sport news More than 20,000 fans flock to see England's bid for Nations League glory in ...

England's Nations League semi-final clash with Holland set to feel like home tie as more than 20,000 fans flock to see Gareth Southgate's side bid for glory in Portugal England kick off their Nations League campaign against Holland on Thursday The Three Lions are set to be backed by a strong support in Guimaraes  Sportsmail understands that more than 20,000 England fans are expected  Thousands who have travelled without tickets have been told to stay in Porto 

By Mike Keegan For The Daily Mail

Published: 22:33 BST, 4 June 2019 | Updated: 22:33 BST, 4 June 2019

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England's Nations League semi-final with Holland on Thursday night will feel like a home match - with around 20,000 Three Lions supporters expected in Portugal.

Sources have told Sportsmail that the staggering upsurge in popularity of the national team under Gareth Southgate has created a scramble for tickets, with England fans hoovering up many of those outside their original 10,000 allocation.

It means that the Estadio D. Alfonso Henriques, which hosts the fixture, is likely to be a sea of white and red, despite having its capacity reduced for operational reasons from 30,000 to around 26,000.

More than 20,000 England fans are expected to travel to Portugal for the Nations League

More than 20,000 England fans are expected to travel to Portugal for the Nations League

It means the Estadio D. Alfonso Henriques in Guimaraes is likely to be a sea of red and white

Meanwhile, thousands more - who have travelled without tickets - have been told to stay in nearby Porto.

A complex policing operation, months in planning, has been launched in a bid to deal robustly with troublemakers.

Last week, the FA released a video featuring England boss Southgate entitled 'Don't Be That Idiot' in a plea and a warning to what has been described as a new generation of thugs that

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