After two high-scoring contests in September, the Netherlands have a lot to live up to entertainment-wise when they head to Budapest for Friday's UEFA Nations League clash with Hungary.
Oranje occupy second place in League A Group 3 after the first round, while their winless visitors sit dead last after taking just one point from their opening two contests.
Match preview
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Ollie Watkins may still haunt the dreams of Ronald Koeman and co, but the Netherlands responded in the best possible way to their crushing Euro 2024 semi-final exit to England, hitting five past a hapless Bosnia-Herzegovina in their opening Nations League game of 2024-25.
A heavyweight battle with Germany followed, where Tiijani Reijnders's second-minute opener preceded strikes from Deniz Undav and Joshua Kimmich, but Denzel Dumfries saved the Netherlands' bacon in an engrossing 2-2 stalemate.
While the Netherlands and Germany are locked together on overall and head-to-head points, Oranje's inferior goal difference means that they are currently settling for second place in Group 3, although that would still be enough for quarter-final qualification.
Beaten semi-finalists in the 2022-23 edition after finishing as runners-up to Portugal in the inaugural 2018-19 competition, the Netherlands are long overdue another slice of international success, having now gone 36 years since their first and only major tournament triumph at Euro 1988.
A stellar Nations League away record will stand the Dutch in good stead this week, as after failing to win any of their first five tournament games on the road, they have prevailed in each of their last four, scoring multiple goals each time.
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Formerly occupants of League C during the maiden edition of the Nations League, Hungary are now embarking on their second consecutive campaign of top-flight football after managing to retain their League A status in the 2022-23 edition.
That standout showing came in the wake of an applaudable Euro 2020 campaign, where the Magyars held their own in the 'Group of Death', but defeats to Germany and Switzerland meant that their 2024 run was just as short-lived despite a last-gasp win over Scotland.
After scoring just twice in their three Euro 2024 fixtures, Hungary are yet to find their shooting boots in the Nations League either, firstly being demolished 5-0 by Germany in September's opener before only managing a goalless draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina on matchday two.
As the Bosnians actually managed to find the back of the net last month, Hungary are currently propping up the League A Group 3 standings in last place, which would mean an automatic demotion back down to tier two for the next cycle.
However, Marco Rossi's men have strung together a fabulous sequence of home results - nine wins and two draws from their last 11 games - a crumb of comfort as they prepare to meet a side who they lost 8-1 to during their last meeting in a 2013 World Cup qualifier.
Team News
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A good chunk of players involved in last month's fixtures are unavailable for the Netherlands this time around, including Arsenal and Manchester City defenders Jurrien Timber and Nathan Ake, while Juventus' Teun Koopmeiners withdrew after the squad was named.
During Monday's press conference, Koeman insisted that Liverpool rock Virgil van Dijk and Tottenham Hotspur speed demon Micky van de Ven are more than capable of starting together, but he has just not had the opportunity to pair them up yet.
However, that central duo could finally make an appearance on Friday, with Manchester United's Matthijs de Ligt potentially making way after a couple of error-strewn showings for the Red Devils.
Meanwhile, Hungary boss Rossi has summoned another collection of recognisable names for October's matches, but RB Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi is not among them, as the 34-year-old personally decided not to represent his country this time around.
Gulacsi's absence has led to a call-up for uncapped Blackburn Rovers shot-stopper Balazs Toth, but Ferencvaros' Denes Dibusz will no doubt don the gloves on Friday, where captain Dominik Szoboszlai will square up to some of his Liverpool teammates.
Toth is one of two Championship-based players hoping to make their senior Hungary debuts on Friday; 23-year-old Plymouth Argyle defender Kornel Szucs is the other.
Hungary possible starting lineup:
Dibusz; Botka, Dardai, Orban; Bolla, A. Nagy, Schafer, Kerkez; Sallai, Szoboszlai; Varga
Netherlands possible starting lineup:
Verbruggen; Dumfries, Van Dijk, Van de Ven, Hato; Gravenberch, Reijnders; Malen, Simons, Gakpo; Zirkzee
We say: Hungary 0-2 Netherlands
As Hungary have not posed much of a threat up front for a few months, Netherlands should not be put under the cosh too much in Budapest, especially with Van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch surely knowing better than anybody else how to nullify Szoboszlai.
Koeman's squad is not as strong as it could be at the minute, but we can still picture Oranje running out comfortable winners before next week's mammoth encounter with Germany.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
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