FIFA International Friendly: Netherlands vs. Spain Preview, Odds, Prediction

Netherlands and Spain will provide us a spectacle this Wednesday. They meet in an international friendly, and even though there could be some mixing in the lineups, do expect to see an exciting and fierce game. Each time such big teams meet, we have the reputation at stake, regardless if it is a friendly or a competitive contest. Oranje needs to pull themselves together due to a crisis they are in. On the other side, Spain, too, isn’t performing as many would expect over the recent few games. 

Preview

The Netherlands (+187) didn’t win in four straight games, scoring a goal just once during those four events. It was against Italy on the road, in the latest clash, 1-1, which was the second draw in a row for Frank de Boer’s guys, with the first one also coming in the UEFA Nations League against Bosnia and Herzegovina, 0-0. 

Previously Oranje had two losses, vs. Italy and Mexico, both at home, 0-1, and those were the games shortly following Ronald Koeman’s departure to Barcelona.

The situation is not bright for the former European champions, as they struggle to find morale and rhythm. They reached the UEFA Nations League finals last year, but after that experienced a severe drop in performance quality.

Spain (+140) surprisingly lost in the UNL last round in Ukraine, 1-0. it was the third match over the previous five in which they haven’t won, and all three were on the road. Overall, La Roja has five consecutive on the road without a win, which is something we haven’t seen in a long time when speaking about this side.

Their matches’ efficiency is way below the expected, with four of five ending under 2.5 goals and three with both teams not scoring. 

If we analyze just the games on the road, the previous five saw under 2.5 goals, but we need to mention that all the Spanish team’s opponents were top-class sides, Norway, Germany, Ukraine, Sweden, Portugal.

Latest News

Van Dijk is out as expected, but Davy Klaassen, Tonny Vilhena and Patrick van Aanholt are all back in the team following a pause.

On the other side, Koke and Morata are in, while Thiago Alcantara, Ansu Fati, Jesus Navas and Rodrigo Moreno skip this international break.

Head to Head Games

Oranje has a positive record against Spain when looking at the overall history, with six points, four losses, and a draw. However, the most important, the one that took place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, saw Spain winning.

The most recent in 2015, an international friendly ended with the Netherlands winning, 2-0.

Prediction

We are expecting a tough match without too many goals. Spain will be cautious, the same as the hosts. Plus, they both like to keep the ball in its possession (especially Spain) and slow down the pace. Therefore, 2 or 3 goals are a maximum here, with the odds at +100 for that recommendation.