With the winner of this inaugural UEFA Women’s Nations League semifinal set to secure qualification to the 2024 Olympics in Paris this summer, plenty was on the line as Montse Tomé’s Spain welcomed the Netherlands to Seville on Friday night.
ESP: Coll; Carmona, Codina, Paredes, Batlle; Hermoso, Aleixandri, Bonmatí; Caldentey, Paralluelo, del Castillo
NED: van Domselaar; Brugts, Janssen, Dijkstra, Casparij; van de Donk, Spitse, Groenen; Martens, Miedema, Beerensteyn
As a rather uneventful first half neared its conclusion in Seville, la Roja stepped on the accelerator – netting two goals in just five minutes to assert control of the match before the break.
Jenni Hermoso found the opener in the 41st minute, latching onto a well-placed pass from Aitana Bonmatí to smash home the first goal of the evening. Bonmatí would then turn goalscorer, firing past Daphne van Domselaar from a Mariona Caldentey cross just minutes later.
Embed from Getty ImagesMontse Tomé’s side were not done there though, as ex-Manchester United right-back Ona Batlle added the third goal in the 77th minute to round off the capitulation – with the Oranjeleeuwinnen comprehensively defeated in Seville.
Spain have now sealed their progression to the final of the inaugural UEFA Women’s Nations League, and have confirmed their participation in the upcoming Olympic Games for the first time ever.
It’s not all over for the Dutch yet though. Given that host nation France defeated Germany in the other semifinal, the winner of Wednesday’s third-place match will join Spain and France at the Olympics this summer.
The final sees Spain take on France in Seville at 18:00 GMT on Wednesday, while the Netherlands will attempt to reach the Olympics with a win over Germany at 19:45 GMT.
