Netherlands vs Gibraltar

The Netherlands will be looking to get their ill-fated Euro 2024 qualifying Group B campaign underway when they take on Gibraltar at De Kuip.

Ronald Koeman’s second spell in charge of the Dutch national team couldn’t have started any worse as 2022 World Cup runners-up France thrashed them 4-0 in their opening Group B outing. Taking the road to encounter continental minnows Gibraltar seems like a prime opportunity for Koeman’s men to return to winning ways after beating this micro country 6-0 and 7-0, respectively, in 2022 World Cup qualifying. Before departing for Qatar to take place in the World Cup, the hosts were flawless at home, going unbeaten in nine consecutive home matches, including friendlies (W7, D2). It’s worth noting that five of those seven victories yielded multi-goal margins, suggesting the Netherlands could bounce back with an emphatic win. Nothing less would do for Koeman, who blasted his players in the post-France interview.

In the meantime, avoiding another humiliation is perhaps the only realistic goal for Gibraltar, who succumbed to a 3-0 home defeat to Greece at the start of their third European Championship qualifying campaign. The visitors have encountered no luck in their Euro qualifiers thus far, losing all 19 by an aggregate score of 90-5. Gibraltar’s abysmal average of 4.73 goals conceded per Euro qualifier should douse any ember of optimism ahead of their trip to face off against the world’s sixth-ranked nation. Adding to this sentiment, ‘Los Llanis’ have lost their last seven away internationals by an aggregate score of 33-3, conceding at least three goals on each occasion. But after completing the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign without scoring on foreign soil (L4), getting on the scoresheet could be a standout achievement for Julio Cesar Ribas’ side.