NETHERLANDS will be hoping to secure their place in the last-16 of the World Cup as group winners when they take on hosts Qatar.
The 2010 finalists are on four points from two games, but are yet to hit top gear so far in the tournament.
As a result, the Dutch haven’t yet secured their place in the knockouts but should do exactly that and claim top spot in Group A with a victory.
Louis van Gaal’s were favourites to win the group and need to do exactly that to potentially avoid a date with England.
Meanwhile, Qatar were the first side to be knocked out of the World Cup and will be looking to avoid a third group stage defeat in a row.
SunSport takes a look at what to expect from Netherlands vs Qatar including our score prediction.
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How are they getting on?
Netherlands: The Dutch have underwhelmed so far and will have to play far better if they want to go deep in the competition.
Regardless, they should have far too much here for the hosts, with Cody Gakpo surely licking his lips at the prospect of adding to his tally.
Read the full Netherlands vs Ecuador match report…
Qatar: A poor showing against Ecuador had them facing an early exit on the opening day of the tournament.
The hosts were slightly better and scored their first ever World Cup goal against Senegal, but they surely need a miracle to avoid losing here.
Read the full Qatar vs Senegal match report…
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Any injuries to worry about?
Netherlands: Memphis Depay was introduced at half-time against Ecuador, but his lack of game-time could see him benched once again.
In his pre-match press conference, Van Gaal said: “We are not taking any risks with Memphis.”
Qatar: The hosts have no fresh injury concerns from Friday, but might be tempted to draft Mohammed Muntari into the team after his goal against Senegal.
Who will be the star men?
Netherlands: Considering he’s scored in both games and was one of the most in-form players in Europe ahead of the tournament, Gakpo is the standout danger man for Holland.
But from midfield, Barcelona ace Frenkie de Jong has also impressed and was named man of the match in their opener.
Qatar: They’ve registered just two shots on target in three hours of action, so they’re not exactly stacked with quality.
But Muntari took his goal brilliantly, so Virgil van Dijk and Co will have to be wary of his aerial threat.
Permutations
It’s simple for Netherlands, avoid defeat and they’re through, but they’re also seal their place in the last-16 if Ecuador beat Senegal.
In terms of winning the group, they will secure top spot if they win and Ecuador fail to beat Senegal.
If them and Ecuador both win, it’ll come down to goal difference.
As for Qatar, they’re already out and will need a huge victory to avoid finishing bottom of the group.
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What’s the head-to-head?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, considering Qatar aren’t in Europe and have never qualified for a World Cup previously, the game at the Al Bayt Stadium will be their first ever meeting between the sides.
SunSport prediction
Netherlands 3 Qatar 0
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
