Prediction: England vs Netherlands

Described by Roy Hodgson as “the finest win as England boss”, the impressive triumph against Germany in Berlin seriously raised the players’ spirits, but the Three Lions now need to prove that was no one-off result. Netherlands showed some promise in the 3-2 loss to France, and they will want to show the team are still good enough to compete at this level.

England

Even with England winning each of their ten Euro 2016 qualifiers, there was little talk of the Three Lions mounting a serious title challenge in France, which was not that surprising considering their track record at previous tournaments. With some high-profile players missing, Roy Hodgson’s side appeared to be in for a daunting trip to Germany, and being two goals down after 60 minutes of play, nobody really expected the Three Lions to get anything from the game. But, we could then see what can happen when you’ve got a side packed with talent from Premier League’s in-form sides as the likes of Kane, Alli, Vardy and Dier had a key role to play in an amazing comeback that saw England record an invaluable victory. The lack of experience at international level did not prove to be an issue at Olympiastadion in Berlin as it was the most inexperienced players that performed the best, giving Roy Hodgson a genuine selection headache ahead of naming his Euro 2016 squad. Even though the manager is expected to introduce some new players for the Netherlands game, he will want to keep the momentum going and we can see the Three Lions defeating Oranje as well.

Team News

Jack Butland is out of the Netherland game and possibly the Euros after suffering a broken ankle, meaning that Fraser Forster will start on Tuesday.

Leicester City playmaker Danny Drinkwater is expected to be handed a debut, while the likes of Vardy, Sturridge, Milner, Stones and Barkley should also play a part.

Netherlands

The failure to qualify for the Euro 2016 finals when three sides from their group ended up booking their tickets to France will go down as one of the biggest setback’s in the national team’s history, and it will not be easy for Danny Blind to rebuild the squad. Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Wesley Sneijder appear to be “The Last of the Mohicans” that dominated the world football at the start of the 20th century, and while there is plenty of fresh talent coming through the ranks, not all of them appear ready to perform at the biggest stage. Nevertheless, it is Danny Blind that has to take the blame for the 3-2 loss to France as his strange 5-3-2 formation allowed Les Bleus to wreak havoc in the first period and Oranje were quite fortunate not to concede more than three goals in 90 minutes. Netherlands managed to score two late goals, but only because France had taken their foot off gas, and it is fair to say that this team do not seem capable of matching the Europe’s top sides at the moment. With Oranje soundly beaten on the road by top three sides in their group, they could find it hard to stop in-form England from winning at Wembley.

Team News

First-choice goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen is out after breaking his nose following a clash with Klaas Jan Huntelaar, while Davy Klaassen misses out through a knee problem.

Michel Vorm and Marco van Ginkel have been subsequently added to the squad, while “The Hunter”, Riechedly Bazoer and Ibrahim Afellay are all pushing for starting places.

Key Factors to Consider

• England are winless in last six meetings with Oranje (D4 L2)
• England came from two goals down to beat Germany
• The Three Lions have 14 wins in last 17 games
• Netherlands lost four of last seven away fixtures
• Oranje started the France game with 4 centre-backs

Conclusion

The amazing victory over Germany will do wonders for the confidence of English players and with Netherlands far from impressive of late, another win for Roy Hodgson’s men appears on the cards. There will be plenty of England footballers desperate to impress ahead of the Euro 2016 finals and no doubt their motivation will be greater than the opposition’s.

Verdict: Home win

Best Odds: 8/11

Bookmaker: William Hill