Poland v Netherlands: Euro 2024 – live

37 min After a nice one-touch move, Dumfries’ low cross is cut out at the near post by Salamon.

36 min This is Poland’s best spell of the game. There are one or two signs of frustrations from the Netherlands, particularly Gakpo, who has had words with the referee on a couple of occasions.

33 min Replays show that Kiwior’s shot also took a slight deflection off Dumfries, which makes it a slightly better save from Verbruggen.

32 min A cross from the left is headed out but not away by Van Dijk. Kiwior chests the ball down and cracks a left-footed shot that is well saved by Verbruggen, getting down smartly to his left.

31 min The Netherlands have played some really smooth, stylish football. Tougher tests to come, I realise.

Gakpo’s shot took a crucial deflection, but you can’t begrudge the Dutch their equaliser. He received Ake’s pass 35 yards out, just left of centre, and ran straight at the heart of a flagging Polish defence. He got to the edge of the D and drove an impatient low shot that hit a defender, Bednarek possibly, and wrongfooted Szczesny.

GOAL! Poland 1-1 Netherlands (Gakpo 29)

29 min We’ve just seen a replay of Zielinski’s block in the 25th minute, without which Depay would probably have had an open goal. It was superb defending.

28 min “You want disappointment?” says Simon McMahon. “I’ll give you disappointment. I’ll see Niall Mullen’s Poland, and raise him a Scotland. Friday night, opening game of the tournament, we’re gonna do it this time, blah blah blah etc etc. 2-0 down after twenty minutes. Ok, let’s regroup at half time, score next. Nope, let’s get a man sent off instead and concede again just before half time. In the end, relieved it was only 5-1. But the cricket will be different, right? No scars, nothing to lose. Fearless. Set alarm for 4am Sunday morning, see how it’s going. Oh. A ten wicket defeat inside ten overs would have felt better. On Father’s Day too. I haven’t felt this bad since Juan Cayasso scored for Costa Rica against Scotland in 1990.”

Hang on, wasn’t that the day you met Mrs McMahon?

27 min Gakpo’s flat cross is slightly behind Dumfries, who can only head it back across the area. Reijnders gets to it first and his header from a tight angle is well blocked by Bednarek.

27 min As it stands, the Netherlands are battering Poland 0-1.

26 min “Van Dijk is hilarious, always shouting after conceding a goal yet his ego never allows him to ask was it perhaps his fault,” says Andrew Hurley. “Why is Frimpong, one of the best players in his position in Europe last season, on the bench? He’s the only Netherlands player one could claim that about…”

Wasn’t Dumfries brilliant at the last World Cup? I assume that’s the reason, although – who knew – I’m no expert.

25 min Reijnders takes Gakpo’s pass in his stride, surges into the area and slides a low pass that is crucially blocked the sliding Zielinski. It feels like an equaliser is coming.

23 min Depay’s cross-shot, neither one nor t’other, flashes across the face of goal. The Netherlands have played some really slick football, only to lose composure in the penalty area.

22 min: Great chance for Depay! The Dutch really should be level. Simons slips as he controls the ball on the edge of the area but it bounces perfectly for Depay, who leathers it over the bar.

20 min: Good save by Szcezesny! Schouten’s outswinging corner is met sweetly on the volley by Van Dijk, 15 yards out. The ball kicks up off the pitch and is pushed away to his left by Szczesny.

18 min “Depay,” says Niall Mullen, “looks like a lad who went to jail aged 17 for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and has come out a decade later with 50 kg more muscle, 100 new tattoos, and a 1000-yard stare that his sweetheart just can’t recognise.”

What have I told you about wasting your weekends watching Prison Break?

17 min ROBERT WHO.

It came from a corner on the left, swung in at pace by Zielinski. Buksa ran towards the near post, got up early between two defenders and flicked a fine header across Verbruggen.

GOAL! Poland 1-0 Netherlands (Buksa 16)

15 min A bemused Veerman is booked for a foul on Szymanski, as is a bemused Reijnders for dissent.

14 min Depay, who has the full swagger on, drags the ball stylishly away from Szymanski on the halfway line. The ball is moved across the field to Simons, who drives well wide from 25 yards.

13 min Poland have their first extended spell of possession, which ends with Szymanski’s shot from the edge of the area being blocked. It wouldn’t have counted because of an offside in the build up.

10 min At the other end Buksa has a hopeful shot blocked by Van Dijk.

9 min: Chance for Netherlands! They’re plying some terrific stuff here. Schouten, on the right side of the area, drags a careful low pass to the onrushing Reijnders. He takes the shot first time from the edge of the area but sidefoots wide of the post. At first it looked like a bad miss, but there may have been a deflection.

9 min Gakpo runs Frankowski to win a corner for the Netherlands. Veerman’s inswinger is headed away by Salamon.

8 min The Polish centre-back Salamon tries to score from inside his own half. It’s not his brightest idea.

6 min The Dutch are all over Poland, and their fans are making a cracking noise as well. The front three of Gakpo, Depay and Simons look sharp.

4 min Gakpo has started very brightly on the left. He cuts inside, plays a give and go with Depay but then miscontrols the ball in the area. A softer first touch would have given him a shooting chance.

2 min Gakpo collects the ball on the left side of the area, cuts onto his right foot and drives a low shot that is pushed round the near post by Szczesny. Decent save.

2 min “Total Footie is only part of the story,” says Jeremy Boyce. “They have also provided some sublime moments on the biggest stages (as well as an unerring ability to foot-shoot themselves) : Cruyff’s turn, van Basten’s volley (and his hat-trick v England), van Persie’s flying header, Bergkamp’s genius trap and shoot v Argentina…”

And, as David Lacey reminded us after a particularly brutal game, they also invented the clog.

1 min Peep peep! Poland kick off from left to right as we watch.

The Dutch are wearing their blue change strip due to a clash between their usual orange and Poland’s white kit. White the eff.

“Afternoon Rob,” says Niall Mullen. There’s an argument to say that, in Europe at least, this game is a battle between a country that has the biggest impact on world football relative to its size and one that has really underperformed despite being a populous, football mad nation. Perhaps it’s just because I’m old enough to remember 1982 (and Zbigniew Boniek) but the Poland team are a consistent source of disappointment.”

The Alton Towers of world football.

A reminder of the teams

Poland (possible 3-4-2-1) Szczesny; Salamon, Bednarek, Kiwior; Frankowski, Zielinski, Romanczuk, Zalewski; Urbanski, S Szymanski; Buksa.
Substitutes: Skorupski, Bulka, Dawidowicz, Walukiewicz, Piotrowski, Swiderski, Moder, Lewandowski, Grosicki, Puchacz, D Szymanski, Bereszynski, Slisz, Skoras.

Netherlands (possible 4-2-3-1) Verbruggen; Dumfries, De Vrij, Van Dijk, Ake; Schouten, Veerman; Simons, Reijnders, Gakpo; Depay.
Substitutes: Bijlow, Flekken, Geertruida, De Ligt, Wijnaldum, Weghorst, Frimpong, Van de Ven, Blind, Malen, Maatsen, Zirkzee, Bergwijn, Gravenberch.

Referee Artur Soares Dias (Portugal).

Here come the players, all with their gamefaces carefully applied. The format – 16 of the 24 teams qualify for the knockout stages – takes a bit of pressure off the first game, but you’d still rather hit the tournament running. Obviously.

The Dutch XI includes players from Liverpool, PSV Eindhoven, Brighton, Manchester City, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain – but not from Ajax, who had such a desperate domestic season. The only Ajax players in the squad, Brian Brobbey and Steven Bergwijn, are on the bench.

Poland and the Netherlands have never played each other at a major tournament, although they have had plenty of meetings in qualification or the Nations League. Poland haven’t beaten the Netherlands since a Euros qualifier in May 1979.

The Dutch coach Ronald Koeman has happy memories of Hamburg, having been part of the Dutch team that beat West Germany in the semi-final of Euro 88. Here he is celebrating that victory in traditional style.

Fifty years!

Team news: Lewandowski out

Netherlands team guide

Poland team guide

Ben Fisher’s preview

Man with axe shot by police

Preamble