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The World Champions Tackle The Dutch

Football moves at a million miles an hour, and it’s been that case for decades now. A few months ago the French were celebrating becoming world champions for the second time in their history, but the focus has shifted as they look towards UEFA Euro 2020. Winning that tournament and cementing themselves as the best team in international football is going to be vitally important for their progression, and as bizarre as it sounds, the time for celebrating is already over.

They’ve already been back in action against the Germans, but this is where the ‘real test’ begins so to speak as they get back into the routine of everyday football. Of course, we shouldn’t be forgetting their accomplishments over the summer, but the aim should always be to improve on that and look forward – and that’s exactly what they’ll try to do against a Netherlands side who will be desperate to get back into the big time.

The Dutch are coming off the back of a summer at home, with the disappointment still lingering from them not being able to qualify for the World Cup. They’ve been such a prominent part of the tournament for so many years that it felt odd not to see them on our screens, but at the same time, it may have been the best thing for them. We’ve seen teams either fail to qualify for a big tournament or play poorly at one in the past and then within a few years, they’ve been able to turn things around.

In fact, the French are a perfect example of that, dating back to their poor showing at South Africa 2010. Ronald Koeman can learn from that and while a lot of people don’t think he’s the right man for the job, he’s certainly got a good base to work with. There are great players coming out of that country on a day to day basis, and if they can harness that and turn it into a team that are able to gel, then we could be looking at a renewed team in time for Euro 2020.

The UEFA Nations League itself is certainly an interesting concept, and one of the highlights of it all is that we get to see games like this taking place pretty regularly. The French are one of the most exciting teams in world football when they hit that next gear, and it’s always exciting to see the ‘backed into a corner’ mentality of a team that have been in the shadows during a previous tournament. Sure, there’s no guarantee that there will be fireworks, but it feels like the odds are pretty good.

In terms of their history against one another, France hold a narrow advantage in the overall head to head standings with 13 wins compared to the Netherlands’ 10 (and three draws in between). France have also been able to win the last four encounters between the two including a 4-0 demolition of the Dutch last August, so psychologically speaking, that could be absolutely huge for the world champions. Or, in contrast, will it help to spur Koeman’s side on towards an unlikely victory?

They’ve certainly not had the persona of a team that missed the World Cup, and in recent months, they’ve actually been quite enjoyable to watch again. They’ve registered just one defeat in their last six games which came against WC semi-finalists England, and just a few days ago, they defeated Peru who many were viewing as a potential dark horse in Russia. Obviously, they didn’t quite live up to expectations, but it still feels like a pretty noteworthy victory for a team that were struggling to beat the lowest of the low in Europe just over a year ago.

The French know exactly what they’re capable of, too, and we’ve seen that play out in their last six competitive games. After a 0-0 draw against Denmark to ensure they went through to the knockout stages as group winners, they managed to overcome Argentina in an entertaining 4-3 win, they beat Uruguay, and they then edged out a narrow 1-0 triumph over local rivals Belgium to secure their place in the World Cup Final. Then, in remarkable fashion, they tore through Croatia in the final with a 4-2 win that many were calling one of the most entertaining finals in the history of the tournament.

In terms of the team selection, it seems as if both nations will field relatively strong starting XIs, if only to ‘send a message’ of sorts to the rest of the big teams across Europe. France have a whole host of options to choose from in their ranks, and now, they can say that they’ve got almost two dozen World Cup winners that could be popping up in any of these games. That’s a pretty exciting position to be in, especially with the likes of Ousmane Dembele starting to hit top form.

The Dutch aren’t quite as fortunate in that regard at this moment in time, with the majority of their ‘well known’ superstars either retiring or not being in the international picture anymore. Wesley Sneijder is the latest name to hang up his boots for the Netherlands after a career full of spectacular moments, and at this moment in time, they could really use someone of his calibre. Interestingly enough there’s a youngster that could end up replacing him in that role, and he goes by the name of Frenkie de Jong. The wonderkid could easily end up being the next big thing on the international stage, especially if he secures his big money move to Barcelona.

France vs The Netherlands Betting Odds

It’ll be interesting to see how these two teams mesh together, especially only a year or so after they last squared off. France are obviously going to experience a fantastic atmosphere once again at the Stade De France, which will likely be the case for at least the next two years. The crowd alone could carry them to victory, and for a team like the Netherlands, the most important thing for them will be to make a statement in the early stages of the match – or it could get ugly for them.

Getting physical, as they’re historically known to do, will be their best route to an unlikely victory, but it depends on whether or not they’re even able to get to them. Our official prediction is that Les Bleus will walk away with the win, by a scoreline of 3-1, but we think that we’re going to see the visitors showing signs of a revival as we gear up for the next big international tournament.