Prediction: Netherlands vs Austria

Prediction: Draw

Best Odds: 3/1

Bookmaker: 888sport

The first set of fixtures for UEFA Euro 2020 are officially in the books which means it’s now time to turn our attention towards what comes next – the second round of matches. It’ll be here that teams across all six groups are able to figure out what they’re really aiming for in this tournament as we edge closer and closer towards finding out which 16 nations make it through to the knockout stage. Today, we’re going to be taking a look at what should prove to be an intriguing encounter between the Netherlands and Austria in Amsterdam.

Netherlands

Frank de Boer doesn’t feel like the man who is going to lead the Netherlands to European glory but as we all know, surprise packages are a pretty integral piece of the puzzle in the world of international tournaments. They have a parade of issues within their squad that need to be resolved before they can even think about the Round of 16, but they do appear to have enough fire power within their ranks to take things to the next level.

Team News

The hosts will be without van de Beek with de Ligt now being viewed as a fitness doubt for the game due to his groin injury. Weghorst is tipped to continue leading the line with Depay as Ake and Veltman wait to see whether or not they’ll feature.

Austria

Austria would’ve come into the Euros thinking there’s a very good chance they could reach the knockout stage but beyond that, what they do from there is a bit unknown. They’ve clearly got some impact players as we were able to see in the North Macedonia game but they also need to tighten things up at the back. Now they’ve got a win under their belt, though, they should feel a bit more relaxed about what the Dutch are going to offer.

Team News

Baumgartlinger is expected to be fully fit here with Austria having no major injury concerns to worry about. Arnautovic’s future in the team is still in question after his actions in their opener, whereas Alaba could make his way back into midfield or on the wing after surprisingly being placed at centre back against North Macedonia.

Factors to Consider

• Netherlands and Austria both won their opening game in Group C.
• Netherlands scored three and conceded two against Ukraine.
• Austria scored three and conceded one against North Macedonia.
• The Dutch are unbeaten in their last six games against Austria, winning all six.
• Both nations are considered to be defensively vulnerable.

Conclusion

We think there’s a decent chance there are going to be fireworks here but probably for all of the wrong reasons. The Netherlands want to prove that they’re contenders in this tournament but as we saw against Ukraine, that’s easier said than done. The Austrians are a bit more conservative but will have some confidence behind them after beating North Macedonia, and because of all that, we’re going to be backing a 1-1 draw.

Prediction: Draw

Best Odds: 3/1

Bookmaker: 888sport