Netherlands vs Argentina Prediction in the Top 8 of the 2022 World Cup
The match between the Netherlands and Argentina in the last eight will be a duel between the two favorite teams to win the 2022 World Cup. Competing at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on Saturday WIB, 10 December 2022, De Oranje and La Albiceleste will fight for a place in the semifinals.
Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk stated that his team-mates will be careful against Argentina. "They are a fantastic team with fantastic players and we have to deal with them well in all parts of the game," van Dijk said as quoted by Reuters.
After failing three times in the previous three World Cup finals, the Netherlands was eager to make a breakthrough by becoming the 10th country to win the World Cup. "There is hunger, dream and desire that we really want to win the World Cup," said van Dijk.
Coach Louis van Gaal, who is an expert at designing effective tactics in football, has prepared a strategy to stop Argentina, which has only won twice in the previous nine meetings. This strategy includes steps on how to immobilize Lionel Messi, who is the key to Argentina's game, which is hunting for the World Cup trophy before ending its world football career.
In addition to carrying the hopes of his nation, Messi also carries his own burden to match the achievements of Diego Maradona who won everything including the World Cup which until this moment Messi could not reach. Now, he is again facing van Gaal who is trying to exact revenge for defeats in the 1978 World Cup final and the 2014 World Cup semifinals.
Louis van Gaal continues to adopt a more defensive strategy compared to the Dutch attacking football culture. Even so, by installing three centre-backs, van Gaal made the Dutch goal safer than the Argentinian goal. During the 2022 World Cup, the Netherlands have only conceded twice, while Argentina have conceded three times.
Player lineup predictions
Netherlands (3-4-1-2):Andries Noppert; Jurrien Timber, Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Ake; Denzel Dumfries, Frenkie de Jong, Marten de Roon, Daley Blind; Davy Klaassen; Cody Gakpo, Memphis Depay
Argentina (4-3-3): Emiliano Martinez; Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Acuna; Enzo Fernandez, Rodrigo de Paul, Alexis Mac Allister; Angel di Maria, Lionel Messi, Julian Alvarez
Predictions
The Netherlands vs Argentina duel might end in a draw in normal time. The consistency of the Dutch defensive strategy and the aggressiveness of Argentina will be decisive. It is not impossible that the match can be resolved via penalty kicks to repeat the results of the 2014 World Cup.
