Holland take on Germany in the second round of Group B matches at Euro 2012 on Wednesday desperate for a positive result after their shock defeat to Denmark. The Germans know that victory could seal their passage into the last eight and it looks set to be a cracking encounter in Kharkiv (Holland 2/1, Germany 11/8, draw 12/5 Match Prices).
A solid start in the group stages of tournament football is always essential and the Dutch began in the worst possible way by spurning a host of chances to go down 1-0 to the Danes. The one positive for the Oranje is that they played well for most of the game and could have scored a bag full of goals if things had gone differently in front of goal.
But the result leaves them with the proverbial mountain to climb to qualify as they face their old enemy in a match that is sure to see plenty of drama and controversy (Holland 21/10 To Qualify). The rivalry between these two footballing nations makes the north London derby seem like a Sunday morning kick about and Wednesday’s affair has now taken on even more meaning after the first round of games in Group B.
The Dutch have a history of infighting among their squad at major tournaments and it has not taken long for unrest to rear its ugly head this time around. Rafael van der Vaart clearly felt he should have been playing from the start against Denmark and vented his spleen to journalists after Saturday’s reverse.
Coach Bert van Marwijk has come in for some criticism for selecting two defensive midfielders against, on paper, the weakest side in the group, and has hinted at changes against the Germans. Whether or not Van der Vaart gets the nod only time will tell but whoever takes the field will certainly have to be at the top of their game to get one over on one of the form teams at the tournament.
Robin van Persie missed several chances in the opener but will doubtless keep his place and it may just be case of getting one goal for the Arsenal man before the floodgates open. But he does not look the same player at international level as he does domestically and was criticised by some sections of the media for making a phone call on the pitch immediately after the final whistle last time out.
Has the uncertainty over his future at club level started playing on the 28-year-old’s mind?
All is not good in the Dutch camp and they will need to regroup and bounce back straight away otherwise it will be an early exit from Poland and Ukraine.
The Germans did what German sides do first up and bided their time before Mario Gomez netted the all-important goal late in the match to beat Portugal. It was no more than an efficient performance from Joachim Loew’s side and there is surely more to come from the European powerhouse as they possess all sorts of talent in their ranks.
Gomez is many people’s tip to top the scoring charts in the competition and he will be a constant threat to the Dutch in mid-week, while Lukas Podolski will have to make sure he has his shooting boots on this time (Gomez 5/1 Top Goalscorer). Bastian Schweinsteiger will look to dominate the middle of the park and his battles with Mark van Bommel and Wesley Sneijder will be key to the outcome.
The Portuguese did get at the German rearguard last Saturday and hit the woodwork twice and so the Dutch stars will be encouraged to go forward and try to get an early goal to see how the opposition respond.
The Netherlands should obviously have had a penalty against the Danes after a late handball by defender Lars Jacobsen and a draw in that match would have made things a touch easier. But they will be feeling the pressure against the three-time World Cup winners and there is no better side at putting the nail in the coffin that the ruthless Germans.
This will be a feisty affair with plenty of bookings and incidents and it would be no surprise to see honours even after 90 minutes.
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