Nations League | Quarter-Finals | 1st Leg

Mar 20, 2025 at 7.45pm UK

Stadion Feijenoord

Netherlands vs Spain

Match preview

After being knocked out of Euro 2024 by England in the semi-finals last summer, the Netherlands took nine points from six games (W2 D3 L1) in the second half of last year to finish second in Nations League Group 3.

Ronald Koeman's side suffered their only defeat away to group winners Germany (1-0) in mid-October, before finishing the group with a comfortable 4-0 home win over Hungary and a 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina in November.

Since the inception of the Nations League in 2018, the Netherlands have come close to winning the tournament twice, finishing runners-up to champions Portugal in 2019 before losing out to Italy in the third-place play-off in 2023.

Koeman will be tasked with tightening up a Dutch defence that kept just one clean sheet in the group stage and conceded seven goals, the most ever at this stage of the Nations League.

However, the Netherlands have conceded just three goals in five meetings with Spain (W3 D1 L1) and will be relishing Thursday's return to home soil, where they are unbeaten in seven matches in all competitions by an impressive aggregate score of 24-4, with five of those games involving at least four goals.

Although France are ranked one place higher than Spain in the latest FIFA World Ranking, it is fair to say that La Roja are currently the best team in Europe, having won both the Nations League and the European Championship, the latter for an unprecedented fourth time last summer.

Luis de la Fuente has a record of 23 wins, three draws and just two defeats since taking over in December 2022, and has won 14 and drawn one of his last 15 internationals (including friendlies) in all competitions since a narrow 1-0 home defeat to Colombia in March 2024.

After beating England in the final of Euro 2024, Spain collected 16 out of a possible 18 Nations League points from six games in Group 4 of League A in the second half of last year to finish top of the standings, eight points clear of second-placed Denmark.

La Roja are now looking to extend their Nations League winning streak to six games, but on Thursday they face a Netherlands side they have not beaten over the full 90 minutes since February 1983, when they won a Euro qualifier 1-0 in Seville.

Recent Performance

Netherlands Nations League form:WDDLWD

Spain Nations League form:DWWWWW

Team News

Dutch duo Denzel Dumfries and Jerdy Schouten have both been ruled out of Koeman's squad through injury. Nathan Ake, Stefan de Vrij and Devyne Rensch are also absent, while Micky van de Ven - who has been struggling with fitness issues - Joshua Zirkzee, Wout Weghorst, Marten de Roon and Quinten Timber have all been left out.

Uncapped Ajax defender Youri Baas and midfielder Mats Wieffer have replaced Dumfries and Schouten, while Frenkie de Jong is also in Koeman's squad but is a doubt after missing Barcelona's 4-2 La Liga win over Atletico Madrid last weekend through illness.

While Virgil van Dijk's future at Liverpool is uncertain, the 33-year-old is expected to captain the Oranje at centre-back, while Jurrien Timber, Ryan Gravenberch, Tijjani Reijnders, Cody Gakpo and Justin Kluivert will all be hoping to force their way into the first-team.

For Spain, Inigo Martinez, Marc Casado and Bryan Zaragoza have all been ruled out of De la Fuente's squad through injury, while uncapped Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen and Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Aleix Garcia have been called up.

Real Madrid centre-back Raul Asencio has received his first call-up and is in contention to make his debut alongside Huijsen, although Pau Cubarsi and Robin Le Normand are both expected to start at centre-back.

At just 17, Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal is set to earn his 18th Spain cap on the right wing and could be joined in a three-pronged attack by captain Alvaro Morata and Nico Williams.

Possible starting lineup

Netherlands possible starting lineup:

Verbruggen; Frimpong, De Ligt, Van Dijk, J. Timber; Gravenberch, De Jong, Reijnders; Simons, Brobbey, Gakpo

Spain possible starting lineup:

Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Le Normand, Cucurella; Ruiz, Zubimendi, Pedri; Yamal, Morata, N. Williams