Group D: France turn on the style in 5-2 goalfest to dump Netherlands out

France sealed top spot in Group D with a dazzling 5-2 victory over the Netherlands in Zurich on Saturday night. While a draw would have been enough for Les Bleues, they produced a ruthless attacking display to bury any doubts and underline their championship credentials.

For the Netherlands, it was all or nothing. They needed to beat France by a heavy margin and hope England stumbled elsewhere to stay alive. But those slim hopes unravelled under France’s relentless quality, despite a valiant late push.

France took the lead in the 22nd minute as Sandie Toletti drove home a volley from the edge of the box to open the scoring. The Netherlands responded swiftly, with Victoria Pelova equalising in the 26th, rifling a shot into the top corner after a poor clearance from the french defense. The Dutch then took a surprise lead in the 41st minute when Selma Bacha’s attempted clearance deflected into her own net – which only seemed to rattle the French into life.

The second half marked a dramatic shift. In the 61st minute, Delphine Cascarino intercepting sloppy play from the Dutch to drive forward and teed up Marie-Antoinette Katoto for the equaliser. Cascarino then took charge, cutting in from the right and scoring a blistering strike in the 64th minute, followed by a clinical finish in the 67th minute to put France in front. Sakina Karchaoui capped the result with a penalty in 90+2 minutes, sealing the 5-2 scoreline.