Preview: Netherlands vs. Croatia – Team news and prediction

The seasons are coming to an end around Europe, but before the players can go on a well-deserved summer break, there are some international matches to be played. The UEFA Nations League will be decided on Sunday evening, and in the first semi-final, the Netherlands and Croatia will meet in Rotterdam for a direct spot in the final.
Holland has been completely dominant in the group stage, with only Poland managing to secure a draw, while Belgium and Wales were defeated in both matches. Croatia finished 1 point ahead of Denmark, while France and Austria quickly played their roles in the group.

The two teams have not faced each other since 2008 in a friendly match where Netherland emerged victorious. So, these are not two teams accustomed to facing each other regularly. However, it is expected to be an entertaining match as Netherland is known for playing an attacking style of football, while Croatia also needs to showcase to their fans that they are determined to reach the final and have a chance to win a trophy.

Netherlands Nations League form:
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Netherlands form in all competitions: 
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Croatia’s Nations League form:
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Croatia’s form in all competitions: 
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Last year's winner of the Nations League was France, as they defeated Spain in the final. Spain can replicate last year's final when they face Italy tomorrow in the second semi-final.

Team news:
Ryan Gravenberch, Steven Berghuis, Stefan de Vrij, and Jeremie Frimpong are all sidelined with injuries, and unfortunately, Holland's key player Memphis Depay also had to withdraw from the match as he hasn't recovered from his injury in time. As a result, it is expected that Liverpool's Cody Gakpo will play in the forward positions, while the highly talented Xavi Simons will take up a wing position. Daley Blind and Tijjani Reijnders have both been left out of the squad for the match, so they will be watching from the stands.

Netherlands expected line-up: 
Bijlow; Dumfries, De Ligt, Van Dijk, Ake; De Roon, De Jong, Wijnaldum; Bergwijn, Gakpo, Simons

Croatia's defensive conductor and great talent, Josko Gvardiol, is out with an injury and has already gone on summer vacation. Additionally, they are missing striker Marko Livaja, who had to leave training, which means Kramaric will start as the number 9. Ivan Perisic needs one goal to become Croatia's second highest scorer in history, so it is expected that he will start as the left winger.

Croatia’s expected line-up: 
Livakovic; Juranovic, Sutalo, Erlic, Sosa; Kovacic, Brozovic, Modric; Pasalic, Kramaric, Perisic

Player profiles:
Luka Modric will be playing his 165th match for Croatia tonight, and when you talk about Croatia, you talk about Luka Modric. He is the standout player, even at the age of 37, and he remains the conductor of the team. Modric is the player who will dictate tonight's game for Croatia if they want to reach the final, and his immense experience with semi-finals and finals can prove crucial in today's match. He knows when to set the tempo and when to pull back, which can be decisive.

Cody Gakpo has found his rhythm at Liverpool and has developed in the number 9 position, which he has recently been playing in England. With Depay out, it is likely that Gakpo will be the one to score the goals, and we know that Netherland creates many scoring opportunities. Therefore, we believe that Gakpo will be decisive and score one or two goals.

Prediction: 
Both teams have experience, and we believe it will be a close match. However, we expect an entertaining game with goals. Netherland has the advantage of playing at home, and considering their campaign in the Nations League so far, if they can set a tempo that disrupts Croatia's structure, we believe they have that slight edge in quality that will lead them to victory.

Therefore, we predict Holland to win the match to odds 1.95