9 min: Visar Musliu does well to cut out an attempted cross from Malen to Depay. Malen may have been offside but it was tight.
7 min: Trickovski fouls Frenkie De Jong on the edge of the Dutch penalty area, bringing an end to a period of sustained pressure from North Macedonia.
5 min: The Netherlands attack through the centre, with Gini Wijnaldum arrowing the ball low along the deck from midfield. Memphis tries to flick the ball into the path of Donyell Malen, but doesn’t make firm enough contact with it. North Macedonia clear.
3 min:North Macedonia get forward, with Ivan Trickovski on the ball. He tries to pick out Aleksander Trajkovsiki in the Dutch penalty area but his delivery is intercepted and cleared.
2 min: Ryan Gravenberch unleashes the first shot in anger for the Netherlands on his first start or his country. It’s high and wide of the North Macedonia goal.
1 min: Goran Pandev gets the ball rolling in Amsterdam, his team playing in white shirts, shorts and socks with red trim. The players of the Netherlands wear black shirts, shorts and socks with orange trim.
Not long now: There are 15,000 fans present in the Johan Cruyff Arena to welcome both sides out on to the pitch. Goran Pandev leads North Macedonia, while Gini Wijnaldum skippers the Dutch. The two teams line up either side of Istvan Kovacs and his team of match officials and stand proud for the national anthems. Kick-off is less than five minutes away.
Goran Pandev has said this will be his final appearance for North Macedonia ... and this time he means it. Photograph: Koen van Weel/EPA
Frenkie de Jong and Gini Wijnaldum warm up. Photograph: Kenzo Tribouillard/AP
In other news today ...
A North Macedonia fan holds his scarf aloft in the Johan Cruyff ArenA in Amsterdam. Photograph: Koen van Weel/AP
A couple of Dutch fans look forward to kick-off. Photograph: Koen van Weel/EPA
Some pre-match listening
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Those teams: Igor Angelovski makes just two changes to the North Macedonia side that started against Ukraine on Thursday. Ivan Trickowski comes in on the left wing for his first start of the tournament. Aleksander Trajkowski starts in midfield, having been dropped to the bench after their first game.
Frank De Boer also makes two changes. Donyell Malen is in for Wout Weghorst up front, while Ryan Gravenberch replaces Marten De Roon in midfield, as expected.
Netherlands (3-5-2): Stekelenburg; Dumfries, De Vrij, De Ligt, Blind, Van Aanholt; De Jong, Wijnaldum, Gravenberch; Depay, Malen.
Today’s match officials
Referee: István Kovács (Romania)
Assistant referees: Vasile Florin Marinescu and Ovidiu Artene (Romania)
Fourth official: Georgi Kabakov (Bulgaria)
Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello (Italy)
Istvan Kovacs and his team of match officials familiarise themselves with the Amsterdam Arena. Photograph: Lukas Schulze - UEFA/UEFA/Getty Images
Goran Pandev: Not for the first time, Macedonia’s star player ends his international career, on the occasion of his 122nd cap. One suspects his team-mates will do everything in their power to send him on his way with another goal under his belt.
“I can only say one big thank you, above all to Goran Pandev, the best football player in the history of North Macedonia,” said his manager Igor Angelovski, who may also be overseeing his final game for his country. “I am happy to have worked with such a great captain and person. We will give everything against the Netherlands. I don’t like talking about the future because until my last day, I will work as hard as I can.”
North Macedonia legend Goran Pandev will play his last match for his country tonight. Photograph: Lukas Schulze - UEFA/UEFA/Getty Images
Early team news
Both managers are likely to shuffle their packs for what is ostensibly a dead rubber, with Netherlands manager Frank De Boer likely to make wholesale changes. It would be a huge surprise to see Marten de Roon start for the Netherlands, as he is just one booking away from being suspended for the Round of 16. Ajax holding midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, 19, could start in his place.
Ryan Gravenberch (right) could start for the Netherlands this evening. Photograph: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images
The Amsterdam Arena is the venue for a match between hosts who have already guaranteed their progress to the last 16 and visitors who can’t qualify for the next round, whatever the outcome this evening.
Having lost both their opening games, North Macedonia will be hoping to go out with a bang rather than a whimper, while the Netherlands have guaranteed themselves top spot in the group and a Round of 16 match against an as yet unidentified third placed qualifier. Kick-off in Amsterdam is at 5pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
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