Who: Netherlands vs Ecuador, Group AWhere: Khalifa Worldwide StadiumWhen: Friday, November 25, 7pm (16:00 GMT)
The Netherlands Oranje workforce – a mixture of veterans like Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk and children like ahead Cody Gakpo, assembled by teaching legend Louis van Gaal – are searching for to reannounce themselves as a pressure to reckon with after lacking the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
“For my part, the workforce we now have is a superb mixture of expertise and expertise, and the workforce spirit is unimaginable,” van Dijk stated in a GQ interview simply earlier than the match started. “We don’t have superstars and in some ways in which may assist, however up to now we now have been actually having fun with enjoying with one another as a workforce, as a gaggle.”
“I feel everybody inside the camp and inside the group and the supervisor, is assured,” the Oranje captain added.
Two late objectives by Cody Gakpo and Davy Klaassen in opposition to Senegal within the first recreation on November 21 helped put their mission on an excellent path.
The workforce will likely be hoping to make use of their harmful counterattacking fashion to inflict extra ache of their second recreation in opposition to Ecuador, who’re buoyed by their 2-0 defeat of hosts Qatar.
The sport kicks off at Khalifa Worldwide Stadium at 7pm.
Each groups go into their second match realizing {that a} win would consolidate their positions forward of any last match-day blues.
Ecuador followers rejoice exterior Al Bayt stadium after the defeat of Qatar | FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera]
Barcelona attacker on the Dutch facet, Memphis Depay, whose runs peppered the Senegalese defence within the second half of the primary match, got here on from the bench having not performed since mid-September due to a hamstring damage.
He’s anticipated to play this second recreation from the beginning and spearhead the search to get an excellent consequence going as early as attainable, reasonably than depart it late as was the case with Senegal.
Gakpo, one of many hottest prospects in world soccer, could possibly be simply as harmful as he continues with what pundits are calling an audition for Europe’s largest membership sides.
However Ecuador Supervisor Gustavo Julio Alfaro will likely be banking on two-goal hero Enner Valencia to assist the South American workforce try to drag off a 3rd key upset in Qatar – after Japan’s defeat of Germany and Saudi Arabia’s humiliation of Argentina.
World Cup 2022: Netherlands vs Ecuador match preview
