Comments and predictions for Netherlands vs Spain: The Bulls overwhelm the Orange storm
The match between the Netherlands and Spain in the Nations League takes place at 1:45 a.m. on March 21. Nghe An Newspaper analyzes performance, makes football comments and predicts the score.
After being crowned UEFA Nations League champions, Spain will travel to De Kuip Stadium in Rotterdam to face the Netherlands in the first leg of their quarter-final on Thursday night.
The winner of the two-legged tie will face either Croatia or France in the semi-finals in June.
Latest information on Netherlands vs Spain forces
Two Dutch players, Denzel Dumfries and Jerdy Schouten, have withdrawn from Ronald Koeman's squad due to injury. Nathan Ake, Stefan de Vrij and Devyne Rensch are also absent, while players such as Micky van de Ven - who has had a number of fitness issues, Joshua Zirkzee, Wout Weghorst, Marten de Roon and Quinten Timber have not been called up.
Uncapped Ajax defender Youri Baas and midfielder Mats Wieffer have been called up to replace Dumfries and Schouten, while Frenkie de Jong is also in Koeman's squad but remains a doubt after missing Barcelona's 4-2 win over Atletico Madrid last weekend due to illness.
Although his future at Liverpool remains uncertain, 33-year-old Virgil van Dijk is likely to continue as captain and start at the heart of the Oranje defence, with Jurrien Timber, Ryan Gravenberch, Tijjani Reijnders, Cody Gakpo and Justin Kluivert also vying for a starting spot.
For Spain, Inigo Martinez, Marc Casado and Bryan Zaragoza have withdrawn through injury. Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen and Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Aleix Garcia – both uncapped – have been called up in their place.
Real Madrid centre-back Raul Asencio has also been called up for the first time and could make his debut alongside Huijsen, although the duo of Pau Cubarsi and Robin Le Normand are expected to be the first-choice options in central defence.
At 17, Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal is on the verge of earning his 18th international cap and is likely to start on the right wing in a three-man attack alongside captain Alvaro Morata and Nico Williams.
Latest expected lineup for Netherlands vs Spain
Netherlands:
Verbruggen; Frimpong, De Ligt, Van Dijk, J. Timber; Gravenberch, De Jong, Reijnders; Simons, Brobbey, Gakpo
Spain:
Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Le Normand, Cucurella; Ruiz, Zubimendi, Pedri; Yamal, Morata, N. Williams
Latest football commentary on Netherlands vs Spain
After being eliminated by England in the Euro 2024 semi-finals last summer, the Netherlands accumulated nine points from six matches (W2 D3 L1) to finish second in League A Group 3 of the Nations League in the second half of last year.
Ronald Koeman's side suffered just one defeat away from home to group leaders Germany (1-0) in mid-October, before finishing the group stage with a 4-0 home win over Hungary and a 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina in November.
Since the Nations League's inception in 2018, the Netherlands have twice come close to winning the tournament but have fallen short, first finishing second to Portugal in 2019 and then losing the third-place play-off to Italy in 2023.
Koeman is now looking to bolster Oranje's defence, which kept just one clean sheet and conceded seven goals in the group stage - the most in any Nations League they have played.
However, the Netherlands have conceded just three goals in their five meetings with Spain (W3 D1 L1) and will be full of confidence heading back to their home stadium on Thursday, where they are on a seven-match unbeaten run in all competitions with an aggregate scoreline of 24-4, scoring at least four goals in five of those.
Although France are one place above Spain in the current FIFA rankings, La Roja are arguably the best team in Europe at the moment. They are the current champions of both the Nations League and the Euros, having won a historic fourth European title last summer.
Luis de la Fuente has a record of 23 wins, three draws and just two defeats since being appointed Spain head coach in December 2022, winning 14 and drawing one of his last 15 games in all competitions (including friendlies) since a 1-0 loss to Colombia in March 2024.
After beating England in the Euro 2024 final, Spain took 16 out of a possible 18 points from six games in League A Group 4 of the Nations League at the end of last year, leading the group by eight points over second-placed Denmark.
La Roja are now aiming for a sixth successive Nations League win, but face a frustrating Netherlands side on Thursday - a team they have not beaten in 90 minutes since February 1983 when they won 1-0 in a Euro qualifier in Seville.
Latest score prediction for Netherlands vs Spain
Based on the above football comments, we and the world's leading football sites have given the results of the match.Netherlands vs Spainas follows:
- Sportsmole:Netherlands 1-2 Spain
- WhoScore:Netherlands 0-2 Spain
- Our newspaper predicts:Netherlands 1-2 Spain
When and where to watch Netherlands vs Spain live?
To watch live the match between the Netherlands and Spain in the Nations League taking place at 1:45 a.m. on March 21, viewers can watch onK+ Sport,K+PMor online sports channels. Wish you have fun watching football.
