International Friendly: Netherlands vs Scotland
Kickoff Time: 2024-03-23 03:45 (HKT)
Source:REUTERS/Carl Recine
Netherlands, as a traditional powerhouse in Europe, boast an impressive lineup of star players from the top five leagues in Europe, strengthening their overall prowess. Their defense is particularly noteworthy, led by the world-class Virgil van Dijk, supported by talented players like Nathan Ake, Matthijs de Ligt, and Denzel Dumfries, among others. This formidable defensive line exudes luxury and solidity. In midfield, Netherlands possess a strong contingent consisting of Frenkie de Jong, Teun Koopmeiners, Tijjani Reijnders, Marten de Roon, and Georginio Wijnaldum, among others. These midfielders can provide creativity, control, and dynamism to their gameplay. Moving forward, Netherlands boast a talented array of attackers, including Donyell Malen, Xavi Simons, Cody Gakpo, Joshua Zirkzee, and the experienced Memphis Depay. It is worth noting that their offense has evolved, no longer solely relying on forwards to create scoring opportunities. They now place greater emphasis on creating offensive threats through constant wing play, employing aggressive forward pressure and impactful attacks to unsettle their opponents.
Scotland’s overall strength in Europe may not be considered top-tier, but their performance in previous qualifying matches has been impressive. Many of the Scottish players are playing in the English leagues, with notable names such as Andrew Robertson from Liverpool in the Premier League, Scott McTominay from Manchester United, as well as Billy Gilmour, John McGinn, Ryan Christie, and Che Adams, who play in the Premier League and Championship. However, Scotland do have a notable weakness, which is their struggle to effectively cover both wings simultaneously. When facing opponents with strong wing play and efficient ball distribution, Scotland tend to find themselves in a more defensive and reactive position.
Scotland’s recent form and overall strength may be considered inferior to that of Netherlands. Netherlands have been in outstanding form, securing five wins and suffering only one loss in their last six games. On the other hand, Scotland have struggled, managing only two draws and three losses in their previous five matches. Considering these factors, it is expected that the Netherlands, with their exceptional strength, will have a significant advantage over Scotland and should be favorite to win the match.
Netherlands’ Last 5 Games: WWWLW
23-11-22 Gibraltar 0-6 Netherlands
23-11-19 Netherlands 1-0 Ireland
23-10-17 Greece 0-1 Netherlands
23-10-14 Netherlands 1-2 France
23-09-11 Ireland 1-2 Netherlands
Scotland’s Last 5 Games: DDLLL
23-11-20 Scotland 3-3 Norway
23-11-14 Georgia 2-2 Scotland
23-10-18 France 4-1 Scotland
23-10-13 Spain 2-0 Scotland
23-09-13 Scotland 1-3 England
Head To Head Record:
21-06-03 Netherlands 2-2 Scotland
17-11-10 Scotland 0-1 Netherlands
09-09-10 Scotland 0-1 Netherlands
09-03-29 Netherlands 3-0 Scotland
03-11-20 Netherlands 6-0 Scotland
Prediction: Netherlands to win