Netherlands Vs Italy
Netherlands Vs Italy Monday 7 September 2020 – 19:45 Kick-Off
UEFA Nations league – League A Group 1
Pick: Draw
Odds: 12/5
Bookmaker: BetFred
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 5 September 2020)
Preview: The standout fixture from Monday’s UEFA Nations League offering comes from Amsterdam, where inside the Johan Cruyff Arena the Netherlands will look to make it two wins out of two in Group A1 when Roberto Mancini’s Italy pay them a visit.
UEFA Nations League Betting at 22Bet
Table of Contents
Netherlands Preview – Dutch resurgence still going strong?
A beaten finalist in June 2019 when losing a closely-fought encounter 1-0 to Portugal. The Netherlands would rather aptly mark their Nations League reappearance by featuring in another one-goal affair. This time, though, the Oranje were on the right side of the result, as they ground down Polish resolve in Amsterdam to win their opening group game 1-0 thanks to Steven Bergwijn’s maiden international goal.
Friday’s tense victory over Poland was also the first without Ronald Koeman, who has since swapped the managerial dugout with the national side for that of the Camp Nou and Barcelona. His former assistant, Dwight Lodeweges, will continue in his caretaker role for the time being therefore, and the 62-year-old former PSV Eindhoven boss will demand a more polished performance from his team on Monday.
Holland were, for the most part, dominant and in control of their opening group game, limiting their guests to no more than a single attempt on target whilst creating a handful of decent openings of their own without unduly troubling Polish shot-stopper Wojciech Szczesny. Ultimately, though, the Netherlands secured a vital win, their third in successive competitive home games having not lost such a game in seven (W6 D1).
Italy Preview – Long lay-off had an adverse affect?
The opposition, Bosnia-Herzegovina, were missing several first-team members and arrived in Florence in questionable form, having suffered five defeats in eight games. Italy, meanwhile, were enjoying an 11-game winning run in competitive matches – the longest in their illustrious history. So while pre-match the result might have seemed a mere formality, the reality come the full-time whistle was anything but.
It could have been worse as well. Bosnia had chances, particularly towards the end, to snatch a famous victory, albeit against a surprisingly lacklustre Italian outfit which found chances sporadic and were indebted to a deflected effort for earning them a 1-1 draw. After the game, players spoke of how little space they had to operate in. A worrying assessment ahead of facing a Netherlands side with a mean defensive record.
The Italians might argue they were a little rusty – and it would be understandable after such a long time between international games – however a similar display will likely be punished further still in Amsterdam. Not that this writer is dismissing their chances here. For this, after all, is a team that has won its past six away matches (Armenia, Bosnia Finland, Greece and Poland among their opponents) whilst conceding only twice.
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Netherlands Vs Italy Betting Advice
There is no disputing the rise of the Netherlands over the last two years. Possibly because the improvements made seem quite profound coming so soon after such a dismal period in which they failed to qualify for Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup. Italy, too, are on an upward curve right now, and between them they’ve established an impressive habit for regularly winning matches again. So this promising to be compelling.
Netherlands Vs Italy – Key Facts
- The Netherlands have won six of the last seven competitive home games (W6 D1), a run which included victories over France, Germany and Poland.
- Italy are targeting their seventh consecutive away win, beating the likes of Bosnia, Finland, Greece and Poland.
- On their most recent visit to Holland, Italy would depart Amsterdam – Monday’s venue for this latest clash – with a 2-1 victory, with all three goals in the match scored inside the first 32 minutes.
Defences could come out on top. The Netherlands are unbeaten in seven competitive games, in which they only conceded twice, while Italy recently had an 11-game winning streak quashed and would last concede more than once in any game during a 3-1 loss away to France in June 2018 (18 games and only nine conceded). With both teams evenly matched, then, the potential for a low-scoring draw appeals. 1-1 Draw.
Best Betting Odds – Netherlands Vs Italy
Netherlands – 13/10 (Unibet)
Draw – 12/5 (BetFred)
Italy – 5/2 (Bet365)
