The Netherlands will host Ecuador at Philips Stadion in an international friendly on Tuesday night, looking to continue their impressive run of form.
The Netherlands have picked up five wins from their last six matches in all competitions, and it remains to be seen whether they can get the job done vs Ecuador on Tuesday night. The Oranje are undoubtedly the better team on paper, and they will be expected to pick up a victory.
On the other hand, Ecuador are coming into this game on the back of a draw against Morocco, and they will look to bounce back strongly. La Tri have failed to win against the Netherlands in the last three meetings, and this will be a difficult outing for them.
It will be interesting to see if they can raise their performance levels and grind out a positive result here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Netherlands
Ronald Koeman does not have any major injury issues to deal with apart from Jurrien Timber, who pulled out of the squad ahead of the game against Norway. He should be able to field a full-strength lineup here.
The Netherlands will play in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Ecuador, with Bart Verbruggen in goal. Denzel Dumfries and Micky van de Ven will start in the full-back roles and look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Jan Paul van Hecke will start alongside Virgil van Dijk at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Ryan Gravenberch and Kees Smit will start in the deeper roles in the middle of the park, and they will look to control the game from the deep. Meanwhile, Cody Gakpo and Xavi Simons will start on the flanks.
The wide duo will look to create opportunities for their teammates in the final third and find the back of the net as well. Teun Koopmeiners will look to link the midfield with the attack from the number ten role. Finally, Brian Brobbey is expected to lead the line for the Netherlands vs Ecuador.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Dumfries, Van Hecke, Van Dijk, Van de Ven; Gravenberch, Smit; Koopmeiners, Simons, Gakpo; Brobbey
Ecuador
Piero Hincapie has pulled out of the squad, and John Yeboah was taken off injured against Morocco. Other than that, the away side should be able to field most of their key players on Tuesday.
Ecuador will play in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs the Netherlands, with Hernan Galindez in goal. Alan Franco and Pervis Estupinan will start at fullback. They will look to keep things tight, defensively, and hit the Netherlands on the break. Joel Ordonez and Willian Pacho will form the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Moises Caicedo and Pedro Vite will look to protect the back four and break down the opposition’s attacking moves. Kendry Paez and Alan Minda will start on the flanks.
They will look to help out during transitions and create counter-attacking opportunities. Gonzalo Plata will start as the central attacking midfielder and look to create opportunities with his passing and vision. Finally, Enner Valencia will be lead the line for Ecuador vs the Netherlands.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Galindez; Franco, Ordonez, Pacho, Estupinan; Caicedo, Vite; Paez, Plata, Minda; Valencia
Key Stats
- The Netherlands are unbeaten in the last six matches in all competitions.
- The Netherlands has not lost to Ecuador in its last three matches.
- Ecuador are undefeated in their last six matches across all competitions, but they have drawn four times in that time.
- The last two matches between these two teams have ended in a 1-1 draw.
Player to Watch
Xavi Simons
The Tottenham Hotspur midfielder is likely to be handed a start here, and he is our key player to watch out for. He will look to create goal-scoring opportunities in the final third and find the back of the net himself.
Simons has done well in the recent outings with his club, and he will look to carry that form into the international stage as well. Ecuador have done well defensively in recent matches, and the Netherlands will rely on Simons to break them down with his technical ability, flair, and vision.
Prediction
Netherlands 2-1 Ecuador
Both teams will be looking to play for a victory here, and this is likely to be an entertaining clash. The Netherlands have an impressive record against Ecuador and will look to continue their run of form here.
On the other hand, the visitors will look to fix their poor record against the Netherlands. Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet, but the home team has more quality and depth in the attacking unit. They should be able to grind out a narrow victory here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Ronald Koeman and his charges.
