The tacticians of the total game. A team chasing perfection through structure and flair.
Head Coach: Ronald Koeman
Typical Formation: 4-3-3 or 3-4-1-2
Post-Koeman 2.0 has brought back the echoes of Dutch fluidity with a pragmatic spine. The Oranje are no longer just about beauty — they’re about business. With Virgil van Dijk marshaling from the back and Frenkie de Jong conducting in midfield, this Dutch side knows how to suffocate lesser opponents with the ball and slice them open without it.
It’s not all historical romance either — players like Gakpo, Simons, and Frimpong represent the next wave, fearless and fast. This squad has balance, bite, and enough creative venom to dismantle teams in waves.
Key Players:
Strengths: Ball retention, midfield orchestration, set-piece threat, and relentless width. The Netherlands can dictate pace, shape, and style — especially at home.
Weaknesses: Occasionally guilty of overplaying. If the early breakthrough doesn’t come, anxiety creeps in. Defensive lapses on the counter can catch them flat if too many push forward.
The proud survivors. Structured, spirited, and quietly ambitious.
Head Coach: Michele Marcolini
Typical Formation: 5-4-1 or 4-1-4-1
Malta arrive knowing the scoreboard may not flatter them, but the performance can still earn respect. They’ve traded hopelessness for hardiness, with a system built on frustration and last-man tackles. They won’t chase shadows — they’ll park under them, challenge in the margins, and aim to leave their mark with pride intact.
Teddy Teuma remains the creative beacon, while Joseph Mbong offers pace when the rare chance to counter emerges. They play deep, disciplined, and with a clarity of purpose: absorb, delay, survive.
Key Players:
Strengths: Low-block defending, compact shape, set-piece discipline. Malta excels in making games ugly and frustrating for as long as possible.
Weaknesses: Lack of possession, limited creativity, vulnerable to pace and overloads. Once behind, they rarely recover. In case you’re planning to place a bet today, make sure you’ve activated the latest 1xbet promo code — it’s free and takes seconds.
This isn’t about if, it’s about how many. The Netherlands are likely to dominate every metric — possession, chances, tempo — but the question lies in their ruthlessness. Will they turn control into a statement or settle for efficiency?
Malta, on the other hand, will aim for damage limitation and moments of resistance. Their best hope lies in keeping the scoreline respectable and gaining rhythm ahead of more winnable ties.Expec t a flurry of Dutch chances, standout moments from the new generation, and a few Malta saves that delay the inevitable. But the Oranje machine will roll on. Predicted Score: Netherlands 4–0 Malta
The Netherlands are expected to control this match from start to finish with superior quality, tactical discipline, and home support. Malta rarely threatens away from home and will likely sit deep to limit damage.
Total score Under 4.5
Handicap -2.5 for Netherlands
Both teams to score - No offers strong value.
For added safety, Asian Handicap -2.75 Netherlands looks solid.
Place a bet on the line of 1xBet with odds of 1.01 for a Netherlands win.
