UEFA Nations League: High-Scoring Oranje Can Set Hungary on Fire

Hungary vs Netherlands

The Netherlands will take on Hungary at the Puskas Arena on Saturday as the UEFA Nations League commences its third matchday.

Ranked seventh in the world, the Flying Dutchmen are looking to break their deadlock with Germany at the top of League A (3), as both sides are tied on points with only a two-goal difference separating them.

The Netherlands destroyed Bosnia and Herzegovina in their opening match (5-2), with Joshua Zirkzee, Tijjani Reijnders, Cody Gakpo, Wout Weghorst and Xavi Simons doing the damage against their depleted foe.

An entertaining 2-2 draw against Germany followed, with Reijnders and Denzel Dumfries countering Deniz Undav and Joshua Kimmich’s goals.

And whilst Ronald Koeman’s Oranje are enjoying life so far, the same cannot be said for Hungary.

The Magyars are dead last in the group, conceding five goals and scoring none. Should Marco Rossi’s side fail to turn things around, then relegation surely awaits.

Talking Points

Hungary must help Szoboszlai

Undoubtedly their best player, Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai will need his teammates to step up if Hungary are to make a push in their extremely tough group.

The 23-year-old Liverpool midfielder was the squad’s only standout in their 5-0 defeat to Germany on Matchday 1 and was unlucky to hit the woodwork in their 0-0 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

With Szoboszlai playing well in his club matches, it’s safe to say that his form can carry on to the international stage, as he has already shown in the prior games.

However, their task will get a bit tougher on Saturday as Leipzig’s Peter Gulacsi will not be on the squad due to personal reasons.

Still, Szoboszlai will have Willi Orban, Roland Sallai, Kerkez Milos and Barnabas Varga to rely on.

Oranje will be fine without some of their notable players

The Netherlands have always been filled with footballing talents that can challenge for trophies year in and year out.

And this year’s competition is not an exception.

But according to Nations League 2024 updates, Ronald Koeman will have to travel to Budapest with some of his key men unable to join the trip.

Premier League defenders Jurrien Timber and Nathan Ake are set to miss the Hungary match, along with Teun Koopmeiners, as the trio are still recuperating from their respective injuries.

Timber suffered a muscle injury during Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, whilst Nathan Ake’s last appearance this season was the Netherlands’ draw against Germany, where the defender was stretchered off the pitch after suffering a hamstring injury.

Meanwhile, Koopmeiners won’t be back anytime soon, with the Juventus midfielder still unable to suit up after aggravating his rib injury against Cagliari last week.

Regardless of these absences, Koeman will still have a bunch of stars at his disposal that can carry them through against Hungary.

The Liverpool trio of Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo will all potentially start, with Xavi Simons, Micky van de Ven, Donyell Malen and Joshua Zirkzee all featuring in Koeman’s final squad as well.

History

It’s always been a high-scoring affair whenever the Netherlands face Hungary. The Oranje scored a total of 27 goals against the Magyars in their last five meetings, with their latest match finishing 8-1 in favour of the Dutch.

A World Cup qualifier domination, Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben, Rafael van der Vaart and Kevin Strootman all scored in the huge win.

The Netherlands also have a nine-match winning run against Hungary, with the last Magyar victory happening way back in 1984.

As of writing, the Netherlands have a 10W-2D-5L record versus Hungary.

Betting Tip

With their squad depth and quality, there are no doubts that the SBOTOP Nations League 2024 betting odds back the Netherlands (1.64) as the heavy favourites, whilst Hungary’s (4.54) low chances of winning suggest that this will once again be another setback for them.

For those looking to put money on a draw, the result is priced at 3.70.

An alternative bet of First Half Asian Handicap -0.50 for the Netherlands is also one that could yield good returns, with the Oranje being able to score early in both of their matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Germany.

At the same time, Koeman’s side have been unable to keep a clean sheet so far as they seem content with simply outscoring their opposition.

For this reason, betting on over 2.75 (1.94) or 3.00 (2.25) goals may look enticing to those looking for a match that’s filled with goals.

 

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