The Netherlands will aim to correct course in a Euro qualifying campaign that has not gone according to plan so far when they face Greece on Thursday. The team sits three points outside of second place in Group B, which would allow them to qualify for next year's Euros in Germany, but with six games to go, theyh have plenty of time to book a spot at the tournament. They will have to face a Greece team that currently occupies a coveted qualification spot and will be expected to leapfrog them into second place with a win on Thursday.
Here's what you need to know before the matchup.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Thursday, September 7 | Time: 2:45 p.m. ET
- Location: Philips Stadion -- Eindhoven, Netherlands
- Live stream: fubo
- Odds: Netherlands -240; Draw +320; Greece +650
Storylines
The Netherlands have one win in two games so far through qualifying and sit three points behind Greece, but some of this can be attributed to scheduling -- they had to open their campaign against France in March. That said, the Dutch put out an unimpressive performance against the French and lost 4-0. They rebounded three days later with an expected 3-0 victory over Gibraltar in which Nathan Ake scored a brace and Memphis Depay also got on the scoresheet.
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They're the favorites against Greece, who have three more points and one more game under their belt during this qualifying run, and they're still the odds-on favorites to join France at the Euros despite being level on points with Ireland. This match will serve as a test for the Netherlands' forwards like Cody Gakpo and Wout Weghorst, while midfielder Frenkie de Jong will be counted on to lead the way since the Dutch will likely have much of the ball.
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Ronald Koeman's side will be without attackers Depay and Steven Bergwijn after each of them picked up injuries before the international break. It leaves the coach with fewer options up top, but he has enough talent on the roster to pick up a victory over Greece.
Prediction
The Netherlands are the oddsmakers' favorites for a reason and have the quality to secure the win many anticipate from them. Expect De Jong to have a strong game that allows the players in front of him to get the job done. Pick: Netherlands 2, Greece 0