Netherlands – France : Preview & Prediction
At 8:45 p.m. Friday in Amsterdam, the Netherlands takes on France in one of the most striking matches of this European round. The Netherlands is paired with Greece on 9 points, albeit with one game less, and is thus chasing the second place needed to qualify for the European Championships. France is first on 15 points, has won all its matches without conceding a goal and has secured qualification knowing that it will also play at home against Gibraltar. In the first leg France won 4-0 showing a certain technical superiority that we believe will manifest itself in the return leg as well.
The Netherlands lost 4-0 in the first leg but bounced back with convincing wins against Ireland and especially Greece. They come from a good World Cup and certainly cannot call themselves a national team in crisis, although they have not elevated themselves to superpower status. France after the final of the rainbow competition had an immaculate qualifying tournament with five wins out of five with no goals conceded and only one small blemish; the defeat in the friendly against Germany however irrelevant in all respects.
There are some absentees from the Oranje side such as De Ligt and Gakpo that will diminish the defensive and offensive capacity a bit and reiterate a small technical gap against the guests. The Netherlands’ real problem is the absence of a world-class center forward, with Weghorst and De Jong who can fill in but are not of the caliber of a Thuram, Kolo Muani or even Giroud who are not even the most talented players in the offensive department. Griezmann is in splendid form on the French side as are many of his teammates in all departments including Camavinga and Rabiot.
Netherlands – France : Betting Tips
Netherlands – Win Odds: 3.25
