Senegal and Netherlands will hope to secure all three points when they take on each other in their FIFA World Cup 2022 opener at the Al Thumama Stadium.
Senegal and Netherlands will kick off their FIFA World Cup 2022 campaign at the Al Thumama Stadium on Monday, the very first competitive meeting between the two countries.
Drawn into Group A alongside hosts Qatar and South American qualifiers Ecuador, Senegal and the Netherlands are the favourites to qualify for the Last 16 and are likely to adopt a safety-first approach on the night.
Senegal are yet to lose to European opposition in the World Cup group stage, while the Netherlands are yet to taste defeat against an African nation in the tournament. It remains to be seen if either record will come to an end on the night.
The Netherlands will be hopeful of finally ending their World Cup hoodoo and taking the trophy back home. While the squad put together for the current edition is far from their best, it has enough quality and depth to go deep into the tournament.
The Netherlands saw off Turkey and Norway in their European qualifiers, while Senegal had to defeat Egypt in the playoffs to secure their spot in the tournament. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead as both sides prepare to kickstart their campaign with a bang.
Team News & Tactics
Senegal
Manko Wuti Ndam Li | #football #senegal #worldcup pic.twitter.com/OW4SzFeuqP
— Football Senegal (@FootballSenegal) November 19, 2022
The African champions will be without star striker Sadio Mane who led them to the AFCON title and World Cup qualification earlier this year. The Bayern Munich star’s absence will leave a huge void in the Lions of Teranga’s attack.
With Mane out, the responsibility to find the net will primarily fall on Ismaila Sarr and Famara Diedhiou, the only two players in the squad with ten or more goals for their nation. This puts them at a massive disadvantage when especially up against a Dutch defence led by Liverpool ace Virgil van Dijk.
Senegal curiously have kept just one clean sheet over the course of two campaigns in 2002 and 2018. Aliou Cisse’s side continues to be defensively rigid and are coming off six shutouts in their last eight competitive games. Given that this is their first game of the tournament, one can assume they could go in with a safety-first approach.
With comparatively easier games against Qatar and Ecuador to come, the African giants will do well to secure a point against the Dutch. Senegal are likely to go in with a 4-3-3 formation that is freely flexible in attack and defence.
Chelsea star Edouard Mendy will start in goal behind a back four of Youssouf Sabaly, Kalidou Koulibaly, Abdou Diallo and Fode Ballo-Toure. The trio of Nampalys Mendy, Idrissa Gueye and Cheikhou Kouyate should start in the middle of the pitch and will be keen to secure the midfield from the word go.
An in-form Boulaye Dia should start upfront instead of Mane, with Ismaila Sarr and Krepin Diatta providing the width. In a game that is likely to be a closed-off affair, individual brilliance could decide the tie.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Mendy; Sabaly, Koulibaly, Diallo, Ballo-Toure; Kouyate, Mendy, Gueye; Diatta, Dia, Sarr
Netherlands
The Netherlands go into the tournament in high spirits and will be keen to go all the way for the first time in history. In fact, the last time they were defeated in the tournament without penalty shootouts being involved was in the final of the 2010 edition in South Africa.
Louis van Gaal has a quality-packed squad at his disposal and will be keen to get off to a winning start. Led by Virgil van Dijk, playing in his first major international tournament, the Dutch squad has both dynamism and experience to call upon.
They will, however, take to the field without Memphis Depay, who has not featured since his injury against Poland in September. The Barcelona star netted 12 goals in qualifying and has more often than not come clutch for his country in close games. His absence will be a blow for van Gaal and co.
☝️ One day before MATCHDAY! ⏳#NothingLikeOranje #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/Z060qezqzI
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) November 20, 2022
Van Gaal still has several players to call upon and is likely to set his side up in a 3-5-2 formation. Justin Bijlow should start in goal behind the back three of Jurrien Timber, Virgil van Dijk and Nathan Ake.
Jeremie Frimpong should start ahead of the not-fully-fit Denzel Dumfries at right wing-back, with Daley Blind occupying the opposite flank. The duo of Frenkie de Jong and Teun Koopmeiners should hold the fort in midfield, freeing up Davy Klaassen to push forward up the field.
The electric Cody Gakpo is likely to start upfront alongside PSV Eindhoven teammate Steven Bergwijn. The Netherlands certainly pack enough punch and should go into the tie as favourites.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Bijlow; Timber, van Dijk, Ake; Frimpong, De Jong, Koopmeiners, Blind; Klaassen; Gakpo, Bergwijn
Key Stats
- This will be the first-ever match between Senegal and the Netherlands.
- The Netherlands have played African opposition four times in the World Cup and are yet to taste defeat. Three of those encounters have ended in an Oranje win with the other resulting in a draw. Senegal have faced European opposition thrice in the FIFA World Cup group stage and are yet to taste defeat. They have won two and drawn the third.
- Senegal have won their opening game in the World Cup the last two times they qualified for the tournament. The Dutch, meanwhile, are unbeaten across their last eight tournament openers.
- Senegal have maintained just one clean sheet in FIFA World Cup history. This came all the way back in 2002 when they downed reigning champions France on their tournament debut.
- The Netherlands have not lost a group-stage match in the competition since the 1-0 loss to Belgium in 1994. In fact, the last time the Dutch tasted defeated in the tournament in a match that did not involve penalty shootouts was in the final of the 2010 edition.
Player to Watch
Virgil van Dijk
The Liverpool defender is arguably the best central defender in world football and, at the age of 31 is set to take part in his first major tournament for the Oranje. Virgil van Dijk’s injury saw him miss out on Euro 2020, and he will be keen to make amends for lost time.
The Dutchman is a dominant presence in the backline and has the ability and intelligence to supplement his physical gifts. With Sadio Mane missing, van Dijk’s night will have got a lot easier, and he will be keen to kick off his World Cup campaign with a clean sheet.
The 31-year-old has been below par for Liverpool and some would argue that he has been saving himself for the trip to Qatar. The time has now come for the Dutch skipper to showcase what he can do at the biggest stage of them all.
Prediction
Senegal 0-1 Netherlands
Both sides are defensively solid and could opt to feel each other out in their tournament opener. But then a lot could depend on how the first game between Qatar and Ecuador turns out. With the margin for error being too small, Senegal and Netherlands are likely to keep things tight before maybe turning up the heat in the second half.
Mane’s unavailability is a huge setback for the Lions of Teranga and robs them of a genuine match-winner. The Netherlands have the upper hand when it comes to quality, and that individual brilliance could prove to be the difference on the night.
