Belgium vs Netherlands. Prediction and Preview. Probable Lineups, Team News, Stats and more
Belgium will host Netherlands at the King Baudouin Stadium in the UEFA Nations League. The match will take place on June 4, beginning at 00:15 IST.
The Netherlands have now failed to beat Belgium in eight successive head-to-head encounters. Will Louis van Gaal’s side be able to break their losing streak now?
Parimatchnews will tell you everything you need to know ahead of the upcoming match.
Belgium News & Current Form:
In eight rounds of FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers’ group stage, Belgium have not suffered a single defeat, having drawn 1-1 with the Czech Republic and also 1-1 with Wales. The rest of their matches saw solid victories. However, a lot of time has passed since then, and the level of play of many important players in the national team has noticeably declined.
Perhaps only one player, Kevin De Bruyne, is still in top form. The midfielder was really impressive throughout this season with his stability and effectiveness. During his 30 caps in the EPL he scored 15 goals and provided eight assists. His efforts earned Manchester City the league title, one point ahead of Liverpool.
What is really interesting, the Belgians are trying to put as little effort into this tournament as possible.. The Nations League has had a controversial significance in the past, as if it were a substitute for friendly matches. Now, the most tired players after the end of the club season see no point at all in playing two more weeks without clear motivation instead of a holiday.
But in any case, for us as, regular fans who miss club football in the summer, this tournament is a great complement.
Thibaut Courtois is also worthy of praise. His superb play helped Real Madrid win the Spanish title and the UEFA Champions League. He played particularly well in the final becoming the Man of the Match. He made a lot of important saves securing a clean sheet in such a important game against clinical and dangerous Liverpool. Unfortunately, the goalkeeper and his colleague in the national team – Jason Denayer – will miss the upcoming match due to injuries. The losses are very serious.
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The statistics of the other Belgians and their performances at club level do not inspire confidence at all. The most distinctive are the declines of Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku. The once national team leader and top scorer has had a terrible season. Hazard, in his tuern. has cemented his place on the bench at Real Madrid. Lukaku received game time at Chelsea but was regularly criticised and scored very little.
Netherlands News & Current Form:
The Netherlands suffered a 2-4 defeat at the hands of Turkey in the first leg of the FIFA World Cup 2022 Qualifiers group stage. At the time, Frank de Boer was the head coach. Soon, however, he was sacked due to the Euro 2020 failure. His place was taken by the legendary Louis van Gaal.
Under his guidance, the Orange have played only seven WC 2022 qualifying games, without suffering a single defeat. In that period, only two draws were registered, against Norway (1-1) and Montenegro (2-2). In the remaining matches, thanks to the strategic skills of the 70-year-old coach, they secured confident victories. As a result, they secured a trip to Qatar from top spot.
It is hard not to recall that, under Louis van Gaal’s supervision, the side enjoyed tremendous success in 2014. First, they scored nine wins in 10 qualifying games and qualified for the Mundial. Then, in the first leg of the group stage, they sensationally defeated reigning world and European champions Spain (5-1). As a result, they got through to the semi-finals, where they lost to Argentina.
The only blemish on the Netherlands’ current position is the illness of Van Gaal. His compatriot, Ronald Koeman, will take over from the Dutch next year. However, it will surely motivate the players to achieve their best results under the current mentor who has made a massive contribution to history.
Injured: None.
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Belgium season form guide (all competitions): L-L-W-D-D-W
Netherlands season form guide (all competitions): W-W-D-W-W-D
Belgium vs Netherlands United Head-To-Head Record:
| Belgium | Draw | Netherlands |
| 40 | 31 | 54 |
The teams have met 125 times. The Netherlands have won more often, but the difference is not that big. The meetings were bright and high scoring (almost four goals per game on average).
The last match between these national teams happened a relatively long time ago – almost four years back. It was a friendly meeting in which the teams exchanged goals: 1-1. It should be noted that these national teams have not featured in official matches since 1998.
Belgium vs Netherlands Predicted XI:
Belgium possible starting lineup (3-5-2): Koen Casteels; Jan Vertonghen, Dedryck Boyata, Toby Alderweireld; Thomas Meunier, Yannick Carrasco, Axel Witsel, Youri Tielemans, Kevin De Bruyne; Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku.
Netherlands possible starting lineup (3-5-2): Mark Flekken; Virgil van Dijk, Mattijs de Ligt, Nathan Ake; Daley Blind, Denzel Dumfries, Teun Koopmeiners, Frenkie de Jong, Steven Berghuis; Memphis Depay, Wout Weghorst.
Statistical preview of the match Belgium vs Netherlands:
- In eight of the past ten matches involving Belgium, at least three goals have been scored.
- The Netherlands have scored at least two goals in five of their last six official matches.
- In Belgium’s four previous official matches, there was a goal exchange.
What has been said before the match:
Roberto Martínez, Belgium coach:
“The Nations League brings these glamorous ties and for us the Netherlands is a real derby, a footballing derby, a big occasion. It’s the first time we’re going to play four games in an international camp. It’s going to be challenging but exciting because you are going to play six games in almost four months and the competition is going to take shape very quickly.”
Louis van Gaal, Netherlands coach:
“I think it was a good draw for the Netherlands. Belgium are one of the favourites, a top team. They were fourth in the previous Nations League. Belgium have a great group of players at the moment.”
Belgium vs Netherlands Prediction:
As we see, he Belgians are far less motivated to succeed in the Nations League. It was De Bruyne who criticised the competition in a recent interview. The midfielder stated that the tournament is of no importance to him.
‘For me, the Nations League is unimportant. We have to play those matches, but it’s a kind of practice campaign. Everyone has had a very tough season. As soon as we are on the field, we do what we have to do. Then I want to win. Other than that, I don’t have much to say about it.”
‘We have nothing to say about it. As players, we can talk about vacation or rest, but we have no say. We follow what we need to do and that’s it. We have a little more than three weeks of vacation every 12 months.”
‘The outsiders don’t understand how a player feels after a season. It doesn’t have to be, in the end it won’t change anyway. Nor is there any point in saying anything about it. Nothing will change anyway.’ The Manchester City captain has did not hide his emotions.
Despite the fact that the upcoming match will take place in Brussels, the Dutch are looking the favourites. Louis van Gaal has a number of talented players at his disposal who have performed at the highest level during the current season. Roberto Martinez, on the other hand, has limited resources as of now.
The Belgian national team has been weakened by the absence of important players. Their squad has dwindled in quality since their successful qualification for the 2022 World Cup. Key players are not as motivated for the game as he should be, unlike the Netherlands, who certainly want to support their legendary coach who is battling cancer by winning this tournament.