The Netherlands bounced back from a disappointing opening round draw with a 3-1 win over Kazahkstan last week. It wasn’t the most inspiring performance as the underdogs went ahead of the Dutch in the 17th minute and held on to that lead until Klaas-Jan Huntelaar finally equalized midway through the second half. Two more goals in the final seven minutes secured the victory, but there are still questions surrounding this Dutch side.
Iceland vs. Netherlands live stream: How to watch Euro 2016 qualifying online
Celso Junior
Iceland are riding high after two straight qualifying victories over Turkey and Latvia. A positive result of any kind against the Dutch would be another big step towards their goal of reaching the European championship finals for the first time ever.
Dutch midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum and goalkeeper Tim Krul have both withdrawn from the squad due to injury, while left back Erik Pieters has been dropped. Feyenoord goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer has been called in to replace Krul.
Key player - Robin van Persie (Netherlands)
Even though RVP scored against Kazahkstan on Friday, he wasn’t particularly effective for most of the match. Having Huntelaar come on to score the equalizer only increases pressure on the Manchester United striker as fans have begun calling for Huntelaar to start, even if that means dropping RVP to the bench. Basically, he needs a strong performance against Iceland to silence some doubters.
Key question - Are the Dutch settling under Hiddink or is another stumble coming?
After one loss and one win to open Euro 2016 qualifying, there are still doubts about this Dutch side. Yes they’re talented, yes they should be a favorite for any major tournament, but they’ve also had a recent historical habit of having bad tournaments. It’s way too early in the process to make sweeping judgements about the club, but a draw or loss against Iceland could fuel doubters.
Match Date/Time: Monday, 6:45 p.m. local, 2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: Laugardalsvöllur National Stadium, Reykjavik, Iceland
TV: FOX Sports 1 (U.S. - English), FOX Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), Sportsnet One (Canada), Sky Sports 1/HD (U.K.), RUV (Iceland)
Online: FOX Sports GO, Fox Soccer 2Go (U.S.), Sky Go (U.K.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada)
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