LIONEL MESSI'S magic took Argentina into the World Cup quarter-finals and boss Lionel Scaloni will be hoping their talisman can now inspire another victory over a dangerous Netherlands side.
The Argentines have pretty much been playing knockout matches ever since crashing to a shock defeat against Saudi Arabia in their Group B opener.
But living on the edge seems to be getting the best out of them, with successive 2-0 victories over Mexico and Poland taking them into the last 16 where Australia were seen off with a 2-1 win.
I thought Scaloni's side would need to be patient against the Socceroos and that's how it panned out, with Australia keeping them at bay until Messi broke the deadlock with a brilliant finish.
Argentina are now showing why so many people, myself included, tipped them to go all the way at Qatar 2022 but they need to see off a Dutch side building their own momentum.
Louis van Gaal's side weren't overly impressive in the group stage, despite picking up seven points to finish top and bring up one of my bets. But they comfortably defeated the USA in the last 16, with Denzel Dumfries the star man in a 3-1 victory.
Veteran boss van Gaal has taken some stick in his homeland for Holland's style of play but their counter-attacking tactics could work a treat against an Argentina side that has looked vulnerable in transitions.
How the bookies view it
Argentina are odds-on to reach the semi-finals, with Highbet pricing them at 13/25 to qualify, with the Netherlands at 127/100. For a win inside 90 minutes, the odds increase to 113/100 for the Argentines, while the Dutch are priced 49/20. Don't rule out a stalemate at 90 minutes and that pays 41/20 with the same firm.
Head to head
Armchair fans will be hoping this clash of the titans is an improvement on the last two meetings, which both ended 0-0. That first stalemate was in the 2006 World Cup group stage before Argentina triumphed on penalties in the 2014 semi-final.
The other three meetings in this tournament have been more exciting, with the Netherlands winning 4-0 in the second round back in 1974 and Argentina getting their revenge with a 3-1 victory in the final four years later. They last met in the quarter-finals at France 98 where Dennis Bergkamp scored an iconic winner in a 2-1 triumph.
Players to watch
Memphis Depay was the main man for the Netherlands in qualifying, netting 12 times, but headed into the World Cup lacking game time after injury issues. He began the tournament on the bench but has started the last two games and scored a brilliant goal against the USA last time out. The striker is 14/5 with Highbet for anytime scorer which looks a little overpriced.
I tipped Messi for an assist against the Socceroos but the PSG star scored instead to take his tally for the tournament to three. Argentina's skipper is 7/4 with Highbet for anytime scorer in this one while McBookie price the assist at 5/2.
Anything else catch the eye?
Van Gaal was in charge when the Netherlands last faced Argentina at a World Cup and that match went all the penalties after a 0-0 draw. I wouldn't be surprised if this match was equally tight and tense, with under 2.5 goals priced just 27/50 at Highbet. There's no point on a punt at that price but the half-time draw is 99/100 at the same firm while BTTS no is 16/19 at SBK.
Foul bets have been a good option for me at this World Cup, with the latest landing as Bruno Fernandes was fouled over 1.5 times in Portugal's stroll against the Swiss. Unibet have tempting prices again for this one, with Virgil van Dijk at 26/25 to commit over 0.5 fouls. Even for someone who strolls through games like van Dijk, that looks great value for a centre back.
The card markets are worth a look, even though neither side has been picking up a lot of yellows at this World Cup. That could change with the stakes so high and Argentina appeal for most cards at 7/5 with Unibet as they can often dive in.
This World Cup match between Netherlands and Argentina will be played on Dec 9, 2022 and kick off at 19:00. Check below for our tipsters best Netherlands vs Argentina prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
