National coach Ronald Koeman’s team has played five games in group G so far. After the 0-2 win in Finland, an 8-0 win over Malta followed.
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Poland then lost a point to the Netherlands in Rotterdam (1-1), after which there was a difficult victory in Lithuania (2-3). In that last match, Memphis Depay scored twice, making him single-handedly the all-time top scorer for the Dutch national team.
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To immediately qualify for the World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada, being first is a requirement. If the Dutch team finishes second in the group, a play-off awaits in March. For the time being, Poland is the main challenger, although Finland has not yet been completely eliminated.
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After the victory of the Dutch national team against Malta, the goal difference of Koeman’s formation is already a lot better than nearest competitor Poland (+15 to +4), but should remain so if the Dutch team unexpectedly lose in Poland next month. Assuming that both countries do not lose any further points, this will be the crucial meeting.
If the Dutch team beat Finland tonight and Poland on Friday, November 14, qualification for the World Cup will in all cases be a fact.
| Position | Team | P | GS | W | V | G | DS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | +15 | |
| 2 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +4 | |
| 3 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | -1 | |
| 4 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | -3 | |
| 5 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | -15 |
Remaining program Orange and other countries
Sunday October 12 at 6 p.m.: The Netherlands – Finland
Sunday, October 12 at 8:45 PM: Lithuania – Poland
Friday, November 14 at 6:00 PM: Finland – Malta
Friday November 14 at 8:45 PM: Poland – The Netherlands
Monday November 17 at 8:45 PM: The Netherlands – Lithuania
Monday November 17 at 8:45 PM: Malta – Poland