France stormed into the quarter-finals of the Women’s Euros with a commanding 5-2 win over the Netherlands on Sunday, topping Group D with a perfect record and setting up a mouth-watering clash against Germany in Basel on 19 July.
An electrifying second-half display, led by Delphine Cascarino, proved too much for the reigning European champions, who needed a three-goal win to progress but crumbled defensively after the break. The French, who finished with nine points from three matches, were joined in the knockouts by England, who face Sweden in Zurich on 17 July following their 6-1 demolition of Wales.
The Netherlands showed glimpses of their quality in the opening half but were undone by a lack of composure and defensive frailties. After a frantic start, France’s Marie-Antoinette Katoto squandered a golden opportunity in the 21st minute, blasting over the bar following a dazzling run by Oriane Jean-François.
Katoto quickly made amends, driving down the left a minute later and cutting the ball back for Sandie Toletti, who struck a bouncing effort into the bottom corner to open the scoring.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Victoria Pelova curled in a brilliant equaliser after French goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin palmed a Chasity Grant effort into her path.
The Dutch then took a surprise lead four minutes before the break when French defender Selma Bacha’s attempted clearance ended with her inadvertently turning the ball into her own net, sending France into the interval trailing 2-1 and temporarily dropping them to second in the group.
But the second half belonged to Cascarino. The Lyon winger first teed up Katoto for the equaliser in the 61st minute, before slicing through the Dutch defence and firing in a stunning solo effort just three minutes later.
Cascarino struck again in the 67th minute after a Katoto shot ricocheted off both posts and fell kindly for her to convert. A late penalty from Sakina Karchaoui sealed a comprehensive 5-2 victory for France, ensuring they progressed as group winners.
Speaking after the match, France coach Laurent Bonadei praised his side’s resilience: “A match is made up of two halves. We started well, then we got a bit scared,” he told French television. “At halftime, the players remobilised, they had a bit more bite. We had a great second half with some nice goals – it’s the football we love, focused on attack.”