This is the first heavyweight clash of the World Cup 2014. Spain, the reigning champions, takes on the beaten finalists of the last world cup. This is a huge match in terms of the teams’ prospects in the tournament as well. The loser of this game even could crash out of the tournament. With Chile being one of the other teams in this group, the going can get tough for whoever ends up in the losing side of this match.

Spain - Netherlands Preview

Spain has a well-balanced side. Some of their heroes of the last world cup have retired, while some others have aged gracefully. What is good for their cause is that they have managed to unearth some fresh talents.

The same cannot be said about the Netherlands team though.  They still rely on the same set of players as they did in the previous world cup.

Each team knows what to expect from the other. Spain will play a possession-based tiki-taka, while the Netherlands will try to unleash quick counter-attacks through the wings. The matches between these teams are tightly fought, close games. This is not going to be an exception.

Players

Xavi and Andres Iniesta are still around for Spain, but they are not the same force anymore as in the previous world cup. Spain does have some exciting new prospects. Prime among them are Diego Costa, who was born in Brazil, and Isco, whose nickname says a lot about his prowess – the Spanish Messi. Both of them have had a good European season.

The Netherlands still rely on the trio of Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Wesley Sneijder. However, apart from Robben none of the others appear to be in good form.

Spain-Netherlands Prediction

Spain will have the edge. But history suggests that defending champions tend to struggle in world cups. And the Netherlands is a classy outfit. A hard-fought draw, especially given Spain’s penchant for obsessive-compulsive possession, will be a smart bet.

Draw 3.40 @ Bet365

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