Netherlands vs Italy Preview: How to Watch on TV, Live Stream, Kick Off Time & Team News
Two members of European footballing royalty meet on Monday evening when the Netherlands host Italy in the UEFA Nations League group stage.
Both nations boast some of the game's greatest ever players but have each fallen upon tougher times in recent years. Neither the Dutch nor the Italians qualified for the 2018 World Cup.
This was Italy's first absence from the competition since 1958 and proved to be the second consecutive major tournament without the Netherlands after failing to reach Euro 2016.
However, these failings have prompted the historic superpowers to welcome an influx of young exciting talents and both teams qualified for the rescheduled European Championships in convincing fashion.
Where to Watch on TV
When Is Kick Off? Monday 7 September
What Time Is Kick Off? 19:45 (BST)
Where Is it Played? Johan Cruijff ArenA, Amsterdam
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports Premier League (UK), ESPN+ (US)
Referee? Felix Brych
Team News
Both teams appeared to come through their opening Nations League fixtures largely unscathed physically, although Italy will still be smarting after dropping points at home to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
After the match, Italy manager Roberto Mancini cited the players' 'tiredness' and warned 'we'll change personnel' for the Netherlands match. Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini is set to come into the starting lineup - likely to be in place of Francesco Acerbi - after being rested as a precaution.
With Stefan de Vrij's withdrawal from the Netherlands squad - alongside the absence of Matthijs de Ligt and Daley Blind - interim manager Dwight Lodeweges is short of options in central defence and will almost certainly stick with Virgil van Dijk partnered by Brighton's new arrival Joel Veltman.
Predicted Lineups
Netherlands: Cillessen; Hateboer, Veltman, Van Dijk, Aké; F. de Jong, De Roon; Bergwijn, Wijnaldum, Babel; Depay
Italy: Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Chiellini, Biraghi; Pellegrini, Jorginho, Barella; Chiesa, Immobile, Insigne
Recent Form
Before Ronald Koeman's abrupt departure for Barcelona, the 57-year-old had enjoyed some long sought-after success with a national side bristling with a bevvy of wonderfully gifted players. After missing the World Cup, the Dutch topped a Nations League group consisting of France and Germany, before beating England on their way to the inaugural final.
Aside from a narrow loss to Germany, the Netherlands were unbeaten in the European qualifiers, as the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Memphis Depay flourished in front of a fearsome backline comprising of Van Dijk and De Ligt.
With Koeman back in Catalonia and former assistant Lodeweges taking the reins temporarily, the Oranje laboured at times as they squeaked past Poland to register a 1-0 win on Friday.
Italy have enjoyed a return to form themselves. After manager Mancini took a surprisingly casual approach to the first edition of the Nations League - amid squad rotation, the Azzurri mustered just one win in four games against Portugal and Poland - Italy stormed though European qualifying.
Only one other nation could match Italy's record of ten wins from ten games played as the youth-infused side racked up 37 goals and conceded just four (admittedly against weak opposition). However, Mancini's run of 11 straight wins was brought to an end on Friday as Bosnia and Herzegovina deservedly earned a hard-fought 1-1 draw in Florence.
Here's how each side has fared in their last five outings.
Netherlands
Netherlands 1-0 Poland (4/9/20)
Netherlands 5-0 Estonia (19/11/19)
Northern Ireland 0-0 Netherlands (16/11/19)
Belarus 1-2 Netherlands (13/10/19)
Netherlands 3-1 Northern Ireland (10/10/19)
Italy
Italy 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina (4/9/20)
Italy 9-1 Armenia (18/11/19)
Bosnia and Herzegovina 0-3 Italy (15/11/19)
Liechtenstein 0-5 Italy (15/10/19)
Italy 2-0 Greece (12/10/10)
Prediction
Both sides, understandably, struggled for sustained periods of fluency in their first fixtures for ten months. Each squad was filled with players of desperately differing fitness as a consequence of the truncated nature of the previous season.
However, of the two, the Netherlands looked the more threatening, particularly down the right flank as Atalanta's Hans Hateboer - winning just his fourth cap - proved a willing recipient of raking cross field balls in an attempt to shift Poland's banks of midfield and defence.
In a contest between two sides nearing - but definitively not at - peak fitness, Monday's meeting could very well prove to be a tight affair.
Prediction: Netherlands 1-0 Italy