UEFA Nations League

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Nations League | Quarter-Finals | 1st Leg

Mar 20, 2025 at 7.45pm UK

Stadion Feijenoord

Netherlands
vs.
Spain

Netherlands lineup vs. Spain: Predicted XI for Nations league quarter-final first-leg clash

By Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter

Published: March 18 2025 | 18:47

Three Liverpool starters, De Jong decision: Predicted Netherlands lineup vs. Spain

Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at how the Netherlands could line up for Thursday's UEFA Nations League quarter-final first-leg clash with Spain.

Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman has named his 24-man squad ahead of Thursday's UEFA Nations League quarter-final first-leg clash with Spain at De Kuip in Rotterdam.

Denzel Dumfries and Jerdy Schouten have both withdrawn from the squad due to injury and have since been replaced by uncapped Ajax defender Youri Baas and Brighton midfielder Mats Wieffer.

Nathan Ake, Stefan de Vrij and Devyne Rensch are also sidelined through injury, while the likes of Micky van de Ven - who has had his fair share of fitness issues - Joshua Zirkzee, Wout Weghorst, Marten de Roon and Quinten Timber have not been called up by Koeman.

While Bart Verbruggen is expected to start in goal, Virgil van Dijk is set to captain the Oranje at the heart of the defence, with Matthijs de Ligt, Jan Paul van Hecke and Jurrien Timber all battling to start alongside the Liverpool man at centre-back.

Timber is also an option to start at left-back along with Jorrel Hato, while Jeremie Frimpong is the most likely candidate to begin at right-back in the absence of Dumfries and Rensch.

Frenkie de Jong has been named in Koeman's squad, but he is a minor doubt after he missed Barcelona's 4-2 La Liga win over Atletico Madrid last weekend through illness.

Should De Jong be fit to start, he could be joined in centre-midfield by Ryan Gravenberch and Tijjani Reijnders, while Wieffer, Teun Koopmeiners and Kenneth Taylor are other midfield options at Koeman's disposal.

In attack, either Brian Brobbey or Memphis Depay could be tasked with leading the line as Cody Gakpo, Xavi Simons, Justin Kluivert, Donyell Malen and Noa Lang all compete for starts on the flanks.

Netherlands possible starting lineup: Verbruggen; Frimpong, De Ligt, Van Dijk, J. Timber; Gravenberch, De Jong, Reijnders; Simons, Brobbey, Gakpo

> Click here to see how Spain could line up for this contest