Who would have predicted that? Thanks to a 2-0 lead in the 81st minute in and against Montenegro, the the Dutch was close to the World Cup in 2022 despite a somewhat viscous match. But five minutes later it was suddenly 2-2 and the reservations for the flights to Qatar still had to be made. Wait a minute. Because Norway also drew against expectations, a draw in an empty Kuip on Tuesday is still sufficient to qualify for the World Cup. With TOTO we are already looking ahead to this apotheosis.
Do you expect the Netherlands to secure the World Cup against Norway and do you not yet have an account with TOTO? Sign up here easily and play along!
So one point. A draw, just like last September in Oslo (1-1), is enough. The the Dutch squad is still unbeaten since Louis van Gaal’s return as national coach, so continuing that line is also enough for the first World Cup qualification since the tournament in 2014. The only line that hopefully will not be continued is that of the late goals conceded: eight of the last nine goals of the Netherlands came in the second half. The only goal in this series that fell before half-time came in the previous meeting with Norway: super striker Erling Haaland, who has to miss this match due to an injury, scored in the 20th minute. Since Norway is also competing for the top two places, the Ståle Solbakken team cannot wait and we may see fireworks earlier than expected.
Will the Netherlands hold out until the final whistle? View the odds for a goal against in the second half here.
The backdrop for the all-deciding international match against Norway is De Kuip, but unfortunately for the the Dutch, the team has to do without fans in the stands. A big downer, but hopefully the Feyenoord stadium will remain favorable even without an audience: the the Dutch has won the last eighteen international matches in De Kuip. And that almost always happened with a clean sheet: of these eighteen international matches, the Netherlands managed to keep fourteen times clear. Norway, which not only has to miss Haaland but also has to play in the Dutch’s favorite stadium, can start hunting for that direct ticket for the World Cup next year. One statistic that the Norwegians can cling to is that the last defeat of the Netherlands in De Kuip took place under the current national coach. That loss dates from October 11, 2000, when Louis van Gaal lost 0-2 to Portugal in his first period as national coach.
Will the Netherlands win again in Rotterdam despite an empty Kuip? View the odds for a one here.
The question of who will provide the goals of the Netherlands does not require much thought. Against Montenegro it was again Memphis Depay who took care of the entire Dutch production. Depay scored at least twice in four of his last five the Dutch appearances and did so in a total of ten different international matches. With 33 international goals, he is now joint fourth on the all-time top scorers list, along with Dennis Bergkamp and Arjen Robben, a very fine achievement for the only 27-year-old attacker from Barcelona. Another player who sometimes takes the gamble for the opponent’s goal is Denzel Dumfries. The wingback was the Dutchman with the most ball contacts in the enemy sixteen (five) against Montenegro and in the two previous international matches he had the most after Memphis Depay. Dumfries has scored three times in his last seven full caps. Can he also surprise the Norwegian defense with his characteristic rushes towards the goal?
Will Denzel Dumfries also rumble against Norway? View the odds for a goal from the defender here.
Note: play consciously, 18+
Reply
It is not possible to respond to this document.