The Netherlands will take on Poland in the World Cup qualifiers on Thursday evening, and they will look to pick up a win at home.
The Netherlands have an impressive record vs Poland, and fans will expect a strong performance in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers tie on Thursday. On paper, the Oranje are the favourites, and they should be able to grind out all three points.
The Netherlands have picked up two wins from two matches in the qualifiers so far, and they are second in their group. Ronald Koeman’s men will look to climb to the top of the standings with a victory here.
Poland have played three matches in the qualifiers with two wins and a defeat. The away side are certainly no pushovers, and they have quality players at their disposal. They will look to upset the odds with a strong performance. It remains to be seen whether they can grind out a positive result here.
It is likely to be a crunch contest, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top here between the Netherlands and Poland. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Netherlands
The home team will be without the services of Jeremie Frimpong, who picked up a hamstring injury with Liverpool and will miss out here. Apart from that, Ronald Koeman will have a fully fit squad to choose from.
The Netherlands are likely to shape up in a 4-3-3 formation vs Poland, with Bart Verbruggen in goal. Denzel Dumfries and Micky van de Ven are likely to start as the fullbacks. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Virgil van Dijk will start in central defence alongside Jan Paul van Hecke.
As for the midfield unit, Ryan Gravenberch will add defensive cover and control to the side. Frenkie de Jong will add creativity alongside him, and Tijjani Reijnders will look to control the tempo of the game.
Memphis Depay will lead the line for the Netherlands vs Poland, and he will be looking to score a record-breaking goal. The 31-year-old has 50 goals for his country right now, and he needs one more to overtake Robin van Persie at the top of the Netherlands’ all-time scoring charts. Xavi Simons and Cody Gakpo are likely to line up on the flanks here. They will look to add creativity and goals.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Verbruggen; Dumfries, van Dijk, van Hecke, van de Ven; Gravenberch, de Jong, Reijnders; Simons, Depay, Gakpo
Poland
The visitors do not have any major injury issues heading into this game, and they will look to build a full-strength lineup here. Poland are likely to shape up in a 3-5-2 formation vs the Netherlands, with Lukasz Skorupski in goal.
At the back, Jan Bednarek will start alongside Jakub Kiwior and Tomasz Kedziora. Matty Cash and Nicola Zalewski will start as the wingbacks here. They will look to contribute defensively and help out in the attack.
As for the midfield unit midfield, Piotr Zielinski will add creativity to the side. Sebastian Szymanski will add creativity and goals as well. Bartosz Slisz will add defensive cover alongside them. Robert Lewandowski will lead the line for Poland alongside Krzysztof Piatek.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Skorupski; Bednarek, Kiwior, Kedziora; Cash, Slisz, Szymanski, Zielinski, Zalewski; Piatek, Lewandowski
Key Stats
- The Netherlands are unbeaten in the last six matches against Poland.
- 16 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two teams.
- Four of the last six matches between these two teams have seen both teams get on the score sheet.
- The Netherlands are yet to concede a single goal in the World Cup qualifiers.
Player to Watch
Memphis Depay
The Netherlands international is our player to watch out for. Depay has been in fine form for his country, and he is chasing a record here. He will have all the motivation in the world to find the back of the net. The 31-year-old will look to create opportunities for his teammates and score goals here.
The Netherlands are the favourites for Thursday’s clash, and they should be able to create ample opportunities for the experienced attacker. Depay is likely to get on the scoresheet and make all the difference in the final third for his team.
Prediction
Netherlands 3-1 Poland
Both teams will be looking for a positive result here, but the Netherlands have a quality team at their disposal. The players are in impressive form for their respective club teams, and they will look to put together a strong performance for their country now.
The Netherlands should be able to create ample opportunities here, and they are likely to pick up a comfortable victory. Poland will look to put up a fight, but they are simply outmatched in terms of quality. The away have been quite vulnerable defensively, and they may pay the price for that. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Ronald Koeman and his charges.