UEFA Nations League: Do or Die for Spain and Netherlands

Spain vs Netherlands

Spain and the Netherlands will renew hostilities this Sunday night for the second leg of their UEFA Nations League tie at the Mestalla Stadium, home of La Liga side Valencia. It’s back to square one for these two countries, as they shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw in the first leg at De Kuip yesterday.

The winner of this contest will meet the winner between Croatia and France in the next round. Croatia are poised to advance after shocking France with a 2-0 win last night at the Poljud Stadium. One can argue Spain or the Netherlands have a stronger team than Croatia.

​The pregame SBOTOP betting odds suggest that Spain will likely defeat the Netherlands, but Ronald Koeman’s squad won’t give in easily. Overall, this promises to be an entertaining clash between two of the most talented nations in Europe, so football fans are the true winners here, no matter the outcome.

 

Talking Points

Spain’s youth shines through

Nico Williams was one of the best players on the pitch in the first leg for Spain against the Netherlands. The 22-year-old Athletic Bilbao winger scored the first goal by converting Pedri’s assist after Jorrel Hato had lost possession deep inside his own half, and he remained a threat for the rest of the evening.

Barca youngsters Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi looked steady, though the latter left due to an ankle injury. Cubarsi’s replacement, Dean Huijsen, received his first cap and is poised to start for the first time after an encouraging cameo. Martin Zubimendi was a rock in the middle of the park, and he’ll link up with Pedri and Fabian Ruiz again.

Raul Asencio, Samu Aghehowa, and Mario Gila received call-ups this international break, and they only have one cap combined. Asencio and Gila are eager to represent Spain for the first time in their careers, but for now, they’ll listen and learn from the sidelines. Fellow youngsters Ferran Torres, Yeremy Pino, and Alex Baena didn’t play in the first leg but could help in the next one.

 

Lineup concerns for Netherlands

The Netherlands entered this international break already shorthanded, as Jurrien Timber and Ryan Gravenberch pulled out because they were unfit. The Oranje will miss one more key player in the second leg.

Jorrel Hato had a night to forget in the first leg. After losing the ball inside his own half, leading to Nico Williams’ goal, the Ajax left-back was sent off late due to a reckless challenge on Spain’s Robin Le Normand. With Hato serving his suspension, the Netherlands could use Ian Maatsen as Hato’s replacement.

Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo must be careful because they also received yellow cards in the first leg. The Oranje cannot afford to lose the Liverpool duo if they go deeper in the UEFA Nations League because they’re two of their most impactful players.

 

History

Spain and the Netherlands settled for a 2-2 draw in the first leg. Nico Williams gave La Roja an early lead but was erased by goals from the Oranje’s Cody Gakpo and Tijjani Reijnders. Mikel Merino’s late equaliser leveled it up for La Roja, giving them hope ahead of the next leg.

Sunday marks the 14th competitive meeting between these two sides. The Netherlands have a slight advantage in the overall head-to-heads with six victories, while Spain have four wins and three draws. The Oranje are unbeaten in their last four encounters against La Roja across all competitions since losing in the 2010 World Cup final (1-0). 

Spain are the reigning UEFA Nations League champions and are aiming for a repeat. The Netherlands were the runners-up in the inaugural edition in 2018-19.

 

Betting Tip

As mentioned, the UEFA Nations League 2025 odds favour La Roja to progress to the semi-finals, especially since they’ll play at home in the second leg. Spain are 1.63 favourites, whereas the Netherlands are 4.55 underdogs, and a draw after 90 minutes is at 3.72 in the 1X2 market.

Both sides can create new UEFA Nations League 2025 highlights, and we won’t be surprised if another late goal decides the outcome of this game. Besides our recommended bet, bettors can also go for options like Over 2.50 at 1.74, Over 2.75 at 1.98, and even Total Goals 4-6 at 3.00, with Total Goal 2-3 at 2.01 being the more conservative choice. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 2-2 – which will make the tie go to the penalty shootout – has a whopping 16.00 offer.

   

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