In the long-awaited quest for a trophy to be achieved in the long run of the UEFA
Nations League, the Netherlands start their new cycle on Saturday, hosting Bosnia and Herzegovina in Eindhoven.
There is also Germany and Hungary in
League A Group 3 so both cannot afford a slip - although fourth place finish see's a team go down to the next league.
The 'weaker' second half of the draw in Euro 2012 proved as easy for the Netherlands as they had only managed third place in the group in Euro 2024
summer they defeated Romania in the last 16 before overwhelming Turkey and setting up semi-final match against
England.
However, they departed the Germany soil - where they achieved their European champions in 1980 - with a raw taste, as Watkins scored in the late part of the game after the Three Lions' scrumptious equaliser which put them out of the competition.
The Oranje also faced England on the last occasion that they came close to getting their hands on some silverware, prevailing
3-1 after a nervy extra time encounter in the inaugural Nations League final earlier this year - and current coach Ronald Koeman was benched for that tie too.
Nevertheless, an unfortunate Dutch team were really second best and they conceded a 1-0 defeat to Portugal in the final and they were at fourth place while hosting this finals tournament last time.
To get that far, they had qualified for the top of a rather benign group comprising of Belgium, Poland and Wales, but this season even a second place finish will see a team through to new quarter final stage of the Nations League.
But with Virgil van Dijk choosing to remain as skipper, Koeman will have the same captain for the games against Bosnia as well as the match against Germany next
Tuesday.
In the pandemic-affected second edition of the Nations League, Bosnia-Herzegovina last faced its hosts this week and lost 3-1 on the road before holding out for a goalless draw at home in late 2020.
After defeating Finland, Montenegro, and Romania to win League B last season and celebrate promotion to the highest division in Europe, they reunite with the Oranje this season.
The Dragons, who placed fifth in a six-team group during Euro 2024 qualification, were unable to sustain their winning streak, since two of their three victories came
against Liechtenstein's minnows.
Bosnia's performance in the Nations
League was still good enough to get them into the playoffs, but head coach Savo Milosevic was fired after his team lost 2-1 to Ukraine in the semifinals.
Since then, Sergej Barbarez has assumed leadership and has seen the squad's friendlies against Italy and England in June.
On Saturday, he will lead his side against opponents of a similar caliber.
Barbarez may be hoping to pick up a point in Eindhoven before traveling to Hungary the following week, since placing third in Group 3 would result in a relegation playoff and fourth would mean automatic
demotion.
Hungary could take heart from their recent performance against Germany and use it to their confidence before this Saturday's
match. Germany has only triumphed against Hungary once in their previous four meetings, that being their 2-0 victory at
Euro 2024.
Hungary drew 1-1 at home with Germany in the most recent UEFA Nations League competition, then triumphed impressively
1-O away from home.
After Euro 2024, two German football legends announced their retirement from the national team. Without Ilkay Gundogan and Toni Kroos, their midfield will undoubtedly seem lighter.
Although filling such shoes won't be simple, Aleksandar Pavlovic of Bayern Munich and Pascal Gross, a former Brighton player, will do their hardest.
Despite the fact that neither player has the star qualities of Kroos or Gundogan, Nagelsmann is an excellent coach who will arrange the squad such that neither player is exposed in the middle.
Dominik Szoboszlai, the captain of Hungary, will be trying to take advantage of the weaknesses in the duo. The Liverpool midfielder will be especially dangerous in dead-ball scenarios and has the ability to give Germany difficulties.
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