Here is our Netherlands predicted lineup for their UEFA Nations League fixture against Germany, taking place in Munich on Monday, October 14.
Netherlands Predicted Lineup Vs Germany in UEFA Nations League
How Netherlands Have Lined up Recently
Ronald Koeman’s lineups have been generally very settled during this UEFA Nations League campaign, due to a combination of him sticking with the players he trusts as well as limited options.
Micky van de Ven started a competitive international for the very first time on Friday night, filling-in at left-back, as he did occasionally off the bench during the Euros, at which they made a surprise run to the semi-finals.
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Quinten Timber also won only his third cap at the Puskás Aréna, completing the midfield trio alongside stalwarts Ryan Gravenberch and Tijjani Reijnders.
Bart Verbruggen has now started 12 consecutive Oranje fixtures, having seen off Mark Flekken in the battle for the number one shirt, while Xavi Simons continues to be ostensibly deployed off the right, albeit with a license to drift inside.
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Netherlands’ Recent Form and Tactics
Netherlands are looking good for a top two finish in Nations League Group A3, so will their unbeaten record continue?
On Friday, Koeman’s team were in big trouble in Budapest, a goal down to Hungary, having conceded on the half hour mark, before seeing captain Virgil van Dijk sent off, booked twice in the space of three minutes by referee Lukas Fähndrich, much to the delight of the huge home crowd.
However, with seven minutes to play, Cody Gakpo’s pin-point free-kick was headed home by Denzel Dumfries, thereby pinching a point at Puskás Aréna.
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This takes Oranje’s points tally to five, having smashed Bosnia & Herzegovina 5-2 in Eindhoven last month, before playing out a very entertaining 2-2 draw when Germany visited Johan Cruijff Arena three nights later.
The Dutch have featured in two of three previous stagings of the UEFA Nations League Finals, runners-up of the inaugural edition in 2019, before being dumped out in the semi-finals on home soil by Croatia in 2023.
Following a format change, Holland require a top two finish in this section to reach March’s two-legged quarter-finals. They are very much on course to achieve that, currently second, two points below Germany, but clear of both Hungary and Bosnia, neither of whom have managed a win just yet.
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Now, this will be the eighth time in just six years that fierce rivals and neighbours Netherlands and Germany have gone head-to-head, with the Dutch winning their most-recent competitive clash on German soil, prevailing 4-2 at the Volksparkstadion five years ago.
These previous seven encounters have produced 27 goals, an average of 3.86 goals per 90, so an entertaining heavyweight clash should be on the cards at Allianz Arena in Munich.
Netherlands Injuries to Consider
First and foremost, after being shown the first red card of his nine-year international career in Budapest, Van Dijk will sit this one out suspended, with the KNVB confirming on Saturday morning that their captain has returned to Merseyside, given his unavailability.
In his absence, Matthijs de Ligt is likely to come in alongside Stefan de Vrij at centre-back with, as alluded to earlier, Spurs’ Van de Ven deputising at left-back. Nathan Aké is sidelined long-term and Jurriën Timber has remained with Arsenal to build up his fitness.
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Frenkie de Jong is another noteworthy absentee, having made only two cameos off the bench for Barcelona just before this international break, although these were his first minutes since suffering an ankle injury all the way back in mid-April.
Lastly, with neither Wout Weghorst nor Memphis Depay called up, Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee is set to continue up front.
Netherlands Predicted Lineup Vs Germany
GK: Bart Verbruggen.
RB: Denzel Dumfries.
CB: Matthijs de Ligt.
CB: Stefan de Vrij.
LB: Micky van de Ven.
CDM: Ryan Gravenberch.
CM: Tijjani Reijnders.
CM: Quinten Timber.
RW: Xavi Simons.
LW: Cody Gakpo.
ST: Joshua Zirkzee.