The Netherlands are entering their first World Cup since 2014 after failing to qualify in 2018.
The Oranje generally do quite well when they take part in the World Cup and have never failed to make it out of the group stage. However, whilst they have been runner up three times and finished third in 2014, they are yet to win the tournament.
They lost to Spain in the 2010 final, Argentina in the 1978 final and to West Germany in the 1974 final, but there is no doubt with the quality of players they have produced over the years, that they will be a team to be reckoned with.
Drawn in a group with Qatar, Ecuador and Senegal, their route to the knockouts looks fairly straightforward and under Louis van Gaal they will be hopeful of repeating their 2014 success.
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Netherlands World Cup 2022 Tips
Read the latest Netherlands odds ahead of the World Cup, including their odds to win the tournament, odds to claim the golden boot, 101 Great Goals’ top tip and more 2022 World Cup predictions and tips.
Netherlands World Cup Predictions
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With players such as Memphis Depay, Cody Gakpo, Frenkie de Jong, Virgil van Dijk and the emerging Ryan Gravenberch, Netherlands are developing once again into a dangerous nation after a few years of struggle on the international scene. Under Louis van Gaal for the third time, he will be looking for something similar to the 2014 World Cup when they came fourth under his leadership. A quarter-finals spot should be a minimum expectation, but whether they have the firepower to go beyond that remains to be seen.
Netherlands Golden Boot Prediction
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Manager
Louis van Gaal
Louis van Gaal is currently managing the Netherlands for the third time in his career. He had a brief spell in charge between 2000/01 and was again appointed to the dugout in 2012, before leaving at the end of the 2014 World Cup following a third-place finish.
Van Gaal favours a 3-4-1-2 formation with the Netherlands. It is a defensively strong system, that requires the wing-backs to provide the width and the creativity.
The formation has been fairly successful of late, with wins over Belgium and Denmark. However, despite the back-five formation, the Dutch side are struggling to keep clean sheets.
Record
Total appearances: 11
First qualification: 1934
Most recent: 2014
Best achievement: Runners-up (1974, 1978, 2010)
World Ranking: 8
Overall record: P50, W27, D12, L11
Key players
Frenkie de Jong
With Virgil van Dijk no longer at his best, the onus is on Frenkie de Jong to step up and become Netherlands’ MVP.
The Dutchman is a pivotal player in Van Gaal’s system, linking defence and attacking with his clever passing and ability to drive forward.
De Jong is expected to operate in a two-man pivot alongside a more defensive option. In this role he will receive the ball from the centre-backs, and it is his job to begin attacking transitions by finding the wing-backs, wingers or attacking midfielder – depending on the system being deployed.
Fan expectation for Netherlands in the World Cup
Finley Crebolder spoke to 101GreatGoals to give his thoughts on the Netherlands’ World Cup hopes.
Key player: Frenkie de Jong
“As has been the case since his, breakthrough in 2018, De Jong is his nation’s most important player. Playing at the heart of the midfield, he can dominate matches on his own with his passing and dribbling when at his best. More often than not, if he plays well, the Netherlands play well; if he doesn’t, they don’t.
One to watch: Cody Gakpo
“Louis van Gaal has decided to use left-winger Gakpo as a number 10 in his system, and it’s an experiment that could yield huge rewards. The PSV player is getting better and better, and with his movement, pace and finishing, has all the attributes to be a lethal attacking midfielder.”
Expectations: Semi-finals
“This is the strongest squad the Netherlands have had in a long time, perhaps since the group that got to the final in 2010, and they have a manager in Louis van Gaal who’s getting the best out of them.
“With the quality they have and how well he’s got them playing, they shouldn’t have any issues winning their group or a likely Round of 16 clash with Wales or USA.
“Things get a lot trickier after that though, with Argentina and Brazil lying in wait if all three sides do as well as expected.
“The Dutch and Van Gaal are just about good enough to avenge the defeat they suffered to Lionel Messi and co in the 2014 Semi-finals, although it would be a close run thing, but following that up with a win over Brazil may just be a bridge too far.”
101′s Netherlands World Cup Tip
The Netherlands can currently be backed at 12/1 to win the 2022 World Cup with odds of 12/1 with bet365, making them the 8th favourite.
This is a pretty fair reflection on the Oranje. They had a bright start to Euro 2020, which saw them win all three group games. However, they then suffered a shock loss to the Czech Republic in the Round of 16.
Van Gaal has since taken charge and they have been playing some nice football and eking out results. But the Netherlands’ inability to keep clean sheets is likely to prevent them making it past the quarter-finals. They are 5/2 to be knocked out in the last eight with bet365.
101’s Top Tip
Netherlands stats, fixtures and results
Follow our Netherlands page for the latest statistics, live odds, fixtures, results and match facts of every game at the World Cup.
