Sports Mole previews Monday’s World Cup Qualifying – Europe clash between Netherlands and Lithuania, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Barring the disaster of all disasters, the Netherlands will earn a direct ticket to the World Cup 2026 tournament when they host Lithuania in their final Group G game on Monday.
Ronald Koeman‘s men are three points clear at the top of the section following Friday’s 1-1 draw with Poland, while their visitors are fighting for the consolation of a fourth-placed finish.
Match preview
Dutch hopes of automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup were delayed rather than destroyed on Friday evening, where victory over Poland would have seen Oranje confirm a first-placed finish with a game to spare.
However, Koeman’s men had to do it the hard way just to secure a share of the spoils in Warsaw, where Jakub Kaminski broke the deadlock with two minutes to go until half time, before Memphis Depay coincidentally levelled matters two minutes into the second half.
Poland’s resolve means that the Netherlands can mathematically still be bumped down to second place on the final day, but for that scenario to occur, a fanciful set of circumstances must unfold given that Koeman’s men are three points clear of the Eagles.
Not only would the Netherlands have to lose to Lithuania at home, Poland would have to make up a 13-strong goal difference – the Eagles sit on +6 compared to Oranje’s +19 – in their match with Malta, so Netherlands supporters can surely rest easy ahead of Monday.
Excluding their penalty-shootout loss to Spain in the UEFA Nations League, Koeman’s men have gone over a year without suffering defeat in any competition, and not since October 2023 have the 2010 World Cup finalists been beaten on their own turf.
Unsurprisingly, Lithuania need not travel so far back for their most recent defeat on home soil, which came just over a month ago to the Netherlands’ recent foes Poland, who condemned the Tricolours to their fourth loss in World Cup 2026 Qualifying.
Still winless in the section with just one game remaining – and the toughest one possible at that – Edgaras Jankauskas‘s men had their fate sealed some time ago, and they will finish bottom of the group barring a miracle in Amsterdam.
Lithuania have collected a paltry three points from their seven games so far – two fewer than Malta – so the visitors to the Johan Cruyff Arena must find a way to beat the Dutch and hope that Poland overcome the Maltese if they are to avoid the ignominy of a last-placed finish.
However, what happens on Monday is largely trivial for Jankauskas’s men, whose winless run extended to 16 games in all competitions on Thursday evening, when they played out a 0-0 friendly draw with Israel.
Lithuania did give the Dutch a good run for their money on home soil in September, but the Netherlands nevertheless ran out 3-2 winners in their first-ever meeting with the Tricolours, who are still waiting for their first-ever major tournament appearance as an independent nation.
Netherlands World Cup Qualifying – Europe form:
Lithuania World Cup Qualifying – Europe form:
Lithuania form (all competitions):
Team News
Brighton & Hove Albion’s Jan Paul van Hecke had an evening to forget in the Netherlands’ draw with Poland, as the centre-back was brought on in the 74th minute before picking up a suspension-inducing yellow card with seconds remaining.
Koeman should otherwise be working with an identical squad for the visit of Lithuania, where a couple of attacking changes could be in store, most notably Tijjani Reijnders potentially displacing Justin Kluivert in the number 10 role.
The Dutch boss could also promote Tottenham Hotspur’s Xavi Simons to the XI in place of Donyell Malen, while Matthijs de Ligt is a candidate to come into the backline alongside stalwart Virgil van Dijk.
Lithuania would also have a defensive ban to work around for Monday’s fixture, as Edvinas Girdvainis picked up his second yellow card of World Cup Qualifying in the loss to Poland last month, but he was left out of the November squad anyway.
History was made for the national team against Israel, where captain Fedor Cernych made his 102nd appearance for Lithuania, thus becoming their most-capped men’s player of all time.
The 34-year-old should operate in a more advanced role once again in Amsterdam, allowing Torino starlet Gvidas Gineitis the chance to strut his stuff in midfield again.
Netherlands possible starting lineup:
Verbruggen; Timber, De Ligt, Van Dijk, Van de Ven; Gravenberch, De Jong; Simons, Reijnders, Gakpo; Depay
Lithuania possible starting lineup:
Svedkauskas; Tutyskinas, Armalas, Utkus; Sirvys, Gineitis, Vorobjovas, Golubickas, Lasickas; Cernych, Paulauskas
We say: Netherlands 3-0 Lithuania
Lithuania put up a good fight when the Netherlands came to visit a couple of months ago, and Oranje’s offensive play left a lot to be desired against Poland.
However, against struggling opponents with little to play for, the Dutch should erase any lingering doubt over their World Cup place and seal qualification with a straightforward win.
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