France have lost their way since the goal as Holland start to dominate.

16mins

It's almost another for Holland only for Wesley Sneijder to fire a long-range shot over the bar.

15mins

As it stands both 2006 World Cup finalists - Italy and France - could be heading for an early exit as van Basten would presuambly field a weakened side against Romania.

13mins

Govou tries to respond but his intended pass to Henry is cut out by the Dutch.

12mins

The early goal has really put the pressure on France following their inept stalemate against Romania.

10mins

HOLLAND 1-0 FRANCE. A simple goal as van Bronckhorst swings in a corner and KUYT is strong enough to hold off Malouda and power a header past Coupet.

9mins

Kuyt wins a corner after doing well to control Giovanni van Bronckhorst's long ball forward.

8mins

Holland start to settle, their confidence building thanks to a long spell of possession.

6mins

France have started well, looking lively in the opening stages.

5mins

Ribery heads Florent Malouda's tempting cross wide after good play by Henry.

4mins

Makelele is lucky not to be booked after a hefty challenge on Dirk Kuyt.

3mins

Ruud van Nistelrooy has a sniff of goal but his effort is eventually blocked and the ball rolls through to Gregory Coupet.

2mins

France win an early free-kick but Franck Ribery's effort is easily cleared by the Dutch defence.

1mins

Play is held up as Claude Makelele is forced to hoof a big orange ball off the pitch. Hilarity ensues.

1mins

France get the action underway in Berne.

0mins

France coach Raymond Domenech has dropped Nicolas Anelka, Karim Benzema and Eric Abidal with Thierry Henry, Patrice Evra and Sidney Govou coming in to replace them.

0mins

Holland coach Marco van Basten, one of the stars of his country's 1988 success, has named an unchanged side knowing a victory tonight will seal a place in the quarter-finals.

0mins

France may have been successful in 1984 and 2000, but they looked devoid of ideas against a Romania side that set their stall out from the kick-off for a point.

0mins

Holland, winners of this competition 20 years ago, aim to build on their fantastic 3-0 win against Italy four days ago by beating a France side low on confidence after their dire goalless draw with Romania.

Match Report

Goals by Dirk Kuyt, Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder helped the Netherlands reach the last eight as Marco van Basten's team beat France 4-1 in Berne.

It was another superb display by the Netherlands, winners of this competition 20 years ago, only four days after their fantastic 3-0 win against Italy.

However, France may have been successful in 1984 and 2000, but they are now in grave danger of failing to make the quarter-finals.

They face Italy next Tuesday with the prospect of both teams, World Cup finalists only two years ago, returning home early.

Van Basten, one of the stars of his country's 1988 success, named an unchanged side, while France coach Raymond Domenech dropped Nicolas Anelka, Karim Benzema and Eric Abidal with Thierry Henry, Patrice Evra and Sidney Govou coming in to replace them.

France started the match well and Franck Ribery headed Florent Malouda's tempting cross wide after good play by Henry.

However, the Dutch took the lead in the tenth minute with a simple goal. Giovanni van Bronckhorst swung in a corner and Kuyt was strong enough to hold off Malouda and power a header past Gregory Coupet.

Six minutes later it was almost 2-0 only for Sneijder to fire a long-range shot over the bar but, as Holland continued to press, Rafael van der Vaart had a shot from the edge of the penalty area blocked after an intricate passing move.

Terrible defending by France midway through the first half allowed Kuyt to scoop an effort over the bar while Edwin van der Sar did not have to make his first save until the 23rd minute when he kept Sidney Govou's effort out with his legs.

France slowly improved and Govou was again denied by van der Sar before the veteran Dutch keeper was forced to save Ribery's shot.

Just before the interval, Henry turned in an instant on the edge of the area, but bent his shot over the crossbar.

France enjoyed their best spell of the match at the start of the second period. Henry created a chance with some great skill but van Bronckhorst hacked the ball off Ribery's boot.

France should have equalised in the 54th minute. Henry was clean through after beating the offside trap but, although the Barcelona man lobbed van der Sar, the ball also sailed over the bar.

It proved to be a costly miss as, five minutes later, it was 2-0. A superb counter-attack by the Dutch ended with Robben whipping in a left-wing cross that van Persie fired towards goal. Coupet got a hand to the ball but could not stop it crossing the line.

France pulled a goal back in the 71st minute when Willy Sagnol surged down the right-hand side and found Henry who flicked the ball home.

However, within 60 seconds the Netherlands had restored their two-goal lead when another break ended with Robben blasting a shot from a tight angle past a startled Coupet.

Ruud van Nistelrooy and Robben went close to scoring further goals before Sneijder grabbed the fourth in stoppage time with a superb strike from the edge of the penalty area.

Holland

France

Corners

26

Fouls

1717

Goal attempts

1318

Shots off target

49

Offsides

00

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