Netherland vs Montenegro
4 September 1945hrs
Football – International – World Cup Qualifier
Pick Netherlands HT/FT
Bookmaker Betfair
Odds: 4/7 odds taken 2000 GMT, Friday 3 September
Group G is appearing to be the most competitive of all the qualification groups so Netherlands will be going all out for the win as they host Montenegro in Eindhoven on Saturday.
Table of Contents
Netherlands Preview – Can Slovenia gain an important win to improve their qualification hopes?
Louis van Gaal is back for a third spell in charge of the Dutch national team. The first two were very different. Failure to qualify for the 2002 World Cup seen him sacked after one qualifying campaign but it was a much more positive spell last time as the Netherlands made it all the way to the semi-final of the 2014 World Cup only to lose on penalties to Argentina.
He’s been out of work for five years since leaving Manchester United and is now attempting to improve the fortunes of a squad who have been disappointing over the last year. None more so than an underwhelming exit in Euro 2020 when they lost to Czech Republic in the round of 16, spelling the end of Frank de Boer.
Van Gaal’s first match since returning ended in a 1-1 draw away to one of their main rivals for qualification, Norway. Netherlands had got off to the worst start when losing 4-2 away to Turkey. They did pick up maximum points against Latvia and Gibraltar as expected and they will be hoping for six points from these next to home games (Turkey in Amsterdam on Tuesday).
The 1-1 draw in Norway also signalled a return for Virgil Van Dijk who was playing his first international match in 11 months. The captain should make a huge difference in what’s left of this campaign.
Montenegro Preview – Will Croatia have enough with their captain to score a valuable away win?
Being drawn in the same section as Netherlands, Norway and Turkey was probably not what Montenegro wanted but they are making a fist of it. Four games in and they have taken seven points to sit just one off the pace heading to the halfway stage. With only top spot guaranteed qualification and second place going into a playoff, every single point is going to be valuable from here on in.
Miodrag Radulovic was appointed in December last year and started his reign with two wins against Latvia and Gibraltar but they did come undone at home to Norway.
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It raised questions whether they could compete with the top seeds in this section but Montenegro went on to answer some of those with their performance and result away to Turkey last time out. 2-0 down they rescued a point with a goal in the seventh minute of added time to lift their spirits.
If they can get something from this game it sets them up brilliantly for a home game against Latvia where they can hopefully end this run of matches with a victory and keep themselves in contention.
Netherlands vs Montenegro Betting Advice
Key Facts – Netherlands vs Montenegro Betting Tip
- Louis Van Gaal’s third spell in charge started with a 1-1 draw away to Norway
- Montenegro will be buoyed following a 2-2 draw in Turkey on Wednesday
- These two nations will face each other again the penultimate round of matches in November
Italy and Germany are the only two nations who have beaten the Dutch at home in a competitive game in the last five years. Montenegro have started well but this could well be beyond them. Take Netherlands to be winning at half time and full time.
Best Betting Odds for Netherlands vs Montenegro
