Women’s World Cup Quarterfinals: Netherlands vs Spain

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup quarterfinals kick off on Friday, with a seismic clash between Spain and the Netherlands. Spain are one of the favourites to win the Women’s World Cup now that the United States are out of the competition. Can the Dutch upset a Spanish team they have failed to defeat in their last three encounters?

Embed from Getty Images

Spain vs Netherlands; Quarterfinal Preview

The Netherlands are heavy underdogs going into the quarterfinals against Spain. The underdog tag shouldn’t upset manager Andries Jonker. The Dutch were underdogs against the Americans in the group stage and pulled off a 1-1 draw.

Now, the Dutch are aiming to defeat the flavour of the month, Spain. La Roja are led by reigning Ballon d’Or Feminin winner Alexia Putellas. Spain were one of the bookmakers’ favourites ahead of the tournament and back-to-back wins to start the group stage strengthened their favourites’ tag.

The Spanish suffered a setback against Japan on matchday No 3 of the group stage, losing 4-0, but they rebounded for a 5-1 win over Switzerland in the round of 16.

The Netherlands are flying under the radar in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Bookmakers have the Netherlands at odds of 13.00 to win the World Cup outright. Spain, on the other hand, are at odds of 4.50 to win the tournament. Despite their impressive Women’s World Cup, Jonkers and company aren’t getting any respect from the bookmakers.

Flying under the radar could play into the team’s hands. The Netherlands finished as runner-up in 2019, losing the final to the Americans 2-0. The 2019 Women’s World Cup defeat came just two years after winning the Women’s European Championship.

Dutch midfielder Jill Roord is second in the Women’s World Cup in goalscoring chart, with four. She is battling for the top scorer award and is currently one goal behind Japan’s Hinata Miyazawa. Roord is at odds of 5.00 to score anytime against Spain. She is 11.00 to finish the tournament as the leading goalscorer.

Spain vs Netherlands: Head-to-Head

Spain and the Netherlands have met three times since 2018. La Roja won all three matches and didn’t concede a goal. The teams have never met in a World Cup or European Championship. The three previous meetings were in international friendlies and the Algarve Cup.

Spain outscored the Netherlands 5-0 across 270 minutes of football. Playing a World Cup quarterfinal match will be far different from the teams’ previous meetings. The stakes are much higher than in any previous match between Spain and the Netherlands.

Match	Date	Competition
Spain 2-0 Netherlands	January 20, 2018	Friendly
Spain 2-0 Netherlands	February 27, 2019	Algarve Cup
Spain 1-0 Netherlands	April 9, 2021	Friendly

 

Spain vs Netherlands: Betting Odds

The Dutch are the underdogs going into the quarterfinal clash. They must defeat Spain for the first time in four attempts to reach the semifinals of the tournament. A win for either team would set up a semifinal match against Japan or Sweden.

Bookmakers’ odds on a Netherlands win at full-time are at 4.10. The Dutch have not lost a game in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. A 1-0 nervy win over Portugal was followed by a 1-1 draw with the United States. The Dutch ended the group stage by smashing Vietnam 7-0. The Dutch then eased to a 2-0 victory over South Africa. The Oranje have never trailed at the Women’s World Cup.

Spain are at odds of 1.87 to claim a fourth straight win over the Netherlands. Jorge Vilda’s team has put their off-pitch issues aside and are thriving in the tournament. However, their 4-0 loss to Japan shouldn’t be ignored.

Spain’s road to the quarterfinals has been relatively easy. Japan were the strongest team Spain played, which led to a demoralising 4-0 defeat. Bookmakers’ odds on a draw at full-time are at 3.50.

Although both Spain and the Netherlands have seen some high-scoring games in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the tournament’s matches have only averaged 2.56 goals per game after 55 matches played. Bookmakers’ odds on over 2.5 goals are 2.15, while under 2.5 goals odds are at 1.66.

The Netherlands are at odds of 2.75 to qualify for the next round, meaning they could win in regular time, extra time, or on penalties. Two of the eight round-of-16 matches went to extra time and penalties. The Women’s World Cup is getting more competitive, with the top teams fighting for a place in the final. Friday’s match could be a close, cagey affair.

Spain vs Netherlands: Prediction

Spain are favoured to go through to the semifinals of the tournament, but the Dutch are flying under the radar, which could lead to a major upset at the Women’s World Cup. This year’s tournament has seen the world’s developing football nations close the gap to the established national teams.

The United States have already gone home, having lost to Sweden in the round of 16. There should be another major upset on Friday, as the Netherlands defeat Spain in a close match.

Spain failed against one of the world’s top teams (Japan) in the group stage. The Dutch should stand up to the Spanish and pick up a win. The Oranje may need extra time and penalties to progress. But this is a Netherlands team that won the UEFA European Championship in 2017 and reached the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup final.

Spain are the flavour of the month and have never progressed this far in the World Cup before. The Dutch should pull off a win. A bet on the Netherlands to qualify may be the ideal wager ahead of the match.

Only 8️⃣ remain!

Who will lift the 🏆?#BeyondGreatness | #FIFAWWC pic.twitter.com/hvhyVO2DnM

— FIFA Women’s World Cup (@FIFAWWC) August 8, 2023