FIFA World Cup 2022 hosts Qatar will look to bow out of the tournament in style when they host the Netherlands at Al Bayt Stadium on Tuesday for their final group game of the tournament.
Venue: Al Bayt Stadium (Al Khor)
Key Statistics
The Netherlands have lost just one of their last 25 internationals (W18, D6).
They have three clean sheets in their last five games.
The Netherlands have scored in each of their last 16 games.
Qatar conceded 2+ goals in each World Cup game this year.
Just one of Qatar’s last nine internationals produced a goalless first half.
World Cup trivia: Though legal now, swapping shirts was officially banned in 1986 by FIFA to stop players’ baring their chests’ on the pitch.
Head to head
This match will be the first meeting between both sides in history.
Latest performances in all competitions
Netherlands: D-W-W-W-W
Qatar: L-L-W-W-W
Netherlands
Group A favourites, the Netherlands, will look to make it to the knockout round of the FIFA World Cup for the eleventh time in history when they face Qatar on Tuesday.
The Oranje put one foot in the next round when they played out a 1-1 draw with Ecuador last time out. Having taken the lead with their only shot on target in the game through the in-form Cody Gakpo, Louis van Gaal’s side were pecked back by a second-half goal by Enner Valencia.
Van Gaal said after the game that his side must “improve a lot” after their unremarkable showing in the game. The coach also reminded his side that “the quality of the opponents we have yet to face is at a much higher level.” He will be hoping that his player responds with a better performance in this game.
The Netherlands only need a point against the already eliminated World Cup hosts Qatar to progress to the group stage, and that shouldn’t be too much to ask for a Dutch side that has lost just one of their last 25 internationals (W18, D6).
History is also on their side as they have never been eliminated at the World Cup group stage, not to mention that the Oranje finished second and third in their last two World Cup tournaments. So they’ll be eyeing up a victory which could see them seal the top spot and secure a last-16 clash against the runners-up of Group B.
Possible Netherlands starting line-up
Andries Noppert, Jurrien Timber, Virgil Van Dijk, Nathan Aké, Denzel Dumfries, Teun Koopmeiners, Frenkie De Jong, Daley Blind, Cody Gakpo, Memphis Depay, Steven Bergwijn.
Injured: Noa Lang
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Qatar
The hosts will look to avoid making another unwanted World Cup history when they take to the field on Tuesday.
It has been an abysmal showing from Qatar at this tournament, with a pair of group-stage defeats already cementing their place as the worst-performing host nation in the competition’s 92-year history.
Their last game was a 3-1 defeat to Senegal, which sealed their exit from the tournament at the group stage. Manager Félix Sánchez was upbeat in the game’s aftermath when stating that his side shouldn’t be branded a “failure and a disappointment.” However, the hosts could set another unwanted record as the first host nation to lose all of their games if they fail to win this game.
The signs of another defeat are already there as Qatar’s only win against UEFA teams came against the lowly Azerbaijan and Luxembourg. Given their inexperience against the bigger European teams, it’s hard to make a strong case that they’ll finish on a high by securing a big European scalp here.
Possible Qatar starting line-up
Meshaal Barsham, Ismaeel Mohammed, Pedro Miguel, Boualem Khoukhi, Abdelkarim Hassan, Homam Ahmed, Karim Boudiaf, Assim Madibo, Hasan Khalid Al-Haydos, Almoez Ali Abdulla, Akram Afif.
Injured: None
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Odds
| Netherlands to win | Draw | Qatar to win | |
| Odds | 1.20 | 7.00 | 15.00 |
| Probability (%) | 80 | 14 | 6 |
Prediction
Netherlands 2-0 Qatar
Live Stream
For details, FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022 – TV Broadcast / Live Stream
