The Netherlands and Bosnia-Herzegovina will butt heads on matchday one of the 2024/25 Nations League.
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Netherlands vs Bosnia-Herzegovina odds
Find the latest match odds for Netherlands vs Bosnia-Herzegovina. All odds are provided by our best-reviewed online football bookies. Odds are subject to change.
⚡Quick Netherlands vs Bosnia-Herzegovina betting tips
Netherlands vs Bosnia-Herzegovina predictions
After missing out on Euro 2016 and underwhelming at Euro 2020, the Netherlands reached the latter stages of a major continental competition in the summer for the first time in more than a decade.
Ronald Koeman’s side were just minutes away from going to extra time in their semi-final against England, only for Ollie Watkins’ strike in second-half stoppage time to knock them out in dramatic circumstances.
It was a strange tournament for the Netherlands. They only finished third in their group after drawing with France and losing to Austria. But that actually handed them a relatively kind path to the semis, which they reached courtesy of victories over Romania and Turkey.
Still, a place in the last four of the Euros cannot be sniffed at for a nation of 18 million people that had only gone further than that once previously.
Attention now turns to the 2024/25 edition of the Nations League, which begins for the Dutch with this game against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
UEFA has tweaked the format of the event this time around. Previously, second place was in effect meaningless as only the winners of League A groups advanced to the Finals. This time around, a top-two finish would secure a quarter-final berth.
That should make the group stage more competitive. Finishing bottom brings relegation to League B, so only one of the three positions in the table (third) is of no significance. There is a good chance that every single game will matter now.
The Netherlands, of course, will be targeting one of those quarter-final spots. As well as Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Dutch will battle with Germany and Hungary in this section. They are the second-favourites to win the group behind their arch-rivals from across the eastern border.
Despite the fact Memphis Depay was a prominent part of the Netherlands’ Euro 2024 squad, he has been left out for this international break because he is without a club. Frenkie de Jong is out injured, but Jurrien Timber is back after belatedly kick-starting his Arsenal career at the beginning of the season.
Netherlands vs Bosnia-Herzegovina betting tips
The Netherlands will be looking to kick-start their Nations League campaign with a win this weekend.
Netherlands -2 handicap – 7/5 (Betfred)
Having reached the 2014 World Cup, there was hope that Bosnia-Herzegovina would become tournament regulars. Instead, they have not qualified for a major competition since then.
They had a dismal record in qualification for Euro 2024, finishing fifth in their group – below not only Portugal and Slovakia but also Luxembourg and Iceland – with only nine points to their name.
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Two of their three victories came against minnows Liechtenstein, before a second chance via the Nations League saw them lose 2-1 to Ukraine in the play-off semi-finals.
Bosnia conceded 22 goals in their 11 qualifiers, which does not bode well for their chances of keeping out the Netherlands here.
Moreover, Bosnia were particularly poor on their travels, losing by two goals or more in Slovakia, Portugal and Luxembourg. That is one reason why a -2 handicap on the Dutch looks like good value.
⚽ Back the Netherlands with a -2 handicap at 7/5 with Betfred ⚽
Netherlands clean sheet – 7/10 (Betfred)
The Netherlands did not always look secure at the back at Euro 2024, but in Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Ake, Matthijs de Ligt and Micky van de Ven, they do not lack top-class defenders.
It is certainly true that the Dutch can be got at when they face teams of a similar calibre, in large part because Koeman is still searching for the right balance in midfield.
But the Netherlands will be able to keep things tight at the back in this game by dominating possession and playing most of the match in Bosnia’s half of the field.
Edin Dzeko is still representing Bosnia-Herzegovina, but at 38 years of age there is no doubt he is past his best.
Dzeko is the only member of the Bosnia squad who has scored more than five goals for the national team, so a Dutch clean sheet is a wise pick.
⚽ Tip the Netherlands to keep a clean sheet at 7/10 with Betfred ⚽
Cody Gakpo to score any time – 21/20 (Betfred)
Cody Gakpo was one of the players of the tournament in Germany. No one scored more goals than his three, while the Liverpool man also provided an assist as the Netherlands reached the last four.
Gakpo has not played much for his club at the start of the season, but that at least means he will be fresh.
Whereas he has often been deployed centrally for Liverpool, Gakpo usually operates from the left for his country.
He suits that role well and he should have some joy up against a Bosnia-Herzegovina backline which, as mentioned above, is not the most watertight.
⚽ Choose Cody Gakpo to score any time at 21/20 with Betfred ⚽
📺 How to watch Netherlands vs Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Location: Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands.
- Date and time: Saturday 7th September, 7.45pm.
- How to watch: TBC.
Read more about the 2024/25 football season
About the author
Greg Lea
Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball
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