Hello and welcome to Sportz Point's another LIVE UEFA Euro 2024 football match coverage. This is Koushik Biswas, who will bring you all the LIVE updates and commentary of the Netherlands vs France match on Saturday at the Leipzig Stadium.

Both France and the Netherlands are coming from a win in this exciting match in Group D. This match will eventually decide who will finish at the top of the Group. 

Netherlands are the top of the group after beating Poland by 2-1 while France are in the second position after a 1-0 win over Austria. 

Read the match preview here. 

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The stage is set for an epic showdown as Italy takes on France in what promises to be an exciting Nations League clash. With a storied history of rivalries and memorable encounters, both teams come into this match with high stakes.

Italy secured their spot in the Nations League knockout phase on Thursday night with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Belgium, thanks to Sandro Tonali’s early strike. The Azzurri’s fourth win in five matches came after overcoming a few nervy moments, extending their unbeaten run since their disappointing Euro 2024 exit.

Luciano Spalletti's men have shown remarkable improvement, previously defeating Israel twice and holding Belgium to a draw in Rome despite being reduced to 10 men for nearly an hour. The campaign began on a high in September when Italy bounced back from conceding in just 13 seconds to beat arch-rivals France at Parc des Princes.

Now through to the quarter-finals in March, Italy could secure top spot in Group 2 with a result on Sunday. They need to avoid a loss by two goals or more. Meanwhile, although France has also qualified for the next round, their November camp has been far from smooth.

Read Also| Olympique Lyonnais faces provisional relegation and transfer ban

Match Details

Match: Italy vs France

Date: 17 November 2024

Time: 1:15 AM IST

Venue: San Siro Stadium, Milan, Italy

Streaming Details

Indian viewers can stream the game live on the SonyLIV app and website. The TV broadcast will be on Sony Sports Network channels.

Read Also| Most goal contributions so far in Europe's top 5 leagues this season

Head-to-Head Stats

Matches Played: 13

France wins: 7

Italy wins: 5

Draws: 1

Read Also| Paul Pogba terminates contract with Juventus after mutual agreement

Team News and Injury Update

🌅🍂 pic.twitter.com/TW4qYHuQik

— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) November 16, 2024

With qualification already secured, Italy may opt for some changes to their lineup, potentially rotating their attack. 

Italy's injury concerns include Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori, Torino midfielder Samuele Ricci, and long-term absentees Gianluca Scamacca and Giorgio Scalvini. Manuel Locatelli has been called up to replace Ricci and will compete with Nicolo Rovella for a midfield spot.

😶‍🌫️ pic.twitter.com/iMh21A0kB7

— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) November 16, 2024

On the other hand, France will be without Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé, whose absence remains unexplained, as well as injured players Wesley Fofana, Ousmane Dembélé, Loïc Badé, and Aurélien Tchouaméni.

AC Milan duo Theo Hernandez and Mike Maignan are expected to start on familiar ground at San Siro. At the same time, Inter Milan's Marcus Thuram will contend with Randal Kolo Muani for the central striker role. Kingsley Coman, brought in to replace the injured Dembélé, is in the mix alongside Michael Olise and Bradley Barcola for starting spots in France's attacking lineup.

Read Also| Substitutions that changed the football history

Possible Starting XI

Italy's possible starting lineup: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Buongiorno, Bastoni; Cambiaso, Frattesi, Locatelli, Tonali, Dimarco; Barella; Retegui

France possible starting lineup: Maignan; Kounde, Konate, Saliba, Hernandez; Kante, Rabiot; Olise, Zaire-Emery, Barcola; Thuram

Football is a sport full of drama, distress, excitement, and unforgettable moments that are cherished from generation to generation. Goals are the highlighting factor that decides the fate of a team and that is why the near-misses leave the fans in agony and sometimes change the course of football's history.

These fumbles in front of the goal are surprising and unexpected at the same moment. In this article, we delve into the most shocking misses in football history.

Erling Haaland 

(Manchester City vs Liverpool, 2022 FA Community Shield Final)

The Norwegian goal-machine emerged as an absolute cheat-code for Manchester City since his move to Man City in 2022. However, he came to England as and promising youngster but faced criticism from fans after his open goal miss in his very first match for Manchester City in the FA Community Shield Final on 30 July 2022 against Liverpool.

Phil Foden unleashed a left-footed strike in the seventh minute of injury time and it was denied by Liverpool keeper Adrian, but Erling Haaland wasted an open chance to score from the second ball as he hit the crossbar from a close range to the goal. Liverpool won the game by 3-1.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting

(PSG vs Strasbourg, Ligue 1 2018-19)

The Cameroonian International featured for teams such as Bayern Munich and Paris-Saint Germain, and he was a part of the PSG squad who were runner-ups in the UCL 2019-20. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting also scored the winner in injury time against Atalanta in the quarter-final of the same UCL campaign.

😳 We're not exactly sure what Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was doing here⁉️ The @PSG_English man denied his own teammate and left the ball sitting on the goal line. pic.twitter.com/blFnaPoOQA

— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) April 7, 2019

However, Choupo-Moting got down in history for a bizarre instance in a 2-2 draw against Strasbourg in Ligue 1 during his first season with the French side. Christopher Nkunku successfully chipped the opponent keeper with a shot that was about to go in, but Choupo-Moting somehow stopped the shot on the line in an attempt to tap it in, but his intervention led the threat to get cleared. 

Neal Maupay

(Brentford vs Cardiff City, EFL Championship 2017-18)

Neal Maupay, the French forward who spent most of his career in England, joined Brentford in 2017 and went on to be a headline for his incredible open-goal miss against Cardiff City in the 2017-18 EFL Championship. 

On this day in 2017... 🗓

Neal Maupay pulled off one of the WORST misses you’ll EVER see for Brentford 🤯
pic.twitter.com/xD1Pd87wPE

— Second Tier podcast (@secondtierpod) November 18, 2022

The golden opportunity emerged as Ollie Watkins won the possession in front of the box by beating Sean Morrison in a duel and he fooled the keeper to pass it to Maupay, who only had an open goal in front of him.

However, Maupay took some time to slot it home as defender Sol Bamba ran onto the goal-line to stop the shot. Surprisingly, Maupay did not let Bamba do anything as he fired it inches off the post. Brentford eventually lost the game by 0-2.

Cristiano Ronaldo

(Manchester United vs Sheffield United, Premier League 2006-07)

Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the greatest footballer ever, also finds himself on this unfortunate list. The dreaded Portuguese netted the most goals in football history, although his unbelievable miss came in his early days at Old Trafford. Ronaldo wasted this open-scoring chance during a Premier League game against Sheffield United in 2006.

Cristiano Ronaldo pic.twitter.com/qKDPSCU4Nz

— LSPN_FC (@LSPN__FC) November 11, 2024

A sublime backheel by Wayne Rooney opened a space in front of the box for the Red Devils as Ryan Giggs intercepted the pass before cutting a grounder through Sheffield's defence. The ball comfortably found Cristiano Ronaldo but his strike flew over the crossbar from a very close distance to the goal.

Lionel Messi 

(Argentina vs Trinidad and Tobago, Friendly, 2014)

Lionel Messi, the other footballer who is arguably considered the greatest footballer of all-time, has also entered this fateful list due to his unbelievable blunder for Argentina against Trinidad and Tobago on 4 June 2014, prior to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. 

Angel Di Maria fired into the opponent box and released a comfortable pass before the ball could cross the goal-line, but Messi failed to respond quickly as the defender cleared the ball from in front of an open goal before even Messi could intercept.

Randal Kolo Muani

(France vs Argentina, 2022 FIFA World Cup Final)

This wasted scoring opportunity changed Argentina's football history as Argentina lifted the 2022 FIFA World Cup by beating France in penalties, following an unnerving 3-3 draw after extra time. 

The 120-minute Final showcased a brilliant display of football ending in a 3-3 draw between France and Argentina, before going down to penalties to decide the world champion. However, France could have snatched the World Cup if Randal Kolo Muani was not denied by Emiliano Martinez in the last minute of the game.

The last minute save by Emi Martinez from Kolo Muani's shot will go down in the history as arguably the most clutch save in a World Cup Final and a very memorable for us Messi Fans. With that save I knew Messi was going to have a date with destiny. 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/BtfArjcFIs

— Messiologist 🇦🇷🇪🇸 (@breathMessi23) February 11, 2023

A lobbed pass was intercepted by Kolo Muani in front of Argentina's box as Nicolas Otamendi failed to intercept, but Kolo Muani's first-touch attempt was denied by Argentina keeper Emiliano Martine who stretched his leg to stop the shot. Only 47 seconds were left before the final whistle! This miss will remain iconic for the heroic save by Emi rather than the blunder by Kolo Muani.

Fernando Torres 

(Chelsea vs Manchester United, Premier League 2011-12)

Fernando Torres was arguably the top striker in the world in and around 2007 to 2010. Chelsea broke the British transfer record to acquire the Spaniard from Liverpool in January 2011. Somehow, 'El Nino' failed to replicate his Liverpool performance at Stamford Bridge, and his disappointing tenure with the Blues was highlighted by a moment during a match against Manchester United in September 2011.

This Torres miss vs Man United, one of the biggest misses in prem history pic.twitter.com/B52St4Z6qM

— GreatMan (@UtdGreatt) February 27, 2024

Torres already scored the only goal for his team but Chelsea was behind 3-1. In the 83rd minute, Ramires played a beautiful through that cut the United defense open in half. Torres intercepted the ball and managed to ease past David de Gea with a skillful feint, having an open goal in front of him.

However, Torres surprisingly shot the ball wide of the post and missed the golden chance which went down as one of the worst misses in the Premier League history.

Yakubu Ayegbeni

(Nigeria vs South Korea, FIFA World Cup 2010)

Nigeria faced South Korea in a do-or-die match after two consecutive defeats in the Group stage of FIFA World Cup 2010, and Yakubu Ayegbeni crashed the headlines but not quite for the right reasons.

Like Yakubu Aiyegbeni Like Yakubu Mahmoud 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️pic.twitter.com/EleHzAGR6A

— ỌjịUgo™️🍫👁️‍🗨️ (@OjiUgo_nwa) October 10, 2023

Midfielder Yusuf Ayila delivered a ball right into the six-yard box where Ayegbeni received the pass, but he missed the absolute sitter from inches close to the goal. The match eventually ended in a 2-2 draw and Nigeria finished at the bottom of the group.

Ilija Sivonjic

(Dinamo Zagreb vs Cibalia Vinkovci, HNK 2006)

Croatian footballer Ilija Sivonjic's open miss in 2006 for Dinamo Zagreb against Cibalia is widely considered one of the worst misses in football history. 

Ilija Sivonjic pic.twitter.com/kVjs9VHkzY

— Football Hub (@FootbalIhub) November 8, 2024

In the 33rd minute of the game, one of his Dinamo teammates slotted the ball on target. Although it went past the opposition keeper, it was stopped by Sivonjic who attempted a backheel to tap it in. The ball inexplicably bounced off the goal line and one of the Cibalia defenders sent it out of play. 

Ronny Rosenthal

(Liverpool vs Aston Villa, 1996)

Ronny Rosenthal started his Liverpool career very well, scoring 7 goals in his first 8 games. He even scored a hat-trick in his first game against Charlton. However, he couldn't keep up this great form later.

Ronny Rosenthal with one of the worst misses of all time vs Aston Villa, 1992. pic.twitter.com/rOf0NRFVDI

— 90s Football (@90sfootball) January 27, 2021

In 1992 during Pool's PL encounter against Aston Villa, Rosenthal wasted a golden opportunity to score. Rosenthal intercepted a long ball from David James and dribbled past the goalkeeper, but misfired his left-footed strike to hit the crossbar. This miss is still remembered as one of the worst misses in Premier League history.

Rosenthal later joked about this famous miss and said:

"Does it bother me? No it doesn't matter now. I'm glad it happened!

"I'm glad I missed because I'm still on the map [because of it]."

via Birmingham Live

Germany is going to take on the Netherlands in a scintillating clash in the UEFA Nations League group game tonight, scheduled to kick off at 12:15 AM IST on 15 October 2024. The two teams will set their foot in the iconic Allianz Arena Stadium in Munich where the German home crowd will welcome the visitors, the Dutch brigade.

Currently standing on the top of Nations League Group A3 with 7 points earned in 3 matches so far, Germany will face the second-placed Netherlands who are at 5 points in the same amout of matches played.

Germany will utilize their home advantage in this match after a smooth away victory by 2-1 against Bosnia & Herzegovina. Deniz Undav scored a brace and now has scored 3 goals in his two Nations League outings for Germany.

On the other hand, the Netherlands faced an unexpected result in their last game against Hungary, managing a frustrating 1-1 away draw after Denzel Dumfries scored in the 83rd minute to save the day for the Dutch. 

Match Details

Match: Germany vs Netherlands 

Date: 15 October 2024

Time: 12:15 AM IST

Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany 

Streaming Details

Indian viewers can stream the game live on the SonyLIV app and website. The TV broadcast will be on Sony Sports Network channels.

Head-to-head Stats (Since 2004)

Matches Played: 12

Germany wins: 4

Netherlands wins: 2

Draws: 6

Previous Records 

Since the 2004 EURO, Germany and Netherlands have faced each other 12 times over almost 20 years. Germany emerged victorious 4 times while Netherlands snatched the win 2 times. In their last face-off on 11th September 2024, Germany held a 2-2 against Netherlands in the same clash in the UEFA Nations League. 

Here are the previous records between these two teams since EURO 2004:

One of the best footballers ever to grace the pitch for the France national football team, Antoine Griezmann has announced his retirement from International football. With 137 appearances, Griezmann is the 4th highest-capped footballer for France with 44 goals and 38 assists by his name. 

C’est avec le cœur plein de souvenirs que je clos ce chapitre de ma vie. Merci pour cette magnifique aventure tricolore et à bientôt. 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/qpw8dvdtFt

— Antoine Griezmann (@AntoGriezmann) September 30, 2024

The 33-year-old won the 2018 World Cup and 2021 Nations League with France and earned many personal accolades with the Les Blues. This article will highlight the identifying events of his stellar national career that lasted for ten long years. 

2010 | U-19 Euro Champion with France

Antoine Griezmann debuted for the U-19 National team in 2010. In the same year, Griezmann won the U-19 EURO Championship with France. Griezmann did not play long for the U-19 team as he was promoted to the U-20 category in 2011. Griezmann had 3 goals in 7 matches with the France U-19 Football team. 

Most importantly, Griezmann lifted the U-19 UEFA EURO Championship with France by beating Spain in the final. He scored a brace and provided an assist in that tournament in a group match against Austria. 

2014 | Senior Debut 

Griezmann made his senior debut on 5th March 2014 in a friendly against the Netherlands and stormed into the 2014 World Cup squad under the managerial radar of senior team coach Didier Deschamps. Before flying to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup, Griezmann scored 3 goals in 4 friendly appearances for France. He booked the ticket for Brazil as one of the most promising players heading into that tournament. 

However, he could not live up to the expectations in the World Cup. He only started three games and one of those games was against the eventual champions Germany in the quarter-final. Griezmann could not find the net for once and his 2014 World Cup campaign was one to forget with zero goal contributions by his name. 

2016 | UEFA EURO 2016

Griezmann took over the world with his wizardry on the pitch from the 2016 EURO that was held in France. He proved himself as the most dependable player for Les Blues from the very first match against Romania. He did not get to score but his off-the-ball movements and playmaking abilities filled the team and the fans with hopes. 

Griezmann only had one goal in the group stage which came against Albania. From the Round of 16, Griezmann started to showcase his goal-scoring performance as well. He scored both goals for France in a 2-1 against Ireland in the RO16 to qualify for the quarter-final. France defeated Iceland by 5-2 in the quarter-final and Griezmann scored one goal with 2 assists by his name and that solidified his playmaking role in the team. 

🇫🇷 The Griezmann finish that sent France to the EURO 2016 final #OTD against Germany 🥳@FrenchTeam | @AntoGriezmann pic.twitter.com/CgVlsD6YNu

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 7, 2022

His best performance in the tournament came against Germany in the semi-final as Griezmann pulled off a brace to kick Germany out of the tournament. His individual brilliance in this match is still considered one of the best performances in International football. Griezy's 'telephone' celebration after scoring a goal in this tournament was also something that made him a fan-favorite. 

OFFICIAL: @AntoGriezmann is #EURO2016 player of the tournament! #FRA @equipedefrance @Atleti https://t.co/i9qDBsorVI pic.twitter.com/cR8eh8Drio

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 11, 2016

However, France was defeated by Portugal in the final by a narrow 1-0 scoreline. Griezmann won the EURO 2016 Golden Boot Award for being the top goalscorer of the tournament with six goals. Griezmann was officially named the Best Player of the Tournament as well.

2018 | FIFA World Cup 2018

Griezmann's quest for a trophy with Les Blues ended in his second World Cup tournament as France went on to win the 2018 World Cup by beating Croatia in the final in Moscow. Griezmann was exceptional for France with 8 goal contributions throughout the tournament. He scored 4 goals and provided 4 assists for his teammates. 

Griezmann scored a goal against Argentina in France's 4-3 win in the Round of 16. In the quarter-finals, Griezmann contributed to both goals of his team in France's 2-0 win over Uruguay. He scored one and assisted the other. Griezmann also assisted France's solitary goal against Belgium in the semi-final that led France to the final. 

5 - Antoine Griezmann 🇫🇷 est impliqué dans 5 buts lors de cette Coupe du Monde (3 buts, 2 assists), aucun Bleu n’a fait mieux sur une édition lors des 50 dernières années. Maté. #CM2018 pic.twitter.com/WfAaLBSxFA

— OptaJean (@OptaJean) July 14, 2018

Griezmann scored the penalty in the final that gave the lead to France in the 38th minute as the game was on a scoreline of 1-1. He provided the assists for both goals that Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe scored to ensure France's title for the second time in history. 

Griezmann was named the Man of the Match in the final. He was also the second-highest goal-scorer and joint-highest assist provider in the tournament.

🥈 Silver Boot winner
🅰️ Joint-top assister
🥉 Bronze Ball winner
🥇 MOTM in the Final

🏆 What Antoine Griezmann did for Les Bleus at the 2018 #WorldCup was exceptional. Happy 30th birthday to a French great 🎁@AntoGriezmann | @FrenchTeam pic.twitter.com/c2rMiBXy8W

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) March 21, 2021

2021-2024

Greizmann gradually turned more into an Attacking Midfielder than a traditional forward for France. His goalscoring tally in big tournaments dropped from the 2020 EURO but until he announced his retirement on 30th September 2024, he continued to be one of the most instrumental players for national coach Deschamps.

Griezmann in worldcup 2022 dropped one of the greatest worldcup campaigns of all time. France will never be able to replace him.
pic.twitter.com/xlK16slNpe

— Hashím (@jackhatesgriz_) September 30, 2024

He was also part of the France squad that won the 2021 Nations League by beating Spain in the Final. However, in the 2022 World Cup France was defeated by Argentina in the final and failed to defend their title. But Griezmann created 7 big chances in the tournament which was the highest alongside Messi. He mostly played as an attacking midfielder and controlled his team's play with his exquisite playmaking skills. 

Griezmann ends his international career as one of the greatest footballers to play for France. What he has done throughout his career can not only be justified by the stats because Antoine Griezmann is the kind of player who delivers way more on the pitch than mere stats. 

Sports governing bodies are constantly tweaking the rules of play to enhance competition, player safety, and fan experience. Several major leagues rolled out impactful new regulations for the 2024 season. Let's explore some of the most notable changes in sports rules introduced across football, baseball, soccer, cricket, rugby, and more this year.

New Kickoff Format in the NFL

The NFL overhauled its kickoff rules for 2024 in an effort to improve safety and boost excitement. Kickoffs now feature a "landing zone" between the receiving team's goal line and 20-yard line. Aside from the kicker, the kicking team lines up 5 yards apart at the receiving team's 40-yard line. They can't move until the ball is caught or hits the ground.

This setup encourages more returns while reducing high-speed collisions that commonly cause concussions. Additional changes allow creative onside kick attempts in the 4th quarter. So far, the revamped kickoffs have been well-received. Returns are up, injuries are down, and fans are enjoying the intriguing strategic implications.

Fewer 100-Minute Matches at Euro 2024

Football matches stretching well over 100 minutes due to excessive injury time were commonplace at the 2022 World Cup. But Europe's governing body UEFA took a different approach for its 2024 European Championship tournament. Rather than meticulously adding on every second lost to celebrations and subs, referees focused on restarting play quickly.

As a result, Euro 2024 matches adhered much closer to 90 minutes on average. Only captains could speak to referees, reducing dissent. VAR explanations were also displayed on stadium screens to improve transparency. While some fans missed the added drama, others appreciated UEFA reining in meandering matches.

Read Also | Top Five youngest scorers in UEFA Euro history 

New Pace-of-Play Rules in Major League Baseball

MLB introduced several subtle but impactful rule tweaks for 2024 designed to improve pace-of-play. The pitch timer was reduced from 20 to 18 seconds with runners on base, attempting to claw back some of the time increase observed over the course of last season.

Mound visits were reduced from 5 to 4 per team. Pitching changes now shave 15 seconds off the between-innings timer. Circumvention tactics like delaying the pitcher's arrival to the mound and meeting the umpire before he places the ball in play are now prohibited.

While games still averaged nearly 3 hours, these changes represent MLB's continued efforts to combat dead time. Fans have responded positively to the increased flow and action.

MLB also issued new guidance aimed at reducing unsafe blocking of bases. Players will be called for obstruction if they position themselves to impede a runner's path before receiving the ball. This protects baserunners while encouraging aggressive base-running.

New Penalty Law in English Football

One of the most discussed rule changes in English football this season regards penalties. IFAB clarified that referees should not automatically show a yellow card to players who commit handball and concede a penalty. This gives referees more flexibility when interpreting intent on handballs.

The aim is to only caution players for deliberate, tactical fouls. Inadvertent handballs leading to penalties should not draw a booking. This nuanced approach has received praise for balancing fairness and common sense application of the rules. Those who take advantage of a free bet offer from Kwiff and bet on bookings will need to bear this new rule in mind.

Read Also | Like umpire's call, Premier League introduces referee's call: Here are all the new things you will see in Premier League this season 

More Points for Drawn Matches in County Cricket

In the 2024 County Championship cricket tournament, a drawn match will now be rewarded with 8 points for each county. This is increased from 5 points for a draw last season. The aim is to better incentivise teams to bat long while still pushing for victory.

With batting bonus points unchanged, the tweaked draw points system should encourage high-quality pitches and competitive multi-day cricket.

New Offside Law in Rugby

World Rugby introduced a law change regarding offside in front of a kicker for 2024. Previously, a player could be deemed onside if the opposing catcher ran 5 meters or passed the ball after fielding a kick. The new law removes these allowances, requiring offside players to actively work to get onside rather than remaining stationary. This should reduce "kick tennis" stalemates and improve flow.

The key sports leagues are thinking creatively about how to improve their product. It will be fascinating to see what new regulations are tested out across various sports in the years to come. For now, the early returns on this year's crop of rule changes are largely positive. The altered kick-off format, pitch timer adjustments, and base-blocking guidance all seem to be enhancing their respective sports.