Portugal – Netherlands Prediction & Picks (26.03.2018)

The Dutch national team will play a friendly match against Portugal on Monday-evening in Geneva. Is it against the European champion better than in the lost game against England?

Portugal:

Like the Netherlands, Portugal also practiced last Friday. The southern Europeans had already traveled to Switzerland before. In Zurich, World Cup participant Egypt was the opponent. For a long time, Portugal seemed to be playing a defeat. However, it was Cristiano Ronaldo who managed to prevent this. By two hits in the injury time he managed to reverse the odds (2-1). The counter of CR7 in the national team now stands at 81 hits. Ronaldo gave these two hits a sequel to his unimaginable scoring drive in 2018.

Now there follows a new game in Switzerland, against an opponent who still has a big name, but no longer a really strong team. The national coach of Portugal , Fernando Santos, also felt in the dark about Orange. “I do not know Dutch football well enough to understand what is going on, Santos said. ‘We are used to seeing them in the final stages of big tournaments. They are now in a transition phase. ” Compared with Friday’s game, changes to the setup are very well possible. Although we have to wait with which eleven Portugal will join.

Netherlands:

The people who hoped that Orange would make a fresh start under Ronald Koeman came home from a cold fair last Friday. In the match in Amsterdam against England, the Dutch team did not bother. Opportunities were not actually created, and the field game was extremely poor, resulting in a 0-1 defeat. Everyone was guilty afterwards. Koeman also spoke at the press conference that ‘things should improve’, and ‘those who do not hook up’ fall away. These are of course nice cries, but the question is whether the current selection can be much better. The last two tournaments were not missed for nothing, while the selection with the departure of Arjen Robben did not get any stronger.

Monday’s game offers Koeman the chance to see other players at work. Goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen gets a chance, after the starting place for Jeroen Zoet in the match against England, so the national coach already said. Georgino Wijnaldum, who was disappointed again in the orange shirt on Friday, will start. For the rest it is a matter of waiting. Koeman will not change much, since he does not have a lot of good quality players.