(Football news) The Netherlands will take on Ecuador at the Khalifa International Stadium on Friday, hoping to secure their second win in the World Cup. Louis Van Gaal’s side defeated Senegal 2-0 in their opening match and victory for either team in this match will secure passage into the Round of 16 as Ecuador defeated Qatar 2-0 in the opening match. Netherlands had to adopt a patient approach against Senegal in their opening match and it looked like the spoils will be shared, only for Cody Gakpo to find the back of the net in the 84th minute. Davy Klaassen then scored Netherlands’ second in the ninth minute of added time in what can be considered to be the perfect start of Group A for the 2010 finalists.
Netherlands will take on Ecuador followed by Qatar and it’s a big chance to finish the Group Stage with victories in all three matches. The national team were absent from the 2018 edition of the World Cup, finished third in 2014 and were finalists in 2010, losing to Spain. By winning Group A, the Netherlands will take on the runner-up of Group B in the last 16 which could be England, Wales, USA or Iran. However, their immediate attention will be against Ecuador who were dominant against Qatar and Louis Van Gaal’s side will be particularly wary of their aerial presence. In-form Enner Valencia will be needed in Ecuador’s upcoming games, especially considering that the South American side will face the Netherlands and Senegal in their remaining Group Stage fixtures.
Ecuador had their best ever World Cup finish in 2006 where they reached the last 16 before being defeated by England. The South American side were knocked out of the Group Stage in 2014 and didn’t qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Ecuador had somewhat of a controversial qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar but they ended up taking 26 points from 18 matches, losing only one of their last seven matches and drew 1-1 against both Brazil and Argentina, which shows the calibre of the team. Getting a result against the Netherlands is not as far-fetched as it would seem and Louis Van Gaal will ensure his side isn’t complacent heading into this fixture.
In team news for the Netherlands, Memphis Depay could make his first start in this tournament, replacing Vincent Janssen while Cody Gakpo and Steven Bergwijn are also expected to feature in the final third. Van Gaal’s 3-5-2 formation is set to include Frenkie de Jong and Steven Berghuis in midfield while Daley Blind and Denzel Dumfries will be full backs. Marten de Roon came on as a substitute against Senegal and is expected to get some minutes in this fixture, albeit from the bench. As for Ecuador, Valencia appears to be fit to make it into the starting XI but head coach Alfaro could make a change with Jeremy Sarmiento replacing Michael Estrada. It’s expected to be a very difficult match for both teams but the Netherlands could edge it and progress into the Round of 16.
Also read: Brazil begin their World Cup campaign with convincing victory over Serbia
