The start date of EURO 2024 is less than a week away, and the Dutch team has landed in a rather challenging group. To prepare well before facing tough battles against Poland, France, and Austria, the Orange Cyclone will have one final test to experiment with the lineup against Iceland in a friendly match at 01:45 on June 11.
Expert opinions on the Netherlands vs Iceland match
The Dutch team is showing signs of resurgence under coach Ronald Koeman. The Oranje has built a solid defense, and their attacking stars have started scoring more regularly. In the last 5 matches, the Netherlands has won 4 and scored 16 goals, including a recent 4-0 victory against the Canadian national team. It can be seen that the Netherlands has achieved a perfect balance in their lineup. Despite not having as many stars as other teams, the Dutch team has managed to combine the experience of players like Van Dijk, Ake, and Weghorst with young talents like Xavi Simons, Koopmeiners, and De Jong.
On the other hand, Iceland has caused a major upset by defeating the mighty England team at Wembley for the first time in history with a 1-0 score. Clearly, despite being significantly underrated compared to the Netherlands, the result against the Three Lions could provide a huge morale boost for the “Viking warriors” as they are determined to conquer the Feyenoord Stadium. In fact, the minimal victory over England is not the only positive result for Iceland. The team has achieved a similar record to the Netherlands in the last 5 matches with 4 wins and 1 loss. Additionally, Iceland has the advantage of not participating in EURO 2024, allowing them to play with full determination against their opponents.
A brief overview of the head-to-head record between the Netherlands and Iceland in the past
In their previous encounters, it is not surprising that the balance has heavily favored the orange-clad team. Specifically, the Netherlands has won 5 out of 7 matches against Iceland, along with one draw and two losses. It has been quite a while since these two teams last met, with the most recent match being 9 years ago, ending in a 1-0 victory for Iceland.
The odds for the Netherlands vs Iceland match
As they prepare for the final test before heading to Germany for EURO 2024, the Netherlands will likely have their strongest lineup, with the exception of midfielder Frenkie De Jong, who is still unable to return after suffering an ankle injury in the late stages of the La Liga season. The Barcelona player is even uncertain about his recovery before the opening match. Nevertheless, despite De Jong’s absence, the Netherlands still have a quality lineup and superior class compared to the Icelandic players, who have their fullest squad. The team from Northern Europe mainly builds their playing style and tactics based on the discipline of the defense and team cohesion. Their most notable star is perhaps Albert Gudmundsson, who plays for Genoa in Serie A.
- Over/Under Goals: The Netherlands has been in a great scoring form in their last 5 matches with an average ratio of 3.2 goals per game. On the other hand, Iceland has also successfully scored in their last 5 matches. The over/under goals bet is likely to happen in this friendly match.
- Corners Under/Over: In contrast to the goal-scoring frequency, the orange team has been quite modest in “cornering” with an average of just over 5 corner kicks per game. Meanwhile, Iceland, the team likely to be attacked in this match, has a relatively good corner defense.
- Selecting the Netherlands -2: The bookmakers rate the Netherlands quite highly in this match by setting a handicap of 2 goals. However, in the final practice match, The Oranje will field a team with many key players and the goal difference could very likely be more than 2.
Information about the squads of the Netherlands and Iceland
The Netherlands: Missing Frenkie De Jong due to injury Iceland: Full strength of the best squad
Predicted line-ups for the Netherlands and Iceland
The Netherlands (formation 3-4-3): Verbruggen, De Ligt, Van Dijk, Van de Ven, Nathan Aké, Jeremie Frimpong, Koopmeiners, Ryan Gravenberch, Depay, Weghorst, Xavi Simons. Iceland (formation 4-5-1): Valdimarsson, Ingason, Grétarsson, Finnsson, Bjarkason, Gudmundsson, Traustason, Anderson, Haraldsson, Thorsteinsson, Gudjohnsen. Predicted match score: The Netherlands 4-1 Iceland
