The Netherlands and Belgium go head-to-head in the UEFA Nations League on Sunday, with both sides aiming to finish atop Group A4.
As we head into Matchday 5, the Netherlands find themselves first – three points clear of second-place Belgium.
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With Poland and Wales out of contention for a top-two berth, the Netherlands and Belgium will battle it out for the top spot on Sunday.
The Netherlands kicked off their Nations League campaign with a thumping 4-1 victory against Belgium, before dispatching Wales 2-1.
The Dutch were held to a 2-2 draw by Poland on Matchday 3. However, they returned to winning ways with a 3-2 victory over the Welsh.
On Thursday, the Netherlands beat Poland 2-0 – meaning they have yet to taste defeat in the Nations League this year.
Across all competitions, the Dutch have avoided defeat in each of their past 13 outings – picking up nine wins and four draws in the process.
As we know, Belgium suffered a 4-1 thrashing to the Netherlands on Matchday 1. However, they swiftly responded with a thrashing of their own – defeating Poland 6-1.
Following a 1-1 draw with Wales on Matchday 3, the Red Devils claimed another victory over Poland – winning 1-0 in Warsaw.
Belgium beat Wales 2-1 on Thursday, racking up 72% possession and 19 shots along the way. Consequently, they head into Matchday 6 on a four-game unbeaten streak.
When you look at the bigger picture, Roberto Martinez’s men have lost just one of their previous nine games in all competitions.
Head-to-head: It is worth noting that Belgium’s 4-1 victory over the Netherlands back in June was their first win against the Dutch in nine attempts.
Before their previous meeting, the Red Devils hadn’t beaten the Netherlands since 1998 – recording six draws and two losses across all competitions in that time.
Team news: With Hans Hateboer and Noa Lang absent from the Dutch squad, Denzel Dumfries and Devyne Rensch could make the starting XI on Sunday.
Belgium’s star-studded squad features Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Axel Witsel and Yannick Carrasco.
Given that both the Netherlands and Belgium boast tons of attacking firepower, Sunday’s clash is destined to be an eventful encounter.
With that in mind, Forebet predicts that the Netherlands and Belgium will play out a high-scoring draw – with both teams netting over 1.5 goals.