The second round of Group C Euro action resumes with Italy vs Romania and the Netherlands vs France. Italy was crushed 0-3 by the Dutch while France had a disappointing 0-0 draw against Romania. France can be in big trouble if they don't pull out the win, but good news, they'll have their top two players back in the lineup. Oddsmakers at BetUS.com have Netherlands as +150 moneyline favs over France +185 with a draw at +200. Get your Netherlands vs France: Bet on EURO 2008 Prediction in now at BetUS.com
The Netherlands absolutely dominated their match against the reigning World Cup Chumps. Ruud Van Nistelrooy scored the opening goal in the 26th minute while Wesley Sneijder celebrated his 24th birthday in style by wrinkling the onion bag in the 31st minute. Giovanni Van Bronckhorst broke the camel’s back in the 80th minute to send the Italians sulking into their change rooms. The atmosphere at the Stade de Suisse was electric, with the Oranje fans far outnumbering the Azzurri supporters. The Dutch had 19 shots on goal and held 50% of time of possession. They played a potent and fluent football match. They like to send Van Nistelrooy running after the long ball, which worked, almost more than once. The Dutch know they still have work to do and they aren’t about to sit back. “It was a great result and the fans may celebrate but we still have nothing,” said Wesley Sneijder, “Our goal still is to reach and win the final and therefore we need to stay calm.”
France will openly welcome back captain Patrick Vieira and striker Thierry Henry, who missed the match against Romania with thigh injuries. Midfield inspiration Vieira and Henry are France's all-time top scorers with 44 goals from 100 internationals. They couldn’t get any offense going without them. The 2006 World Cup runners-up like to play a tactical defensive style of footy and they’ll have to switch to a quick passing game offensive game. “It's important to defend well and not to concede any goals but we must accelerate a bit,” Coach added. “We need points, we need to win and to do that we need to take more risks.” A draw would place France in an uncomfortable situation before facing Italy in their final group game while a defeat would leave them on the verge of an embarrassing early exit.
Head to Head: 21 matches played
- Netherlands leads 9-8
- 4 matches ended in draw
- Netherlands scored 47 goals
- France scored 34 goals
Group C: Netherlands vs France
When: Fri, June 13, 2008 3:00 PM ET
Line: BetUS.com
Pick: Netherlands +150
Point-Spreads.com Netherlands vs France: Bet on EURO 2008 Prediction in now at BetUS.com
Point-Spreads.com expert capper Scott Burgess is on a 8-2 win streak in EURO betting, three wins were underdog picks!
The Bottom Line: The Dutch have already proven themselves and all the pressure is on France. Goalie Edwin Van Der Sar was excellent for his side, as he always is. It's going to be a good day for the Netherlands! Get your Netherlands vs France: Bet on EURO 2008 Prediction in now at BetUS.com and receive a 50% sign-up bonus on your initial deposit!
