The third last-16 tie at Euro 2020 takes place on Sunday in the Hungarian capital Budapest and sees a bang-in-form Netherlands face the Czech Republic.
After missing both Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup, the Dutch won all three of their Group C games to top the pool with ease and, with Denmark lying in wait in the next round, will see Sunday’s game as a real chance to show they are back to their previous best.
Four Out of Four for the Dutch?
They may not possess the depth of yesteryear, but the Dutch do have stars, with captain Georginio Wijnaldum scoring three times at the European Championships, while Memphis Depay has netted twice.
Those two seem to have no problem carrying their nation’s hopes and have been two of the players of the tournament so far.
All three of their group games were played in Amsterdam and a win here will see them continue their journey east with the winner of this tie facing the Danes in Baku.
Can the Czechs cause an upset at the Puskas Arena? After a decent opening win against Scotland, they lacked the same spark against Croatia and England and are 9/2 to win in 90 minutes and 49/20 to qualify.
Meanwhile, the Dutch are 4/6 to win the game in normal time and just 4/13 to qualify, and there has to be something to be read into those prices.
Holland Give Their Opponents a Chance
The sub-header for this section might be a touch misleading, but as hard as they try, Frank de Boer’s side always seem to give their rivals hope due to their disorganised defending.
Matthijs de Ligt’s return to the defence has helped them keep clean sheets against Austria and North Macedonia. However, they were far from watertight and 11/5 for the Oranje to win and both teams to score looks a real price.
A dive deeper into the pair’s history shows they have met twice in major tournaments since the Czechs became independent in 1993 and their record shows one win apiece, both by single-goal margins.
De Boer actually scored the only goal when the duo met on the opening weekend of Euro 2000, slamming home a penalty after his brother Ronald had been pushed in the box.
While most knockout games are cagey, this could be a bit more exciting and the Netherlands to win by a goal is 41/20.
Gini to Grant Quarter-Final Wish
As referenced, Wijnaldum and Depay have been huge for their country and will again be expected to produce.
The former is showing just how good he is and after leaving Liverpool on a free transfer to take up a deal at Paris-Saint Germain, Reds fans everywhere will be kicking themselves.
Depay is another on the move, running his Lyon contract down to join Barcelona, the club where it appeared his national team captain was also heading to reunite with Ronald Koeman.
Wijnaldum used to play a more disciplined role at Anfield, but has been given greater freedom thanks to the protection provided by the likes of Marten de Roon and Frenkie de Jong behind him.
While Depay will be the focal point, the 30-year-old’s movement means he is likely to garner less attention than his colleague and the playmaker is 13/5 in the Anytime Market, with Depay 6/5.
*All odds correct at time of writing
