Netherlands vs England Predictions

The UEFA Nations League was met with some scepticism when it was announced, but the first instalment of this fledgling international tournament has been a widespread success in terms of achieving its primary goal. UEFA wanted to bring some level of excitement back to the drudgery of international break, and the prospect of silverware at the end of the tunnel has certainly done that.

It may not be the World Cup or the European Championship, but the Nations League has been taken seriously by all the countries involved. Now, it boils down to four teams all battling it out to become the first ever winners.

For England, it’s an opportunity to bring silverware home for the first time in over 60 years. Netherlands, meanwhile, are looking to end their own 30 year barren spell with a group of supremely talented youngsters. It’s especially important to them after their abject failure in qualifying for the last two major international tournaments.

Both teams are also in the midst of a promising upward trajectory. Netherlands have drastically improved since their failure to qualify for Russia 2018, and with their squad containing the likes of Matthijs de Ligt, Nathan Ake, Donny van de Beek, Frenkie de Jong, and Steven Bergwijn the future is certainly looking bright.

England’s World Cup run under Gareth Southgate brought the nation to a standstill last summer, and like their opponents they also have a wealth of talent at their disposal. Jordan Pickford, John Stones, Joe Gomez, Ben Chilwell, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eric Dier, Declan Rice, Ross Barkley, Dele Alli, Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho, and Marcus Rashford are all 25 or under and have some very promising international careers ahead of them.

The Three Lions haven’t slowed down since the World Cup either. They have won six of their eight matches since then and lost just once, scoring an impressive 20 goals and even beating Spain 3-2 away from home and getting revenge over Croatia at Wembley.

Netherlands have a more modest recent record, although have had to face some very tough opponents. They have won four, drawn two, and lost two of their last eight games, which includes a trio of matches against Germany and two clashes with France.

One thing that doesn’t look particularly good for either team is their back line. Holland have conceded in seven of their last 10 matches and have shipped five goals in their two recent meetings with Germany. England, meanwhile, have conceded in 10 of their last 15 games over the past year or so.

The Champions League Final could have a massive impact here too. Netherlands’ duo Virgil van Dijk and Georginio Wijnaldum are both expected to take part in the final and will travel to Portugal as a tired pair, while England have as many as seven players in the squad who could take part in Saturday’s proceedings, including star striker Harry Kane.

However, both sides have attacking talent in spades. The likes of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Callum Wilson and Raheem Sterling are all more than capable of deputising for Kane, while Holland stars Steven Bergwijn, Memphis Depay, Frenkie de Jong, and Donny van de Beek will all be well rested. All things considered, we think backing Both Teams to Score is a great option here, along with a 2-2 correct score prediction.