England v Netherlands Betting Preview

Back Roy Hodgson’s men to take the spoils on Tuesday night

England

If they can beat the World Champions, then they can beat anyone, right? Well this is England we’re talking about, but after a stunning fightback in Berlin on Saturday night to earn a 3-2 victory over Germany, Roy Hodgson’s men will be confident of maintaining their excellent form and recent string of positive results. England have won seven of their last eight games, with a 2-0 defeat to Spain back in November being their only blemish. Wins over France and Germany in their last two outings mean a victory over the Netherlands, a side lacking consistency of late, looks like a real possibility.

Roy Hodgson’s side hold an impeccable home record, and haven’t lost at Wembley since November 2013 when Per Mertesacker scored to hand Germany a 1-0 victory. England have only conceded one goal in their last nine games at the national stadium, but I think it’s unlikely that they’ll manage to keep out a dangerous Netherlands attacking setup for 90 minutes. In their last seven games the Three Lions have scored 18 goals and conceded only four, a remarkable record that puts them in great stead for Tuesday’s encounter. A win and England fans will really start to fancy their chances at this year’s European Championships.

Netherlands

After struggling to produce a run of good performances of late, the Netherlands will be aware of the tough test they’ll face when they travel to London in two days’ time. Danny Blind has led his side to only four wins in their last ten outings, a record far from good enough for a side looking to win major competitions. After failing to qualify for the European Championships later this year, the Netherlands will have nothing to play for on Tuesday night, and England may well benefit from their lack of motivation.

Blind’s side lost 3-2 to France on Friday night, once again highlighting his side’s defensive weaknesses. Despite a late comeback, the Netherlands were unable to take anything from the game and have now conceded 13 goals in their last six fixtures. The defeat meant that all of their last three outings have ended in 2-3 wins to the away side, which will at least give them some confidence heading into this away tie. Their own away form has been much more impressive, winning three of their last four. I expect the Netherlands to pose a threat on Tuesday night, but I can’t see them worrying an in-form England side. I’m backing England to win the game.

Head-to-Head

The last time the two sides met England fell to a 3-2 home defeat, and the Netherlands are now unbeaten in their last six meetings with the Three Lions – albeit four have been draws. The last time England won the fixture came back in 1996 when they registered a 4-1 win over the Netherlands at the European Championships, however they haven’t beaten them at home since 1982. England have conceded in all but one of the last nine meetings against the Netherlands, but will be hopeful of reversing that poor run on Tuesday night.

To score – Daniel Sturridge 11/8

It’s difficult to predict what side Roy Hodgson will go with on Tuesday, with all of the players who featured against Germany providing top performances. I expect Hodgson to start Sturridge, either alongside Harry Kane or as a loan striker. The Liverpool forward has five goals in 16 senior appearances for England and 26 in 50 caps for his country at all levels. His goal against Italy at the 2014 World Cup proved that he can score big goals under pressure, and I’m backing Sturridge to score at any time with odds of 11/8.

Both teams to score – Yes 20/21

It’s been the case in four of the last five meetings between the two sides, and with both teams showing strong attacking capabilities but also a weak defensive line in recent outings, more so the Netherlands, I’m expecting both sides to find the net on Tuesday, backing odds of 20/21.

Match odds – England 7/10

The home side are odds-on favourites to win the tie priced at 7/10, and I would recommend backing them to win after their recent performances against high-profile opposition. The Netherlands are priced at 21/5 to win the tie, however I can’t see Danny Blind’s side posing a serious threat to England’s superb home record. The draw is priced at 27/10, and I wouldn’t rule this result out completely.

Writer’s prediction: England 2 – 1 Netherlands

*Odds correct at the time of publication, click here for all the latest odds on upcoming football matches.