Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
The second leg of the 2024/25 Nations League quarter-final between Spain and the Netherlands will take place on March 23 at the Mestalla Stadium in Valencia. The first match ended in a 2-2 draw, and now everything will be decided on Spanish soil, where each team will strive to secure a spot in the semi-finals. I suggest betting on goals in this match with attractive odds.
Match preview
The Spaniards opened the scoring in the first match but found themselves chasing the game in the second half, relinquishing their lead early in the second half. Nevertheless, Luis de la Fuente's side snatched a draw in stoppage time (2-2), ending their five-match winning streak in the Nations League. It is noteworthy that Spain has scored at least two goals in four consecutive matches in this tournament.
The draw leaves the team with good prospects of reaching the semi-finals, as they still have a chance to make it to the top four for the third consecutive time in the Nations League. On home soil, Spain has not lost in 5 of their last 6 Nations League matches (4 wins, 1 draw), which underscores their confident play in front of their home fans.
Ronald Koeman's charges were close to victory in the first match, but allowed their opponents to equalize at the very end, resulting in a draw. The Netherlands continue to show consistent results in the Nations League, having not lost in 6 of their last 7 encounters (2 wins, 4 draws).
However, they have only kept a clean sheet in one of those games. Like Spain, the Netherlands have a chance for a third consecutive semi-final appearance in the Nations League. On the road, the Dutch have not been defeated in 8 of their last 9 tournament matches (4 wins, 4 draws), confirming their strength in away fixtures.
Probable line-ups
- Spain: Unai Simon – Marc Cucurella, Pau Cubarsi, Robin Le Normand, Pedro Porro – Fabian Ruiz, Martin Zubimendi, Pedri – Alvaro Morata, Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal
- Netherlands: Bart Verbruggen – Jeremie Frimpong, Matthijs de Ligt, Virgil van Dijk, Lutsharel Geertruida – Jan Paul van Hecke, Tijjani Reijnders, Frenkie de Jong – Memphis Depay, Justin Kluivert, Cody Gakpo
Match facts and head-to-head
- Both teams have scored in 7 of the Netherlands' last 9 Nations League matches
- At least three goals have been scored in 5 of Spain's last 6 Nations League matches
- Spain hasn't beaten the Dutch since February 1983 – three draws and 5 losses
Prediction
Bookmakers favor Spain here, offering odds of 1.74 for a home victory. However, the Netherlands have already shown they are ready to fight, and little is likely to change in the away match. In such a game, it might be better to take "Both teams to score" at 1.78.
