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Another intriguing match in Group C. Both teams are in different moods – the Dutch are group leaders after a minimal victory against the Serbs, along with the Argentineans, while the Africans and Serbians are yet to secure points.
Netherlands - Ivory Coast Location: Stuttgart, Gottlieb Daimler Stadium (54 thousand seats). Time: 19:00 (Lithuanian time)
Predictions: The favorites of the match are the Dutch, who have already shown their superiority in the first game against the Serbs, which they won 1-0. Furthermore, in this match, they can push the Argentineans into the next stage. If Argentina wins today and Ivory Coast loses to the Dutch, the Argentineans secure a place in the round of 16 in advance.
However, the Africans, who have not yet experienced the joy of victory, are definitely not willing to concede. Especially since they cannot afford to lose.
On the other hand, it will be extremely difficult to defeat the Dutch, who have a great defensive line. The Dutch have not lost in 13 consecutive official matches in any championship or qualification games. This is currently the longest streak in the world, and in the last ten matches, the team has not conceded a single goal. This is an all-time European record.
However, there is always a first time.
Head-to-head meetings: This will be the first meeting between these two teams.
Previous matches: Netherlands 1 - 0 Serbia and Montenegro In the first match, the Dutch defeated the Serbs after a tough battle, with Arjen Robben of London's Chelsea scoring the only goal of the match in the 18th minute.
"I am happy with how I played. I can play better. In the second half, it was just too hot. It felt like we were playing football in the Sahara desert," said A. Robben.
"It wasn't easy, but the most important thing is that we started with a win," said national team coach Marco van Basten.
Argentina 2 - 1 Ivory Coast The Africans, who do not have any players playing at home, lost their first match to Argentina 2-1. The consolation goal was scored by Didier Drogba of London's Chelsea, who will face his teammate A. Robben today. However, Drogba's goal was not significant to him. "So what? Football is not an individual sport, you win or lose as a team. We lost, and we will always remember that. We had many opportunities, but we didn't take advantage of them."
Injured players: Although Dutch defender Rafael van der Vaart has recovered from his injury, he will likely start the match from the bench. Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, who suffered a minor calf injury in the first match, should also be in the starting lineup.
The Ivory Coast does not have any injured players, but there should be some changes in their line-up. Probably, forward Aruna Dindane will start the match from the beginning, as he came on as a substitute in the match against the Argentineans and played effectively, followed by a pass from him to D. Drogba.
Opinions: Netherlands: Talking about the upcoming match, coach Marco van Basten states that the team is definitely not planning to focus all their attention on the African offensive leader D. Drogba. "We certainly do not have an 'anti-Drogba' plan. We know that he scores many goals, we know that he creates many opportunities, as he is an excellent and strong player," said the Dutch coach.
"We must watch him as a team. Although he has excellent attacking qualities, we cannot change everything just because of one player."
However, the coach acknowledges that playing will be a bit harder now because the team changed after the African Cup of Nations: "During the African Cup of Nations tournament, they made several changes to the team and slightly changed their system, so it is difficult to predict how they will play today.
"We will probably learn more when we see which players step onto the field. We only know one thing – they have really good players playing in top clubs in Spain or England. They are strong both individually and as a team. We know it will be very difficult for us," van Basten did not underestimate the opponents.
Ivory Coast: Meanwhile, Henri Michel holds a slightly different opinion and position, promising that his team will focus most of their attention on Ruud van Nistelrooy and Arjen Robben.
"We know his capabilities. If the ball is at his feet, he can always score. So we must make sure he does not get that ball," the coach said about van Nistelrooy.
Team defender Didier Zokora, speaking about the upcoming match, says, "we attack well, we have good forwards, we played a more attacking football in the first match. However, we must not forget that we also need to defend."
This is partially supported by striker Bakari Kone: "The most important thing is to learn from the mistakes in the first match. These are our most important matches. We need three points."
Possible starting lineups: Netherlands: Van der Sar; Heitinga, Ooijer, Mathijsen, Van Bronckhorst; Van Bommel, Sneijder, Cocu, Van Persie; Van Nistelrooy, Robben.
Ivory Coast: Tizie; Eboue, K. Toure, Boka, Meite; Zokora, Akale, Y. Toure, Dindane; Keita, Drogba.
