Netherlands vs Croatia tips: Back goals in Nations League encounter
- Sergiu Baltuta
- 13 June 2023
The Netherlands will take on Croatia in the first semi-final of the Nations League on Wednesday evening.
The Oranje will host the Final Four of the competition and will be confident of winning the tournament for the first time in their history.
The Dutch aren't strangers to the Final Four, as they qualified in 2019, eventually losing to Portugal in the final. This time, Ronald Koeman's side have home advantage and will be looking to capitalise on this.
Croatia, on the other hand, have been one of Europe's strongest national sides in the last decade. Zlatko Dalic's outfit had an excellent campaign in the 2022 Nations League, qualifying for the semi-finals ahead of Denmark and former Nations League winners France.
The Netherlands are going through a rebuilding process after being eliminated in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. They parted ways with Louis van Gaal after the tournament. He was replaced by Ronald Koeman.
The Netherlands were in Group 4 of League A alongside Belgium, Poland and Wales. They won the group easily with 16 points, six more than second-placed Belgium. Poland finished third with seven points while Wales finished bottom. The Dutch were especially impressive in the two ties against Belgium, securing a 4-1 win away from home and a 1-0 victory at home. They only failed to win once, drawing 2-2 with Poland.
Koeman's debut on the Netherlands' bench was disappointing as they were defeated by France 4-0 in their opening Euro 2024 qualifier. They followed this up with an unconvincing 3-0 win against Gibraltar.
Suggested bet:
Netherlands to win
Croatia continue to impress, despite having an aging squad, with Dalic the mastermind behind their most recent performances. The Croatians finished third at the World Cup and have started their Euro 2024 qualifiers without defeat.
In the group stage in the Nations League, Croatia were part of Group 1 in League A alongside Denmark, France and Austria. They qualified with 13 points, one more than Denmark, after they won their last four games in the group. This included victories against France away (1-0) and Denmark at home (2-1).
Croatia drew 1-1 in their opening Euro 2024 qualifier. They then secured a 2-0 win away against Turkey thanks to two goals from Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
The Netherlands and Croatia have only faced each other twice in the past. Croatia won the third-place play-off at the 1998 World Cup 2-1 while the Netherlands managed a 3-0 win in a friendly game in 2008. Back over 2.5 goals in this one too.
Suggested bet:
Over 2.5 goals
