Gibraltar will look to end their losing streak when they square up against Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands in the final fixture of the Euro qualifiers.
Netherlands have already booked their place in the Euro 2024 thanks to their win last time out, and they will now hit the road to square up against Gibraltar. The match will take place at Portugal’s Estadio Algarve on Tuesday as the home team will look to bring an end to their losing streak.
Gibraltar have had a nightmare campaign so far. They lost each of their qualifying fixtures and sit at the bottom of the group. They have not scored yet and have conceded a total of 35 goals in their seven outings. They will salvage some pride in their final fixture against the Dutch.
The home side are heading into this fixture on the back of a 14-0 humiliation at the hands of France. Gibraltar had no clue about what had hit them, and they could hardly react to what the French players were doing out there in the middle. Having suffered at the hands of France, they will look to put forward a better fight against the Netherlands.
The visitors have booked their ticket to the Euro 2024. Irrespective of the result of this fixture, they are certain to finish inside the top two. After having won five out of their seven outings, they sit second on the points table, six points behind leaders France.
They are heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-0 win over Ireland. It was a very important win for the team as it guaranteed their participation in next year’s continental championship. They dominated the proceeding and got the job done.
The Oranje are expected to look for all three points as they look to end the qualification phase on a high. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Gibraltar
Ethan Santos was sent off in their last outing and is suspended from this fixture. Apart from him, everyone else is available for selection.
📸 Inside MD-1 at the Estadio Algarve ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Netherlands 🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/0lk2vZPNLt
— Gibraltar FA (@GibraltarFA) November 20, 2023
They will most likely go ahead with a defence-heavy lineup having suffered at the hands of every team in their group throughout the qualifiers. Gibraltar are expected to start with the 5-4-1, where Dayle Coleing will be in goal.
Ethan Jolley and Joseph Chipolina will be the wing-backs. They will look to join the attack but are expected to have a lot of defensive duties as they will look to support the back three of Roy Chipolina, Jack Sergeant and Aymen Mouelhi.
Mohamed Badr and Liam Walker will start out wide in the centre of the park. They will provide width to their attacks and also ensure they do not suffer on the flanks. Nicholas Pozo will pair up with Evan Francis De Haro in a more central role. Tjay De Barr will be the lone attacker up top. He will look to cause problems for a star-studded Netherlands backline.
Probable Lineup (5-4-1): Coleing; Jolley, Sergeant, Mouelhi, R. Chipolina, J. Chipolina; Badr, Pozo, De Haro, Walker; De Barr
Netherlands
Ronald Koeman suffered quite a few injuries before their previous fixture. Nathan Ake, Lutsharel Geertruida, Jeremie Frimpong and Steven Bergwijn all picked up injuries. But, luckily they do not have any fresh fitness concerns.
Hello from a sunny Faro! 🇵🇹☀️#NothingLikeOranje #GIBNED https://t.co/Sbsg040k3t pic.twitter.com/3Rsl7g14zR
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) November 20, 2023
Koeman is expected to make quite a few changes to his regular XI. They will stick with the 3-4-3 formation, where Mark Flekken will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Stefan de Vrij, Virgil van Dijk and Daley Blind. The trio will look to keep another clean sheet. They will have the support of Jordan Teze and Quilindschy Hartman who will be the wing-backs.
In the centre of the park, Teun Koopmeiners and Mats Wieffer will take charge. The duo will look to ensure they have the majority of the ball and dictate the pace of this game. Calvin Stengs will feature out wide on the right flank while Donyell Malen will feature on the left. Meanwhile, Thijs Dallinga will be the number nine for the Dutch.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Flekken; De Vrij, Van Dijk, Blind; Teze, Koopmeiners, Wieffer, Hartman; Stengs, Dallinga, Malen
Key Stats
- Netherlands and Gibraltar will square up against each other for the fourth time. The Dutch have won the previous three outings by an aggregate scoreline of 16-0.
- Five out of the total seven goals conceded by the Netherlands have come away from home.
- Heading into the final match, Gibraltar are yet to score in the Euro qualifiers and they are the only team to have failed to find the back of the net.
- Netherlands have kept a clean sheet in their last two matches.
- The home team have the worst defensive record in the Euro qualifiers having conceded 35 goals in seven matches.
Player to Watch
Donyell Malen
Malen has had a decent start to the new season. He has featured in a total of 16 matches and has contributed towards six goals. But, he is yet to bring out the best in him.
The match against Gibraltar will be a huge opportunity for the 24-year-old to put his foot on the accelerator. The home team have a poor defensive record and Malen will be keen on getting his game on the score sheet when he takes the field against them.
Prediction
Gibraltar 0-4 Netherlands
The home team have lost all of their matches in the ongoing qualifiers, and they will be heading into this fixture hoping to register their first points. They will be fighting for pride and will try their best to get something out of this game.
While the Netherlands are expected to make quite a few changes to their XI, they still have quite a few exceptional players in their team. And, the visitors are expected to go past the Gibraltar with ease. The Hard Tackle predicts a 4-0 win for the away side.
