Netherlands vs Peru 07/09/18

07 September 2018

At the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam, the Netherlands will host Peru as part of their preparation ahead of the upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers.

After missing out on both, the 2016 UEFA European Championship and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the Oranje are desperately trying to return to the big international scene, although it seems that the quality of the national team is far from one of some previous generations. The Dutch national team is going through radical changes, with numerous new players replacing the ones that were the backbone of the team for so many years. The rejuvenated Ronald Koeman’s side played out two straight draws, with Italy and Slovakia, following an astonishing 3-0 triumph over the current European holders Portugal, offering a glimmer of hope to the home fans.

Meanwhile, the South Americans, who have made their way to Russia, failed to advance to the knockout stage, finishing third in Group C behind France and Denmark, with a record of one win and two defeats. Before taking part in the World Cup, La Blanquirroja played out a scoreless 0-0 draw with Sweden, which ended their four-game winning streak, as they previously outscored Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Iceland, and Croatia. Ricardo Gareca’s team’s main force is their tenacious defending, as they only allowed three goals in the last nine games, with the two of them came in the World Cup group stage.

Among many youngsters, that include the likes of Matthijs de Ligt, Donny van de Beek, and Frenkie de Jong of Ajax, Koeman called up veteran Wesley Sniejder, who might be playing his last minutes with the national team. As for the visitors, Gareca will have all of the players that featured in the World Cup at his disposal.