It has not been a tournament to remember for the Dutch so far this summer but they can still make it into the last eight although their fate is out of their hands following back-to-back defeats to Denmark and Germany.

Bert van Marwijk and his men know ahead of their clash with Portugal in Kharkiv that they must win the game by a two-goal margin while they also need Denmark to slip to defeat against Germany to get out of jail.

The downside is that Germany will top Group B even if they are held to a draw by the Danes which would then render Holland’s result meaningless.

The Dutch can only focus on their own game, however, and the simple fact is that they need goals in order to take advantage should the other result go their way (Holland 18/1 – To Win 3/1).

History, though, is not on Holland’s side as no side has ever made the knockout stage after losing their first two games, but surely if that statistic is to be overcome then the men in orange have as good a chance as any other side.

Van Marwijk knows he must throw caution to the wind and play an attack-minded side so there might not be a place for destroyer Nigel de Jong, with striker striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (9/1 – To Score Two Or More Goals) pushing for a deserved start.

Holland certainly have plenty of creativity on their bench in the shape of Rafael van der Vaart, however they have created chances and would not be in this mess had they been more clinical in front of goal.

The problem facing van Marwijk is that he must go for the jugular yet also be mindful of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Raul Meireles and Joao Moutinho who will all be bearing down on a Dutch defence that is not the strongest in Poland and Ukraine (Portugal 9/5, draw 11/5, Holland 13/8 – 90 Minutes).

The Portuguese will go through with a win unless Denmark win by a one-goal margin – other than 2-1 and 1-0 – against the Germans who have again demonstrated their prowess at tournament football.

Head coach Paulo Bento may not be presiding over Portugal’s golden generation but this crop is not too shabby and the fact he is set to name the same XI for the fifth competitive game in a row – compared to van Marwijk’s desperate juggling act – means the men from the Iberian peninsula will ge the win and keep their fingers crossed over matters in Lviv.

Portugal are 4/9 to make it to the knockout stage for the fifth European Championships in a row.

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The way that Spurs came back from their FA Cup semi-fnal defeat by Portsmouth says a geat eal about the character of the team. Thy ae beginning to look like a team that deserves to play Champions League football and United’s victory over Manchester City opened the door for the London club again.

Manchester City must negotiate a difficult fixture at Arsenal later on Saturday. Spurs kick off at 12.45 and would dearly love to put some more pressure on the Blues but they have to take something from the trip in Manchester.

A win would really push Spurs to the fore but even a draw could keep them in the hunt as City will find three points hard to come by at the Emirates. Redknapp’s side look capable of scoring goals against anyone at the moment- Crouch, Defoe and Pavlyuchenko are all in decent form and give the manager a variety of options.

The star of the show recently has been Welsh left sider Gareth Bale; his marauding runs from left back or left midfield have created a host of chances for the strikers and kept the opposition on the back foot.

Bale was identified as a future star at Cardiff even before he left school but as a 17 year old he endured a difficult beginning in a Spurs team that performed poorly under Juande Ramos. Now confidence is restored and he’s adding a new dimension to Spurs play.

Wayne Rooney should be available to add vigour to United’s attack but Michael Dawson is winning plaudits at centre back in the absences of Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate. With King possibly fit to play, the home team will find scoring hard work.

The hard fought win over Manchester City thrust United back into the title picture but they haven’t fired properly in their last three or four matches.

This game is a real shootout, because a defeat would ruin the chances of both sides in their respective races. Spurs have momentum after their performances against Arsenal and Chelsea and are unlikely to cave in with Champions League football in sight.

Related posts:

1. How Chelsea Beat Manchester United to the Title
2. Arsenal v Man United: Premiership Title Contenders Are Too Close To Call
3. Premiership Predictions: Title Race is Wide Open Again

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