The Lionesses are in a must-win situation against the Netherlands at Euro 2025 this week and if they are to qualify for the knockouts then the team will have to stop Manchester City’s Vivianne Miedema.
Miedema reached 100 goals for the Netherlands in their first Group D game and the nation’s all-time top scorer will be eager to net against some familiar faces this week.
Vivianne Miedema reaches 100 international goalsÂ
There is no doubt that Vivianne Miedema is the best goalscorer to ever play for the Netherlands, and her iconic status was confirmed after the 28-year-old netted her 100th international goal last week.
Miedema opened the scoring for her nation against Wales with a typically stunning strike as she sent two defenders the wrong way before curling an effort into the top corner from well outside the box.
đź’Ż Vivianne Miedema, take a bow!
A special finish to bring up 100 international goals đź‘Ź pic.twitter.com/mWN9GF7mHh
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) July 5, 2025
Scoring 100 goals for your country is an impressive feat on its own, but Miedema’s achievement looks even better when considering that she has never taken a penalty for the Netherlands.
The Manchester City forward joined an elite list of players with her 100th goal, becoming just the sixth European player to reach a century of international goals and the first to do so without a single penalty to her name.
Europeans to reach 100 international goals
- Birgit Prinz (Germany) – 128
- Julie Fleeting (Scotland) – 116
- Patrizia Panico (Italy) – 110
- Elisabetta Vignotto (Italy) – 107
- Carolina Morace (Italy) – 105
- Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands) – 100
How do England stop Miedema?
After the Lionesses were unceremoniously beaten by France in their first Group D game, the team is now in a must-win scenario when they face the Netherlands on Wednesday.
If England are going to qualify for the quarter finals then they will have to find a way to slow down Miedema and the Netherlands attack, which is much easier said than done.
Of course with Miedema playing for Manchester City, there are plenty of familiar faces in the England team who know everything about the Dutch superstar – including her current partner and former club teammate Beth Mead.
Speaking before the tournament started, Miedema spoke about the clash against England, saying: “I know the girls really well, of course, and i’ve played with or against them for many years. It’s great of course to play against them during this tournament.”
“I wouldn’t have minded if it had been at a later stage, but when you play for such a long time there’s always someone that you know in the other teams. That makes it rather special that you have to play against each other because you normally play for the same team and now you are facing each other. It’s great fun.”
Miedema will line up against various former teammates from Arsenal playing for England this summer and her old captain, Leah Williamson, will be at the heart of the Lioness defence that looks to keep the Netherlands all-time top scorer quiet.
Netherlands Euro 2025 odds
The Netherlands’ odds of winning Euro 2025 took a significant improvement after their first win, with England’s loss to France also helping their chances.
While they have a better chance of advancing from the group, the Netherlands are still 25/1 to win the Euros according to the best UK football betting sites.Â
On a personal note, Miedema is currently 16/1 to finish the tournament as top goalscorer.
