The Netherlands and Argentina are in the first of four quarterfinals, and this game promises fire. The two units have a long history at the World Cups, which has some of the brightest and the most important moments ever in football, like the finals from 1978, or the 1998 quarterfinals. For the moment, both teams look well, in excellent shape, and with the form rising. There is no need to explain the circumstances and the significance of this event, which is why we jump right onto the preview.
Preview
The Netherlands (+225) cruised past the United States in the round of 16, even though the rivals threatened on a few occasions. We need to mention that the Americans played good football, but for the moment, that wasn’t enough to challenge the rivals.
The experience and much better reactions in the crucial moments were the difference-makers here because US players haven’t been in the situations like this one as a group. Meanwhile, Memphis Depay, Ake, and Van Dijk, play at least a dozen games like this one every year.
Gakpo once again showed why he is the best young player in Europe, creating space for Memphis and the teammates, and unselfishly helping the team by putting the spotlight on himself. Once again, the Dutch attack scored at least two goals, displaying a very solid form.
Argentina (+125) team proved to all that the opener against Saudi Arabia was just a coincidence and an unlucky turn of events. After that defeat, Argentina routinely handled Mexico and Poland, with the same result, 2-0 getting back in shape.
The quarterfinals saw the Gauchos beating Australia, 2-1, but it could have been much different because Lautaro Martinez missed a ton of chances, which could have been devastating for Scaloni’s crew if the Aussies used their opportunity in the last seconds.
Argentina’s defense is rock-solid again, while Messi plays at a significantly higher level than before. Right now, his form is evidently better from game to game, and he is reaching 100%.
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Both teams have no injured players, and there aren’t any injuries involved.
Head to Head Games
Check this out. Netherlands and Argentina met five times at World Cups, and the record is neutral, with two wins each and one draw. In 1974, Oranje humiliated Argentina, 4-0. Four years later, Argentina won the title against this rival in the finals, 3-1, following overtime, and with a lot of luck. In 1998, Netherlands eliminated Gauchos in the quarterfinals, 2-1 (remember Denis Bergkamp’s goal), in 2006, they played 0-0 in the group stage, and in 2014, Argentina eliminated Oranje in the semis, following a penalty shootout, 0-0 after 90 minutes.
Prediction
Right now, our pick for this game would be two or three goals, or a moderate efficiency, as we see that it constantly appears when either team plays in this World Cup. All of Argentina’s contests ended like that, and on the other side, only the round of 16 hasn’t seen that with Oranje. The odds are good, +100, and that’s our pick here.
Pick: 2 or 3 goals +100
Check out for other World Cup quarterfinals predictions:
Check out for our other World Cup Round of 16 previews:
Nikola Velickovic is a sports journalist who loves to write and read on all sports. Nikola contributes both news updates and functions as a sports breaking news writer at WagerBop.
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Email: nikola@wagerbop.com
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