Only two weeks till the kickoff of the highly anticipated European championships. The Netherlands kick off their preparations in Ferreria, Portugal, as they welcome Scotland. The match schedules for Wednesday, with kickoff at 9:45 pm.
It was a celebratory moment for Scotland last year as they made their first major tournament qualification. It followed a dramatic penalty shoot-out with Serbia. Thus, the side is brimming with confidence as they take on the Netherlands. In contrast, Netherlands return to a major European tournament after two years in the dark.
The Netherlands started their World Cup qualifiers on a low note especially following a 4-2 defeat to Turkey. Burak Yilmaz started with a perfect hat-trick, with Hakan Cahanoglu finishing off. However, it took late goals by Davy Klaassen and Luuk de Jong – it was not enough to salvage the result.
However, Oranje bounced back from the upset with two successive victories with a 2-0 win over Latvia. Finally, the 7-0 win over Gibraltar showed the light at the end of the tunnel for Frank de Boer’s side.
It has been a tough year for the Oranje, having failed to qualify for major European tournament in the Euro 2016 and 2018 World Cup.
In contrast, Scotland made their first appearance in a major European tournament in its 2019 bid for the Euros. Moreover, Scotland continued their World Cup qualifying campaign withdraws to Austria and Israel.
Netherlands vs Scotland Head to Head
Both sides have three matches against each other with the Netherlands taking all three wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Gibraltar 0-7 Netherlands
- Netherlands 2-0 Latvia
- Turkey 4-2 Netherlands
- Poland 1-2 Netherlands
- Netherlands 3-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina
Away
- Soctland 4-0 Faroe Islands
- Israel 1-1 Scotland
- Scotland 2-2 Austria
- Israel 1-0 Scotland
- Slovakia 1-0 Scotland
Netherlands Team News
Influential defender Virgil Van Dijk recently announced his absence in the coming European championship and friendlies after suffering a long-term ligament injury. The defensive gap remains filled by Matthijs de Ligt and Stefan de Vrij. Furthermore, Nathan Ake pushes for a start in defence. Memphis Depay leads the attack after an impressive campaign in Ligue 1.
Scotland Team News
After pledging his alliance with the national team, Che Adams will be looking to secure his place in the starting XI. Other available options in the attack include London Dykes. Kieran Tierney might start in defence while Robertson operates the left flank.
Prediction and Odds
Even though Scotland might present a tough call in Portugal, it is easy to see them outclassed at the hands of Netherlands.
- Netherlands Win
- Goals Under 2.5
- Depay to Score
