Spain are the Nations League holders, having won the previous iteration in 2023 in a precursor to them lifting the Euro 2024 trophy. In the first leg, Spain took an early lead through Nico Williams, who capitalised on a defensive error to score in the 9th minute. The Netherlands responded with goals from Cody Gakpo and Tijjani Reijnders, turning the game in their favour. However, a late red card for Dutch defender Jorrel Hato reduced the hosts to ten men, and Spain seized the opportunity, with Mikel Merino netting a stoppage-time equaliser. This result extended Spain's unbeaten run to a huge 22 competitive matches under coach Luis de la Fuente.
Recent Form and Head-to-Head
Spain last tasted defeat in a competitive match in a 2-0 defeat to Scotland in March 2023. Their talismanic CDM Rodri complained of ‘anti-football’ in this match, and they have clearly channelled their frustrations in the best possible way by sweeping every opponent aside since then. Spain’s resilience was exemplified by their late comeback in Rotterdam on Thursday, and they managed a comeback against France in the semi-final of Euro 2024 before going on to beat England in the final last summer.
The Netherlands were dumped out of Euro 2024 by England on their way to the final and followed this up with a mixed Nations League showing. They took just 2 wins from 6 in their group with Germany, Hungary and Bosnia and Herzegovina despite scoring 13 goals. Their attacking abilities were on show against Spain as they managed to bag twice against the European champions, but naiveties at the back cost them once again.
Team News
Spain will have to contend with the absence of young defender Pau Cubarsí, who suffered an injury in the first leg. Dean Huijsen replaced Cubarsi from the bench against the nation of his birth as he made his Spain debut. Luis de la Fuente has called up Mario Gila from Lazio as defensive cover. Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal are expected to start out wide again, and Yamal will be hoping to have more of an impact on the second leg.
The Netherlands will be without defender Jorrel Hato due to his red card in the first leg. Geertruida and Frimpong are expected to continue on the right side after an injury to key man Denzel Dumfries, while concerns over Frenkie de Jong's fitness will likely see Teun Koopmeiners considered for the CM role.
Stats Watch
- Merino Magic: Mikel Merino repeated his Arsenal form as he preserved Spain’s unbeaten record despite playing just 6 minutes at the end of the match. His one shot at 0.57 xG saw him top the xG stats in the match despite his brief appearance.
- Vital van Dijk: Only Vitinha (93.8) completes more passes per 90 minutes than Virgil van Dijk (93.5) across Group A in the Nations League.
- Bad Tempered First Leg: Both sides received two yellow cards as well as Hato’s red card in the first leg. As the stakes increase in Valencia, we may well see another high card count on Sunday.
The second leg at the Mestalla promises to be a captivating encounter. Spain's home advantage and unbeaten streak position them well to progress thanks to Merino’s equaliser, but the Netherlands' attacking capabilities ensure they won’t be underestimated. Both teams have everything to play for, as Spain look to retain their Nations League crown and Netherlands look to reach a first final since the inaugural edition back in 2019.