UEFA Nations League: Italy vs. Netherlands Preview, Odds, Prediction

Italy and the Netherlands meet in the most interesting game of Wednesday’s UEFA Nations League program. The two powerhouses of football, are currently occupying the top two places in Group 1 of the League A, and have some unfinished business started last month. Right now, the Italians are looking better than the Dutch side, but in games like these, you often see surprises. 

Preview

Italy (+100) comes into this game with a streak of 18 games that they haven’t lost. Even though they had some mediocre opponents during that interval, we need to stress that since Roberto Mancini took over this crew, the overall results and performances are much better. 

Italy had 12 clean sheets in those 18 matches, which isn’t something new, because Azzurri always had a superb defense, which has been their trademark throughout history. Italians also won four of the latest five matches at home, scoring twice in all those triumphs.

Three of the previous four games have been challenging for them, and against solid opponents, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1-1, the Netherlands on the road 1-0, and Poland 0-0. In the meantime, they would smash Moldova 6-0, but that is something where we can’t measure the strength of this crew, with all due respect towards this rival.

The Netherlands (+260) is trying to bounce back after a few bad results and a recent coaching change. Ronald Koeman went to take over Barcelona, leaving the national team without a leader. Frank de Boer sat on Oranje’s bench, and the famous Dutch player didn’t have a debut he hoped for. 

Mexico defeated his boys, 0-1 at Johan Cruyff Arena, extending their winless streak to three games. What is even more shocking is that the Netherlands couldn’t score during those 270+ minutes. After reaching the UEFA Nations League finals last year, this team experienced a significant drop in playing quality. Whether it is that because of Koeman’s departure, we don’t quite know. 

Three of the last four games on the road this unit had ended without both teams not to score. Overall, Oranje has just three wins in the previous 10 games away from home. 

Head to Head Matches

We saw 22 matches between these two sides, and the Italians have a much better record than the Netherlands. Azzurri recorded 11 wins, eight games ended with a draw, while the Oranje has only three triumphs. 

The most recent meeting between these two was on September 9, which was the first leg of this UNL matchup. Italy won 0-1, with Nicolo Barella’s goal. 

Prediction

The main difference between these two sides right now, comes on a mental aspect. The Italians are far more confident than their rivals, who not only have to adapt to the new head coach, but also have to battle pressure after multiple subpar performances recorded previously. 

Also, one other thing which is working against the Netherlands here is the situation in the standings, as Italy holds the first place, which forces the guests to attack and open if they want to reach the top spot in the assembly.

Due to all this, we are betting on Italy’s win, with the odds for that doubling your stake.