After opening their UEFA Nations League campaign with a solid 1-1 draw against Germany, the Netherlands will be full of confidence ahead of Sunday’s trip to Serbia.
The Dutch left it late in Amsterdam, equalising through Cody Gakpo in the 92nd minute, but that will have given them plenty of momentum and they will expect to take maximum points from this Belgrade battle.
Serbia v Netherlands Tips Summary
Best Bet - Netherlands to win & over 2.5 goals @ 5/6
Alternative Bet - Cody Gakpo anytime goalscorer @ 11/10
Bet Builder - Crysencio Summerville 1+ shots on target, Sasa Lukic to be booked, Micky van de Ven 1+ fouls committed @ 5/1
Serbia v Netherlands Prediction
Best Bet: Netherlands to win & over 2.5 goals @ 5/6
While Netherlands will still be glowing after a late equaliser against Jurgen Klopp’s Germany, Serbia find themselves at the opposite end of the spectrum.
The Eagles took a fourth-minute lead at home to Greece, the one team they really have any chance of beating in Nations League Group B, only to collapse late on, conceding in the 74th and 95th minutes to throw it all away.
That defeat extended a woeful run of form, with Serbia now having lost seven of their last 10 games, and it is hard to see them keeping Xavi’s visitors from taking all three points.
Netherlands have the firepower to put on a show, too. They scored 10 goals in three group-stage games at the World Cup and with the late equaliser against Germany still fresh in the mind, they should win big in Belgrade.
Alternative Bet: Cody Gakpo anytime goalscorer @ 11/10
Gakpo was the hero against Germany and despite constant criticism from fans, he continues to come up with important goals for both club and country.
Liverpool tried to replace him with Bradley Barcola over the summer, only for the Dutch forward to net an excellent equaliser in the opening-weekend fixture at Newcastle and bag another against Tottenham in the EFL Cup to force himself back into Andoni Iraola’s starting 11.
He is even more important for his national team as well.
Gakpo was the Oranje’s sole scorer in their round-of-32 defeat to Morocco at the World Cup and with his goal against Germany making it nine goals in his last 13 Netherlands appearances, he is the standout scorer pick in Serbia.
Serbia v Netherlands Bet Builder Tip
- Crysencio Summerville 1+ shots on target
- Sasa Lukic to be booked
- Micky van de Ven 1+ fouls committed
Pays 5/1
The bad news for Serbia - and especially makeshift left-back Filip Kostic - is that Gakpo is not the visitors’ only wide threat.
Crysencio Summerville showed with two goals at the World Cup that he is similarly dangerous and it would be a surprise if he failed to register a shot on target, having tested the opposing goalkeeper in six of his last seven games.
Xavi likes his teams to dominate possession and with the Netherlands midfield boasting quality options in Ryan Gravenberch and Tijjani Reminders, his side should have no issues doing so in Belgrade.
That will leave those in Serbia’s engine room hunting to win back possession. Sasa Lukic is good at that, but he can often overstep the mark in doing so, with 23 yellow cards in his last 61 Premier League appearances making him the primary candidate for a booking.
Andrija Zivkovic was Serbia’s goalscorer against Greece and will be the man the Eagles look to for inspiration again. The quick-footed winger can be a handful, so expect Micky van de Ven’s tricky start to the season to continue.
The Tottenham defender has not been at his best for a while and is likely to commit a foul for the second time in as many UEFA Nations League games.
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Key Match Stats
- Serbia have lost three straight games, conceding 10 goals
- Netherlands have lost only one of their last 21 matches within 90 minutes
- Over 2.5 goals has been a winning bet in Serbia’s last six games
- The same selection has landed in four of the Oranje’s last six matches
- The Eagles have lost three of their last five home fixtures
- Cody Gakpo has been directly involved in half (3G, 2A) of his nation’s last 10 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.
