Netherlands v England
Thursday 6th June 1945hrs
Football – International – Nations League
Pick England
Bookmaker Bet365
Odds: 17/10 (odds taken 21.00GMT, Wednesday 5th June)
The Netherlands and England will know who their potential UEFA Nations League final opponents will be when they square off against each other in Guimaraes on Thursday evening.
UEFA Nations League Betting at Bet365
Netherlands Preview – Can Dutch cause another upset?
The Dutch were not in a great state heading into their Nations League section and expected to do little up against Germany and France – the two previous World Champions. Having failed to qualify for the previous two major championships, there was definitely a feeling that they were some way off that level of opposition which made their achievement finishing top all that more impressive. Ronaldo Koeman’s team were up against it even more considering they lost their first game but recovered sufficiently well by taking seven points from their next three games and edging above the French. There has been something of a reality check since then, though, when losing 3-2 to Germany at home in qualification for Euro 2020. Whilst there has been improvement – and a significant one at that under Koeman – there remains a long way to go for this young group of players. What is evident, however, is the performance of the excellent Ajax team in this season’s Champions League is further indication of how a new crop of players are emerging and arguably much quicker than they would have anticipated just a couple of years ago. Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong are the two leading starts of that team and will be mainstays of the international set-up for at least the next decade. Both will be plying their trade elsewhere next season and will again be looking to perform on the big stage.
England Preview – Will England make it past the semi-final stage?
England continue to go from strength to strength under Gareth Southgate and they are now within touching distance of winning a trophy for the first time since their World Cup win in 1996. Having reached the semi-finals of last summer’s World Cup when there was little expectation on them, England have followed that up by topping their Nations League group – containing Spain and Croatia – which is evidence that this group of players are capable of winning the big games on a regular basis. Just like their opponents on Thursday, England also have an exceptionally promising crop of young stars who are making a name for themselves for club and regularly playing in the biggest of games, whilst winning trophies. The challenge is now to take that winning mentality on to the international arena and attempt to make history for England. They head into the semi-final against the Dutch in excellent form having won their last five games and are unbeaten in seven. When you take into account the standard of team they have faced in that run it’s a very strong and confident squad who will travel to Portugal.
Key-Facts – Netherlands v England
- The winners of this will face Portugal in the final on a Sunday
- Netherlands were a surprise winner of their group section and come into this hoping to cause another shock
- England have been excellent under Southgate and have the chance to reach a first final since 1966
Netherlands v England Betting Advice
Ronald Koeman’s first opponents in charge of the Dutch team were England back in March 2018 and whilst it was only 1-0 to Southgate’s men, there was a noticeable gulf in class between the two teams. It’s a further sign of how much improvement there has been within this group of players that the Netherlands are competing at this level, and tomorrow’s game will give Koeman an insight to how far his team have actually come as they go head to head with the Three Lions once again. For England, it’s all about getting a reward for their consistent form over the last 18 months and having suffered semi-final heartache just under a year ago, they will be looking to avoid that.
For all the Dutch have improved, and they certainly have, there still looks to be a gulf in class between their attacking players compared to what England have at their disposal. It should be a competitive encounter with the quality Netherlands have in defence and midfield but England are a more developed team who have recent experience of playing at the top level, and it could be that Thursday’s game is decided on that factor more than anything else.
