Netherlands v Uzbekistan Prediction: 8/5 Malen to inspire Oranje win

World Cup-bound Netherlands and Uzbekistan complete their preparations for the tournament with a friendly in New York on Monday.

Ronald Koeman's Oranje are in Group F alongside Japan, Sweden and Tunisia and are among the fancied contenders for glory in North America.

Uzbekistan, managed by Italian World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro, join Portugal, DR Congo and Colombia in Group K for their tournament debut.

This match is being played at Icahn Stadium on Randalls Island in Manhattan and will be behind closed doors at the 5,000 capacity arena.

Netherlands v Uzbekistan Tips Summary

Best Bet - Netherlands to win & Both teams to score - Yes @ 15/8
Alternative Bet - Donyell Malen anytime goalscorer @ 8/5
Bet Builder - Tijjani Reijnders to score or assist, Cody Gakpo 1+ shots on target, Over 2 goals & Over 8 corners @ 9/2

Netherlands v Uzbekistan Prediction

Best Bet: Netherlands to win & Both teams to score - Yes @ 15/8

The KNVB have put a semi-final target out for Koeman and his Dutch squad at the World Cup, a stage they have reached in two of the last four editions.

Injuries and lack of opportunities at club level have put a dampener on preparations and a tough group alongside Japan, Sweden and Tunisia means there is little room for error for the Oranje.

They were beaten 1-0 by Algeria on Wednesday despite out-ranking the African nation by 17-8 on shots and 6-2 with shots on target.

The Dutch had an xG figure of 2.19 in that contest. They scored 27 goals in their qualifying group, remaining unbeaten and are ranked seventh in the world.

They conceded just four goals in a qualifying group that contained Poland, Finland, Lithuania and Malta.

Uzbekistan had scored 15 goals in eight games prior to their 2-0 loss against World Cup co-hosts Canada in Edmonton last week.

They get on the scoresheet but the Dutch may have too many guns for them.

Alternative Bet: Donyell Malen anytime goalscorer @ 8/5

Former Aston Villa frontman Donyell Malen has thrived since moving to Serie A. He joined Roma in January, initially on loan, but has signed a permanent deal in the Italian capital after scoring 14 times in 18 league outings.

He finished the season with six goals and two assists in his last seven games, while he had four shots against Algeria and recorded an xG figure of 0.98.

Malen has scored 13 times for the national team and, with Memphis Depay still working towards full fitness, he should get a decent chunk of time here to add to his tally.

He could and probably should have done so against Algeria and may not be as profligate in front of goal here.

Netherlands v Uzbekistan Bet Builder Tip

• Tijjani Reijnders to score or assist

• Cody Gakpo 1+ shots on target

• Over 2 goals

• Over 8 corners

  Pays 9/2

Game time is a factor for some of this Dutch squad. The likes of Tijjani Reijnders and Nathan Ake were bit-part players at Manchester City, while Frenkie de Jong and Denzel Dumfries had interrupted seasons and Depay has had hamstring problems.

Reijnders got nearly 70 minutes under his belt in the loss against Algeria and the midfielder can build on that now. He has seven goals in his 31 caps and should be pulling the strings for Koeman's side here.

Cody Gakpo led the way for shots (4) and touches in the opposition box (9) against Algeria. The Liverpool winger is not afraid to take aim and at least one shot on target seems a likely outcome for him.

Over 2.5 goals has landed in seven of the Netherlands' last nine friendly games and may do so again here, while at least nine corners is also included.

That was the number in the Dutch defeat to Algeria, while their games against Ecuador and Norway both hit double figures.

Uzbekistan's loss to Canada featured 10 corners, while before that Cannavaro's side had taken 23 in games against Gabon and Venezuela in March.

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Key Match Stats

• Netherlands were unbeaten in World Cup qualifying, scoring 27 goals and conceding just four in eight games.

• They were beaten 1-0 by Algeria in a friendly last week and haven't lost successive games since 2023.

• Uzbekistan were unbeaten in six games prior to their 2-0 loss to Canada on Wednesday.

• The Oranje have kept just one clean sheet in their last five games.

• Five of Netherlands' last seven friendly games have featured over 2.5 goals.

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.