The 2022 FIFA World Cup is just getting started. Ahead is the second matchday, and one of the most exciting matchups will be the meeting between the teams of Senegal and the Netherlands. These are the main favorites of their group, and as they say, the match of the first round will be for the first place in their quartet.
Pre-Match Breakdown
The teams meet in the 1st round of their group, which also includes the host nation Qatar and Ecuador. They have already played their first head-to-head match, and victory went to the South American side. Currently, Ecuador leads the group with 3 points, while all other teams have zero. Obviously, this doesn’t mean much yet, and it’s highly likely that everything will be decided in the direct encounters.
Senegal
Long-time fans should remember the stir that the Senegal national team caused at their debut World Cup in 2002. This unassuming team, which few expected much from, advanced to the knockout stage, and not just that—they defeated the reigning champions, France. They only exited in the quarterfinals, losing to Turkey (0:1).
When it comes to potential upsets and major victories, Senegal has shown it before. And now, the team is in good form and is considered one of the favorites in the group. Still, the odds suggest they’re projected for 2nd or 3rd place.
Odds for Senegal’s win over the Netherlands are 6.5.
The Senegal national team has won 5 of their last 6 matches. Sure, they didn’t face many tough opponents, but it’s still a solid achievement—like their penalty shootout victory over Egypt, which secured their spot in the World Cup.
Netherlands
The Netherlands national team has traditionally been seen as a contender for World Cup medals, regardless of the year. However, the team has disappointed over the last 8 years. It’s telling that they failed to qualify for the World Cup in Russia, which was a massive setback. But to be fair, the squad is renewing itself with a focus on youth, and now the Netherlands is objectively in its best form in the last decade.
Odds for the Netherlands’ win are 1.58.
Among their recent achievements, van Gaal’s squad successfully advanced to the knockout stage of the Nations League from a tough group—though no group there is easy. Plus, in World Cup qualifying, they topped their group, finishing 2 points ahead of Turkey. This just confirms that the Dutch are on a roll!
Another confirmation comes from the stats: The team hasn’t lost in 13 straight matches, with 10 of those ending in victories. That’s the rejuvenated Netherlands for you.
Match Prediction
A win for the Netherlands seems almost certain, but the odds are quite modest, so let’s look for other interesting options. The first thing that stands out is the «Both Teams to Score» bet. Despite all the praise, the Netherlands is a team that plays boldly and openly, which often leads to plenty of goals scored and a few conceded. So, we’ll go with that bet for now.
Prediction: Both teams to score with odds of 2.15.
