On Tuesday evening, Netherlands host Turkey in a crucial World Cup qualifier. The kick-off in Amsterdam is at 19.45.
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The Netherlands followed up their 1-1 draw in Norway with a comfortable 4-0 victory in Eindhoven against Montenegro on Saturday evening.
Louis van Gaal’s side still remains second in the group and one point behind Tuesday’s visitors Turkey, who drew 2-2 with Montenegro before comfortably defeating Gibraltar.
With only one point separating the two nations both will be eager to take the victory that will put them in control of the top spot. The Netherlands are looking for revenge after the reverse fixture finished 4-2 in Turkey.
Team News
Cody Gakpo and Nathan Ake are both out of the game after pulling out of the Netherlands squad. However, van Gaal does have Daley Blind back after he missed the Montenegro clash through suspension.
Van Gaal confirmed that Virgil van Dijk will come back into the starting line-up, probably in place of Matthijs de Ligt. Steven Bergwijn is most likely to replace Gakpo on the left-wing.
Possible Netherlands line-up: Bijlow, Dumfries, Blind, Van Dijk, De Vrij, Frenkie, Klaassen, Wijnaldum, Berghuis, Bergwijn, Memphis
Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kokcu could feature during the clash, along with former Sparta Rotterdam winger Halil Dervisoglu.
Turkey rested some players against Gibraltar at the weekend, but Burak Yilmaz should come back into the starting line-up.
Possible Turkey line-up: Bayindir; Celik, Ayhan, Demiral, Muldur; Under, Yazici, Yokuslu, Calhanoglu, Karaman; Yilmaz
Odds
Netherlands 3/10 Draw 9/2 Turkey 17/2
Previous Meetings
Netherlands and Turkey have met 13 times with Oranje winning five and losing four of those matches.
Turkey have won the last two meetings but you have to go back to 1958 to find the last time that the Turks won in the Netherlands.
Netherlands last win came in Turkey back in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.
Do or die for the Netherlands
This is by far the most crucial game of the group so far for the Netherlands and it is one they cannot afford to lose with Norway also breathing down their necks.
If the Netherlands can take the victory it puts them in a commanding position going into the last four qualifiers, which are all winnable on paper for Van Gaal’s side.
It is sure to be a nervy game with a lot at stake for both sides but hopefully, the Netherlands will rise to the occasion and take the victory. If Turkey wins, then it will be very difficult for the Netherlands to secure a place in Qatar next year.
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