Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the UEFA Nations League match.
The Johan Cruyff Arena will host the standout match of the second round of the UEFA Nations League. In the last round, both teams netted five goals each, so we can quite reasonably expect a significant number of goals this time as well.
Netherlands
The Dutch side showcased their full strength. The last time they scored five or more goals was in the autumn of 2021 against the diminutive Gibraltar (6:0). This time, it was a solid Bosnia and Herzegovina who faltered. There's a reason Bosnia won their group in League B in the previous Nations League campaign. With 28 shots on goal, nine on target, 75% possession, and 4.09 xG, it was pure delight for Dutch fans. Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee made his first start for the senior team and scored as early as the 13th minute. However, defensive issues were also evident, which had hampered their performance in Euro 2024. Bosnia managed to score twice from three shots on target.
Germany
Germany, in the first round of the Nations League, matched their goal tally against Scotland in the opening match of their home European Championship. The Hungarian side had performed quite respectably against the hosts in that tournament. Last Saturday, the rout was partially aided by Hungary's goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi, who was at fault for three of the five goals. Hungary should consider themselves lucky the score wasn’t 0:8, given that there were two shots off the woodwork and a goal-line clearance by a defender. Hungary also missed a couple of serious opportunities, as Germany's defence is currently not that solid.
Netherlands - Germany Prediction
While not as spectacular, the scoring trend is expected to continue. In the last five head-to-head encounters, both teams have scored, and in five of the last six, there have been more than two goals. Choosing between total over and both teams to score, we still prefer the latter.
