Monday 19th November 1945hrs Germany v Netherlands Football – International – UEFA Nations League Heading into the final match of this section and it’s fair to say that Group 1 of League A has flung up a massive surprise – perhaps the biggest of the first ever UEFA Nations League. Had we been making predictions about the ramifications of this particular match back in September, then the vast majority would be expecting the Germans to be needing a point to secure top spot and the Dutch would have been the country confined to relegation. It’s the complete opposite of course and it makes Monday’s game a must watch with so many stories surrounding it. Continue reading for a match preview of Germany v the Netherlands with a best bet selected.
Germany have consistently been great in competition football and whether it’s the Nations League or World Cup – they want to win it which makes this campaign an absolute disaster for them. Joachim Low’s men have failed to win any of their three games thus far and have scored just one goal. Their fate is already sealed in that they will be playing in League B next time around and the shame of relegation will be hurting the whole coaching team and squad of players. Back to back defeats away to the Dutch and French last month meant they were always liable to have been knocked out before this game and that’s the way it’s transpired. It’s arguably the proudest nation in international football and the rivalry alone between themselves and the Dutch will ensure that they will be going all out for the win tomorrow. Confidence will have been bolstered somewhat with a 3-0 friendly win over Russia last Thursday and Low will be demanding that his team end what has been an extremely disappointing campaign – and 2018 in general – on something of a high with a good performance and a good result.
I noted in the preview for the Netherlands game with France how impressed I had been with the improvement made by the Dutch under Ronald Koeman in such a short space of time – and their 2-0 win against the World Champions only served to underline that, and more. It was the best performance by a Netherlands team since the 2014 World Cup and gives great hope for what’s ahead. The 2-0 score flattered France and if it wasn’t for Hugo Lloris then they could really have been looking at a much heavier defeat. Koeman would have been delighted with the win for a number of reasons, not least because it followed up their 3-0 win at home to Germany a month previous and it also showcased his style of football. More importantly it means the Dutch now have the chance to top the section and qualify for the Nations League finals next summer. A point is all that is required but we know the dangers of going in with that attitude and Koeman will just be looking for a continuation of the level of performances that have been come the norm in this competition – do that and they’ll be close to getting a result.
Germany v Netherlands Betting Tip
There are few games in international football that brings more rivalry than Germany v Netherlands and this particular fixture will be no different with what’s riding on it. It would be a humiliation in football terms if Germany bow out this competition without registering a win and whilst that alone wouldn’t satisfy the German public, a win to deny the Dutch qualification would at least provide some pleasure. For the visitors then the challenge now is to replicate their winning form on the road and there’s few harder places to get a win than in Germany.
It was only this time last year when the Dutch failed to even make the playoffs for the World Cup, missing out on their consecutive major tournaments that we were told this would be lean period for the Netherlands as they didn’t have the talent coming through. Fast forward to now and the confidence is returning with a real optimism of what this group of talent can do for years to come. Germany remains one of the best in the business but there’s no doubt it’s all went a bit stale for them these past six months. Regular readers will know how much of a fan I am of this Dutch team but I am going to side with the hosts to get a much needed win for their own needs, a win that would also see France qualify for the finals of the Nations League.
Selection: Germany 9/10 @ Unibet
