Either Austria or the Netherlands can guarantee a spot in the knockout rounds with a win when they meet on Thursday. Both teams won their opening match, distancing themselves from Ukraine and North Macedonia in Group C. Each team has a great chance of advancing at this point with 16 of the 24 teams in the Group Stage making it to the next round, but one of those teams can punch its ticket with a victory. The Netherlands are a sizable favorite since they are playing at home, and they are considered the cream of the crop in this group.
Don't miss a second of EURO 2020. This match will be held at the Amsterdam Arena in Amsterdam, the Netherlands at 3 p.m. ET. Catch every moment of the match live on ESPN.
UEFA EURO 2020 Odds at BookMaker.eu
Netherlands -172
Austria +523
Draw +315
Over/Under 2.5 and 3
Odds Analysis
The Dutch played the most exciting game of the tournament so far against Ukraine. After a scoreless first half, the Oranje finally broke through shortly after halftime when Georginio Wijnaldum pounced on a loose ball that Ukraine’s goalkeeper mishandled to move ahead 1-0. Wout Weghorst added a second goal to double the Dutch delight six minutes later, and it looked like they had three points secured.
However, Andriy Yarmolenko curled a shot from outside the box into the top corner to cut the lead in half in the 75th minute, and Roman Yaremchuk leveled the game with a header off a free kick four minutes later. It appeared that the Dutch would have to settle for a draw until Denzel Dumfries became the savior in the 85th minute.
Austria appeared likely to settle for a draw against North Macedonia too. Stefan Lainer opened the scoring for the favorites in the 18th minute, but Goran Pandev leveled for the underdogs 10 minutes later due to some poor ball handling in Austria’s back line. The game remained tied until the 78th minute when Michael Gregoritsch finished a David Alaba cross to give Austria the lead. Marko Arnautovic made sure there would be no draw in the 89th minute with a tally before the start of extra time.
Both of these teams demonstrated their flaws and their brilliance in their victories. The Dutch are not happy playing the formation that Frank de Boer has placed them in, and many were taking their shots at the beleaguered manager when the match was level. However, there is a wealth of attacking talent that is much stronger than any other team in the group.
Meanwhile, the Austrians were somewhat flippant with their chances and can’t waste opportunities. Their midfielders can deliver some beautiful crosses either on the fly or on set pieces, but their forwards have to finish against a team that can pour in the goals.
Matchup to Watch
Neither team seems particularly strong in the back line. Other than Alaba, there is no one to really rely on for Austria. The Netherlands are in a bit of a pickle too. Stefan de Vrij is a superb anchor, but neither Daley Blind nor Jurrien Timber were particularly inspiring. That is likely to make the over a solid option, although Austria is certain to play more defensively than we saw against North Macedonia.
Free EURO 2020 Betting Pick
The over is the best bet in this game. Both of these countries will find the back of the net, but the Netherlands will have more success potting goals. Wijnaldum, Weghorst, and Memphis Depay are a dangerous trio up top, and Dumfries, Frenkie de Jong, and Luuk de Jong can thrive provided de Boer doesn’t hamstring them with shoddy tactics.
EURO 2020 Odds: Netherlands 3, Austria 1
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