Netherlands vs. Spain: UEFA Nations League Match Predictions

On Thursday night, the defending champions of the UEFA Nations League will play the Netherlands in the first leg of their quarterfinal match at Rotterdam's De Kuip.

Croatia and France will face off in the semi-finals in June, depending on who wins the first leg of this two-leg match.

Previous Matches and Head-to-head

After losing to England in the Euro 2024 semi-finals last summer, the Netherlands finished second in League A Group 3 of the Nations League with nine points from six matches (W2 D3 L1).

Ronald Koeman's squad's solitary loss came in a 1-0 away loss to group winners Germany in mid-October. After that, they cruised to a 4-0 home victory over Hungary and drew 1-1 with Bosnia-Herzegovina in November.

Since the Nations League's formation in 2018, the Dutch have finished within a goal of winning the tournament twice. In 2019, they finished second behind Portugal, who became the tournament winners, and in 2023, they lost in the third-place playoff to Italy.

Under Koeman's watch, the Dutch defence let in seven goals in the group stage, their worst defensive performance so far in the Nation League. They managed only one clean sheet.

Nevertheless, in five encounters with Spain, the Dutch have managed to keep a goal differential of just 3. They will be looking forward to Thursday's home match, where they have an impressive seven-match winning streak across all competitions with an aggregate score of 24-4. In five of those matches, they have scored four goals or more.

Even though France is currently ranked higher than Spain in the FIFA world rankings, it is reasonable to claim that La Roja is the top European team right now. They have won the European Championship four times, including a record-tying hat trick last summer.

Since becoming Spain's head coach in December 2022, Luis de la Fuente has amassed a record of 23 victories, three draws, and two losses. In his most recent 15 international matches (including friendly matches), he has won 14 and drawn once across all competitions, with the exception of a close 1-0 home loss to Colombia in March 2024.

Following their victory over England in the 2024 Euro final, Spain dominated League A Group 4 in the second half of the year, earning 16 points out of a possible 18 in the Nations League. They finished eight points ahead of their closest rivals, Denmark, in second place.

The Spanish national team is currently riding a six-game winning streak in the Nations League. However, on Thursday, they will play a Dutch team that they haven't defeated in a full match since a 1-0 victory in a Euro qualifier in Seville in February 1983.

Netherlands x Spain Team News

Injuries have forced Denzel Dumfries and Jerdy Schouten, two Dutch players, to withdraw from Koeman's roster.  Nathan Ake, Stefan de Vrij, and Devyne Rensch are not included in the roster, as are Joshua Zirkzee, Wout Weghorst, Marten de Roon, Quinten Timber, and Micky van de Ven, who has struggled with fitness on many occasions.

Youi Baas, an uncapped Ajax defender, and Mats Wieffer, a midfielder, have replaced Dumfries and Schouten, respectively. Frenkie de Jong is a little question mark due to his sickness, which caused him to miss last weekend's 4-2 La Liga victory against Atletico Madrid for Barcelona.

Virgil van Dijk, whose future at Liverpool is uncertain, will likely start as the central defender for the Oranje as captain. Other players vying for a spot in the starting lineup include Cody Gakpo, Justin Kluivert, Ryan Gravenberch, Tijjani Reijnders, and Jurrien Timber.

In Spain, three players—Inigo Martinez, Marc Casado, and Bryan Zaragoza—have been ruled out with injuries, forcing Dean Huijsen and Aleix Garcia—uncapped defenders from Bournemouth and Bayer Leverkusen, respectively—to be called up.

Real Madrid's center-backs, Huijsen and Asencio, have both been called up for the first time, and both might make their debuts. However, Pau Cubarsi and Robin Le Normand are set to start as center backs.

With captain Alvaro Morata and Nico Williams potentially forming a three-man assault, Barcelona wonder Lamine Yamal—who is only 17 years old—is set to earn his 18th senior cap for Spain on the right flank.

Our predictions

Spain to win @ 2.36 on Sky247.ng

First legs are always tight affairs, so it's possible that Thursday's match between these two European powerhouses will be no different. Even though the Dutch have been very good at home recently, we still think Spain will get a slim lead in the first leg.

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