Euro Qualifiers Netherlands vs Belarus: The Oranje Look to a Roaring Start

Euro Qualifiers Netherlands vs Belarus: The Oranje Look to a Roaring Start

Netherlands vs Belarus

Football is driven by narratives as much as it is led by the exciting on-pitch action that every avid fan fell in love with. The events that happen off the football pitch give a lot more meaning to the games being played, pulling fans to make an emotional investment to the Beautiful Game.

One of the most intriguing stories out of the international stage can be found at the Euro Qualifiers: Netherlands vs Belarus matchup.

Holland’s descent to irrelevance and their resurrection to complete dominance. Everyone witnessed how the team imploded in the mid-2010s, missing out on two important tournaments over the past four years. However, their return to relevance has been nothing short of outstanding, and they have one of the most intriguing squads in the entire world.

It will be interesting to see how Belarus will be able to fight back against a squad as outstanding as Ronald Koeman’s Flying Dutchmen.

Talking Points

Holland look to make a statement

Seasoned SBOBET punters remember the regrettable fall from grace the Dutch national team experienced five years ago. The Dutch experienced more than a decade of dominance and made the semi-final of the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. They were on a high as p[layers like Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben carried them to glory.

However, their sharp decline was also well-documented. The decline of their Golden Generation saw the team’s place in the echelon of football also fade away. Their omission from the 2016 European Championship and the 2018 World Cup. To say that this was a low point in Dutch football is a big understatement.

However, they may finally have ended their poor run of form as Ronald Koeman built together a strong team to help him qualify for the next two major tournaments.

A quick look at their performance in the inaugural UEFA Nations League campaign is a good indicator of how good this rejuvenated squad is. They finished at the top of their group, only losing one of their four games. They then managed to get fantastic results against France and Germany to finish top of their group.

The team also looks as promising as ever. The provisional team list released earlier this month has a lot of talented players ready to suit up. However, the names to watch among the strong pool are Memphis Depay, Virgil van Dijk, Frenkie de Jong, and Matthijs de Ligt. Koeman played a very aggressive 4-2-3-1 in the Nations League, and we can expect more of the same here.

The Stadion Feijenoord should be quaking by the time the national team begin their campaign for Euro qualification in earnest. They have been denied glory long enough, and these hungry lions will stop at nothing to get what they want.

Belarus eager to compete

Most of the Netherlands vs Belarus news is focused on the hosts with good reason. However, discrediting Belarus as mere participants in the qualifying stage would be a disservice to the giant-killing potential the White Wings have.

They were completely dominant in their UEFA Nations League group, winning promotion to League C without a shadow of a doubt. Stanislav Dragun’s five goals helped the team to promotion, and the former Dinamo Moskva striker will look to make his presence felt against an intimidating Dutch backline.

Moreover, they are more than aware of the tough task they have ahead of them. Bookies don’t see them even inching close to the qualifying positions in their group as Germany, Northern Ireland, and Estonia are also vying for the tickets to the big dance.

With this in mind, Igor Kriushenko is preparing his lads for a tough campaign. They will definitely look for complacency on the Dutch side and deny them a proper win away from home. Igor Shitov will be a vital cog in Kriushenko’s defensive scheme, and Igor Stasevich will have to work with Dragun to find the goals.

The entire campaign is going to be a challenge, but the team will be looking to leave their mark in the minds of the neutral fan.

History

These two football-crazy nations have met each other plenty of times since the mid-1990s. Unexpectedly, Holland won a lot of them as the period was the start of the Dutch’s dominance in international football. They won six of their eight meetings; Belarus only won by a narrow margin in 1995 and 2007.

Their last two meetings were during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Netherlands overwhelmed Belarus, winning with an aggregate score of 7-2.

Betting Tip

Netherlands First Half Asian Handicap -1.00 @ 2.02

There’s no question that momentum is on the side of the Oranje, and there should be no reason for them to experience defeat at this point of the season. They have exciting players, a respectable coach, an attractive style of football, and an insatiable hunger for victory.

Many Netherlands vs Belarus odds also share my view, giving the Dutch a heavy handicap. I see Belarus getting a consolation goal for their efforts late in the game, but the sheer difference in quality should see the Dutch ending the game before the first half even finishes.

Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.

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