Netherlands-Scotland
28.03 20:45
The International week returns this weekend and football tipsters will be taking a little break from the domestic leagues around Europe. Scotland will be travelling to Amsterdam Arena this Saturday to face Holland for the qualifications to World Cup 2010 in South Africa.
Scotland has a difficult task ahead of them as they play the Group 9 leaders. They will be hoping to take any points off Holland to secure their position as 2nd in the group.
Scotland coach Criag Burley has a big headache in front of him before the game against Holland. He will have to travel to Amsterdam without his four of his most experienced players in the squad. Glasgow Rangers defenders David Weir and Kirk Broadfoot have withdrawn from the squad while Derby County’s Kris Common is still out with a calf injury. Spurs’ Alan Hutton will also not feature against Holland.
There could be more bad news for Scotland as Berry Ferguson has a chest injury and Stephen McManus is still struggling to be fit for Saturday. Burley has drafted Glasgow Rangers full back Steven Whittaker and there might be one or two inclusion to the squad depending the situation. Scotland has only won once in the group and that was against Iceland at home. They have also lost to Macedonia away and drew with Norway at home.
Burley knows that his players will have to be rock solid in defence and well prepared tactically against Holland in order to pick up any points. He will be asking Allan McGregor to step into Scotland’s number one shirt in goal replacing Craig Gorden who was not featured in 1st team football for months. Burley hopes this decision can help Scotland to maintain the 2nd spot which will give a playoff spot and a potential one way ticket to South Africa.
Holland could already book their one way ticket to South Africa if they were to beat Scotland on Saturday. They are the current group leaders playing 3 games and won all 3. They have already seen off Iceland at home, beating Macedonia and Norway away. They will probably be happy extend their excellent form by defeating the tartan army in front of the orange wave of fans.
Former Rangers and current Dutch manager Dick Advocaat has only one injury to contemplate with and that is John Heitinga who is nursing a thigh injury. Otherwise, Advocaat has a healthy squad with a striking force of Van Persie and Huntelaar available. There is no doubt that Advocaat will not fail to put out his strongest team available to him on the night.
Prediction: Last time these two teams met at Amsterdam in a competition was in a playoff for a place in the Euro 2004 in 2003. The Dutch trailed 1-0 in the 1st leg but they qualified to the Euro 2004 on the night winning by 6-0.
This result could haunt the Scottish team on Saturday, they are not in full strength and their goal keeper has not had competitive football for months. A repeat of the 2003 result cannot be overruled as the Dutch team is notorious for their offensive and passing football at home.
Boylesports is offering odds at 2.00 for total goals over 1.95, which seems well worth a punt.
Tip: Over 2.5 goals, Odds 1.9
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