Netherlands vs England
International Friendly Match
Date: Friday, 23rd March 2018
Kick-off at 19:45 UK/ 20:45 CET
Venue: Johan Cruijff Arena (Amsterdam).
England continue their preparations for the World Cup with a friendly against Netherlands at the iconic Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam.
The Three Lions drew blanks with Germany and Brazil back in the friendlies back in November 2017 and Southgate will be searching for answers to the attacking woes. Harry Kane, who scored 24 Premier League goals with Tottenham so far this season has been rested for the two games this month. And most of the attacking responsibilities now lie with the Jamie Vardy and young Marcos Rashford.
Despite the worries upfront, Gareth Southgate will be very pleased with the defensive performances of his team, having conceded just 1 goal from their last six matches across all competitions. However, the likes of Chris Smalling, Gary Cahill and Michael Keane are rested here, which opens the door for the likes of James Tarkowski and Alfie Mawson to impress the head-coach.
Jack Wilshere also returns to the national set-up for the first time since the ill-fated campaign at Euro 2016 in France.
Netherlands on the other hand, haven’t qualified for the World Cup, therefore their focus will be on building a team for the UEFA Nations League and thereby secure a place at the Euro 2020.
In their dugout is a familiar face, the former Everton and Southampton head-coach Ronald Koeman, who take charge of the national team for the first time. He will have the services of players like Patrick van Aanholt, Nathan Ake, Virgil van Dijk and Timothy Fosu-Mensah, who all play their trade in the English Premier League.
Netherlands vs England: Head-to-head
The last meeting between the two sides was in a friendly at Wembley in 2016, won by Netherlands on a 2-1 score-line.
Netherlands are unbeaten in the last 7 meetings with England with 3 wins and 4 draws; and all those games are friendlies.
The last four meetings between the two saw both teams scoring.
England’s last h2h win versus the Dutch can be dated back to Euro 1996, the final score reading 4-1.
Netherlands vs England: Predictions
England will be keen to end their longstanding 21-year old win-less run over the Netherlands. They may not get a better chance to get over the voodoo as the team managed by Ronald Koeman lack experience in all departments. Yet, there is little argument on the fact that the Dutch have the talent. Therefore, this may not be an easy outing for the three Lions. I can see this easily going down as a scored-draw.
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Correct Score Prediction: 1-1 draw.
Netherlands vs England: Bet Tips
Odds are correct at the time of compiling this article. Please gamble responsibly (18+).
