Netherlands vs Gibraltar prediction: EUROPE: Euro – Qualification betting tips on match 2023-03-26 18:45.
Ronald Koemanâs second stint in the Netherlands hot seat got off to a rocky start as his side were humbled 4-0 by World Cup finalists France in their first Euro 2024 qualifier. Koeman slammed his players in the aftermath and said they displayed âmajor shortcomings in all areas of the gameâ, although he has an immediate chance for redemption against the second-lowest ranked UEFA nation, Gibraltar (#200).
Koemanâs previous tenure also began with a defeat without scoring against England, therefore, heâll hope – like was the case the first time around – he can quickly bounce back with a win âto nilâ of his own here in this second game in charge. The 194 places between these sides in those aforementioned rankings suggest this will be a display of Dutch dominance, and so does the fact theyâve put 13 goals past Gibraltar in only two historical H2Hs!
Earning what would be a first-ever qualification to a major tournament feels nothing but a pipe dream for Gibraltar at the moment. They have a population of just 32,000, a speck compared to the 17.53 million living in the Netherlands! Given their limited selection pool, it comes as little surprise that theyâve won just eight of their 75 official games, with a 3-0 defeat against Greece last time out adding to their poor all-time record (W8, D9, L58).
In truth, that record perhaps still glosses over just how bad Gibraltar have been in European qualifiers. The visitors have completed two full cycles before this and lost every single game to this point (L19). During that time, Gibraltar scored just five goals whilst conceding 90, a record which should dash any fanciful hopes of recording a positive result against the worldâs sixth-ranked nation.
Players to watch: Memphis Depay has enjoyed some fun against Gibraltar in the past, scoring four goals, missing a penalty and assisting another goal in just two personal H2Hs. Trying to stop him will be Gibraltar defender Roy Chipolina who has also scored three of his nationâs last five goals!
Hot stat: Gibraltar were trailing by half-time in 11 of their last 12 competitive matches.