U21 Euro 2007: Holland & Serbia reach Final

Semi-Finals
Netherlands 1-1 England AET, Netherlands win 13-12 on penalties (Abe Lenstra Stadion, Heerenveen)
The Netherlands returned to the final of the European Under-21 Championship for the second year running following a thrilling 13-12 victory on penalties against England after their semi-final had finished 1-1 after extra time.

In total 32 spot-kicks were needed to decide the tie which eventually went the way of the hosts and holders when, almost three hours after kick-off, local Heerenveen hero Gianni Zuiverloon fired the winning conversion low to the right of Scott Carson.

For Netherlands coach Foppe de Haan, it cancelled out bitter memories of losing 10-9 on spot-kicks to Nigeria in the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup two years ago, yet it was rough justice on an England team who had battled bravely throughout and played the additional half-hour with ten men after Nedum Onuoha had limped off injured.

Maceo Rigters earlier saved the Jong Oranje with a thrilling overhead kick in the last minute to cancel out Leroy Lita's first-half strike for England, setting up a rousing finale and a final against Serbia in Groningen on Saturday.

Serbia 2-0 Belgium (Gelredome Stadion, Arnhem)
Goals at the start and finish of the match from Aleksandar Kolarov and Dragan Mrdja took Serbia into their second European Under-21 Championship final in three attempts as they held off the challenge of a hard-working Belgium side in Arnhem.

Kolarov's fourth-minute free-kick evaded everyone to give Serbia an initiative they were never to cede in a tense semi-final, and when substitute Mrdja ran clear to add a second with three minutes left, a squad that includes eight players who lost at this stage with Serbia and Montenegro last summer as well as three who featured when the 2004 final went Italy's way, knew they would have the chance of another U21 showpiece.

Belgium, particularly Marouane Fellaini, had their chances but too often their attacks foundered on the centre-back pairing of Branislav Ivanovic and Dusko Tosic. Serbia now take on the Netherlands on Saturday night.

[U21 Euro 2007 Championship Finals Schedule]