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First Round

• Wed. 21st June: (Group D)
  Game 24 France - Holland
  Amsterdam Arena (20:45)

France and Holland have both won their games against Denmark and the Czech Republic.

This match is all about who will be the group leader and play their quarter-final match in Rotterdam. Holland are currently in second place, on goal difference, and will need to win if they want the home advantage route to the final.

The Dutch have four players on a yellow card, including goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, and will be without Glasgow Rangers midfielder, Giovanni van Bronckhurst; after he was booked in both the previous games. For France, only Liliam Thuram has received a yellow card in the tournament so far.

France may rest some key players and be content to play their Quarter-final in Bruges, if they lose to Holland -- having already won their two previous matches in the city's Jan Breydel stadium.

This would be an ideal chance for France to give Dugarry a game, but many a coach has lost the momentum after resting players unnecessarily. The winning streak breeds confidence and at this level remaining unbeaten means more than where you're going to play your next game or who your opponents might be. So far, only Italy and Portugal have 9 points from their three games. France or Holland could be the third.

France knocked Holland out of Euro96 and whatever happens in Amsterdam tonight, these two teams may still meet in the final of Euro2000.

France Team:
1- Bernard Lama
19-Christian Karembeu, 8-Marcel Desailly, 18-Frank Leboeuf, 2-Vincent Candela
4-Patrick Vieira, 14-Johan Micoud, 21-Christophe Dugarry, 11-Robert Pires
20-David Trezeguet, 13-Sylvain Wiltord

Holland Team:
22-Sander Westerveld
15-Paul Bosvelt, 3-Jaap Stam, 4-Frank de Boer, 19-Arthur Numan
5-Boudewijn Zenden, 8-Edgar Davids, 7-Philip Cocu, 11-Marc Overmars
10-Dennis Bergkamp, 9-Patrick Kluivert

Referee: Anders Frisk (Sweden)

First Half:
France field a reserve side and show that they have talent in depth.

1-0. French corner. Christophe Dugarry gets up to head past Westervel; 8mins.

1-1. Kluivert levels the score. Receives a long ball on the left from Denis Bergkamp, cuts inside Leboeuf and enters the area to cooly slot past Lama; 14mins.

2-1. On the half-hour, Micoud takes a corner on the right. Jaap Stam heads it out, and the ball is blasted into the back of the net by Trezeguet; from the edge of the area.

This is looking like an exhibition match and the French are showing who are the masters.
Half-time: 2-1

Second Half:
2-2. Frank de Boer curls a free kick with the outside of his left foot and into the top left corner. No chance for Lama.

2-3. Just before the hour, Westerveld drop-kicks upfiled; it's long. Frank Leboef can't get to it and it runs to Zenden who's faster than Karembeu to the ball and puts Holland in the lead.

Result: France 2 -- Holland 3

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