Prediction: Netherlands vs Italy

Verdict: Under 2.5 goal

Best Odds: 13/20

Bookmaker: Bet365

This week’s friendly clash of once two Europe’s great rivals Netherlands and Italy will have a great bearing for the hosts, who are at risk of missing out on yet another major international tournament.

Netherlands

The Dutch international football is experiencing a lot of problems of late. Once a highly entertaining company, the Netherlands national team has become a band of high-quality individuals who are struggling to work together in an organised group and bring the heavily anticipated results to the table. The Netherlands have gone through a disappointing European Championship 2016 qualifying campaign, which saw them miss out on the last summer’s showpiece in France. And while their biggest rivals spent their summer fighting for European glory, the Dutch licked their wounds through a series of friendlies which did not yield anything tangible ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The Netherland’s road to Russia started with a frustrating 1-1 draw at Sweden, whereas defeats by France at home and at Bulgaria last time out came as major blows to their chances of getting to Russia. The first-half brace from Bulgaria’s Delev saw Dutch hopes drown at the Nacionalen Stadion Vasil Levski in Sofia three days ago, pushing Danny Blind’s men in fourth spot in the Group A table and ultimately costing the manager his job. The Dutch football federation confirmed on Sunday night that Danny Blind has been dismissed from his position after leading his men to two wins in last seven matches.

Team News

Blind’s assistant coach Fred Grim takes temporary charge and is not expected to make too many changes in his first game in charge after the change at the helm.

Barcelona goalkeeper Cillessen could be given a shot instead of Zoet, whereas Arjen Robben is not expected to be starting the game following the Bulgaria disappointment.

Italy

In contrast to their rivals’ poor form, the Italians have been in rather good shape over the course of last couple of games. Giampiero Ventura is getting a firm grip on his job as he turns to youth to restore Italy’s former glory and reputation and judging by the early looks, it seems like the experienced tactician is on the right path. Having finished their Euro 2016 campaign with a premature quarterfinal exit after the premature defeat to Germany, Italy appointed the experienced boss to succeed Chelsea’s Antonio Conte but there were some doubts over their choice when Ventura started his reign with a 1-3 defeat at the hands of France. The things improved rather quickly as Ventura tightened the grip on his new job leading Italy through a six-match unbeaten run which saw them go level on points with Spain at the top of Group C in the World Cup qualifying. The forthcoming friendly will be a perfect chance for Ventura to have a formation change in an experiment that will see him switch back to 3-5-2. Giampiero Ventura was working on a number of changes during the weekend training sessions as he plans to move from 4-2-4 he deployed against Albania to the old and tested system for the more illustrious opponents.

Team News

Andrea Barzagli left the squad for personal reasons after the 2-0 win over Albania after he had been spotted in a night club, but the Azzurri boss wants to try the new generation anyway.

Gianluigi Donnarumma will start in goal, whereas his Milan teammate Alessio Romagnoli is also expected to start. His partner in defence should be Juventus centre-back Daniele Rugani, whereas a couple of more changes are expected in all sections of the team.

Key Factors to Consider

• Netherlands won 2 of their last 7 matches in all competitions
• Italy are unbeaten in last six games across all competitions (W4 D2)
• Azzurri have emerged victorious from their last three away games
• Dutch lost six of last ten matches they played as hosts
• There have been under 2.5 goals in last three meetings between these two rivals

Conclusion

The Netherlands are under great deal of pressure and the sacking of manager Blind is expected to spark a reaction from the talented squad. The Italians are too experienced to let Dutch mess with their heads and despite Ventura’s decision to go with his young forces, we expect to see a committed and a dedicated performance. Goals are always a good choice when two of Europe’s most prominent countries go head to head.

Verdict: Under 2.5 goal

Best Odds: 13/20

Bookmaker: Bet365