The Netherlands have one of the greatest traditions in modern European football. Their success at international level since 1974 has been remarkable for such a small nation. It all started for The Netherlands with that famous World Cup Final against West Germany in 1974. Johan Cruyff scored with an early penalty but the Dutch became complacent. The result was a 2-1 win for the Germans.
Further complacency stopped them from winning the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. Once again they were beaten in the final. The problem with the Dutch is their sense of footballing superiority. Their love of “total football” and a fixation on fancy play is often their downfall. Their only tournament success came in 1988 in the European Championships. Dutch international football has slipped a long way since their 2010 World Cup Final loss to Spain.
Do They have The Players
Their current World Cup qualifying campaign hasn’t started well. They have a relatively tough group with France and Sweden facing them. With just one win in the opening three games, the pressure is on to win their next game. That match comes on Sunday when the Dutch make the short journey to play Luxembourg.
A few years ago this fixture would have been a formality for the orange men but not anymore. Luxembourg has strengthened substantially in recent years and is much more solid in defence. They are capable of taking points from many teams these days. A combination of a stronger Luxembourg side and an underperforming Dutch team doesn’t make this fixture a walk in the park.
The Netherlands currently sit three points behind France and Sweden. Any result other than a win would be a disaster. In terms of strikers and midfielders then it is clear that the Dutch are lacking quality. Apart from Georginio Wijnaldum who plays for Liverpool, their midfield doesn’t have a single player that plays at a top club. They only have two class players in their squad. Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder have played at the highest level but both are over 30 years of age.
So Where is The Value Bet
Despite all this, The Netherlands are still big favourites to overcome Luxembourg. Bet365 are as short as 1/8 for a Dutch victory. Luxembourg is 15/1 with the draw at 8/1. If you don’t fancy those odds then how about something a little different? SkyBet quotes 11/4 on the game being level at half time and The Netherlands winning at full time.
Even the supposed whipping boys are defensively solid these days. The so-called minnows know how to frustrate the big teams. No team seems to thrash these weaker teams anymore. If you fancy an upset and a Luxembourg win after leading at half time then Bet Victor quote 30/1 for that. A good bet but only if you don’t mind losing your money.
