Netherlands V Estonia
Tuesday 19 November, 2019 – 19:45 Kick-Off
UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying
Pick: Netherlands & Over 3.5 Goals
Odds: 8/13
Bookmaker: Boylesports
UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifying Betting – 22Bet
(All betting odds displayed were correct as of 18 November 2019 at 00:10)
Preview: With qualification recently confirmed, the Netherlands can breathe a little easier ahead of this final Group C encounter. Their final opponents are Estonia, who were simply no match for The Dutch in Tallinn last March, falling to a 4-0 defeat. Can Estonia produce a more competitive showing second time around?
Netherlands Preview – Another big win incoming?
Group C Results: Belarus 4-0 (H), Germany 2-3 (H), Germany 2-4 (A), Estonia 0-4 (A), Northern Ireland 3-1 (H), Belarus 1-2 (A), Northern Ireland 0-0 (A)
Having been successful in securing the bare minimum required from a trip to Belfast, the Netherlands (2nd – W5 D1 L1, GF19 GA7) would subsequently celebrate Euro 2020 qualification following a goalless draw with Northern Ireland that leaves them assured of at least a runners-up placement in Group C. Victory in their final encounter, meanwhile, could even see them top the group although that is largely dependent on how Germany fare elsewhere.
Irrespective of how the final set of matches pan out, the country are finally heading to another major tournament, their first since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. They did, however, make hard work of it in the end. Earning a point from a performance perhaps good enough to have warranted more (seeing more of the ball and creating some promising chances whilst limiting the opposition to zero attempts on target), they could easily have been left ruing a costly defeat were it not for the home side missing a penalty.
To only draw last time out will have been slightly frustrating for Ronald Koeman in particular. The Holland coach will have been displeased at seeing a momentum-building four-match winning streak disappear as a consequence. It was also the first instance in this group whereby The Dutch would fail to score on at least two occasions. Nerves may have played a role. However, with the pressure now off, will Oranje flex their muscles one last time as they look to sign off in style?
Estonia Preview – Toothless visitors set for more anguish?
Group C Results: Northern Ireland 2-0 (A), Northern Ireland 1-2 (H), Germany 8-0 (A), Belarus 1-2 (H), Netherlands 0-4 (H), Belarus 0-0 (A), Germany 0-3 (H)
As the lowest ranked team (104) in a nightmare group comprising of some seriously talented countries, Estonia (5th – W0 D1 L6, GF2 GA21) were seemingly destined to struggle from the outset. That would certainly come to fruition. Seven qualifying matches would return a mere one point – a 0-0 draw in Belarus – as they failed to even trouble the scoring on five occasions, none more so than in their 8-0 drubbing away to Germany.
The back of this qualifying campaign will be a welcome sight on this basis. Unfortunately, it could be set to get a whole lot worse before finally being put out of their misery. That is because up next is a daunting trip to Amsterdam, where a Netherlands side which comprehensively beat them 4-0 in Estonia in March lay in waiting. Moreover, two previous visits to Holland produced 3-0 and 5-0 losses.
More comforting will have been the performances in Belarus and Northern Ireland. Keeping a clean sheet versus the former, they almost repeated the trick up against the latter, doing so for the best part of an hour before conceding twice in a 2-0 defeat. Yet neither of those sides are famed for their attacking prowess, nor were the home defences of either breached by this uninspiring Estonian attack. Thursday’s 1-0 loss away to Ukraine in a friendly was a case of more of the same.
Netherlands V Estonia Key Facts:
- Netherlands had scored a minimum of two goals in every group game prior to drawing 0-0 with Northern Ireland in their latest fixture.
- Estonia have failed to score in all three group games as the away side, with an 8-0 loss in Germany the largest.
- Just one of five previous meetings between these countries would not be won by Holland – that was a 2-2 draw in Estonia in 2013.
Betting Summary
The Netherlands have wrapped up qualification ahead of schedule, leaving only this routine fixture versus a side beaten 4-0 earlier in the campaign. Four of their five victories were in games featuring four or more match goals, scoring exactly four of their own doing on three separate occasions. There is, therefore, every likelihood of them racking up another emphatic scoreline.
A very tough campaign for Estonia. Some OK displays versus Belarus and Northern Ireland were tarnished by some brutal scorelines against Germany and Netherlands in which 15 goals were shipped across just three games. Meanwhile, the grand total of their combined efforts in this group being one point and two goals scored.
It has already been confirmed that capital Virgil van Dijk is absent here, not that it should make a great deal of difference to the outcome. It could, however, make a Dutch defence which has so far conceded seven goals more vulnerable. The hosts should win, but there should also be a fair few goals.
