Netherlands v Argentina

The Netherlands negotiated a tricky last-16 tie against the USA with a polished performance in which they seemed happy to concede possession and sit back until the Americans ran out of ideas. Memphis Depay opened the scoring with arguably the team goal of the tournament, rounding off a slick 21-pass move with a clinical finish. When Daley Blind slotted home in similar style just before the break, the game was as good as over, leaving Denzel Dumfries to seal a deserved 3-1 just minutes after USA had given themselves hope with a fluked consolation goal.

Netherlands tournament odds: 10/1

Argentina are beginning to give glimpses of the form that punctuated their 35-game unbeaten run that was ended with their shock defeat to Saudi Arabia. Since then, successive 2-0 wins against Mexico and Poland have seen progressive improvement, and in the last-16 game against Australia, Lionel Messi gave a magician’s masterclass, slotting home the all-important opener to guide his team to a 2-1 win over Australia - a scoreline that does not reflect Argentina’s domination. 

Argentina tournament odds: 11/2

Both teams appear to be getting better with each game, and we could be in for a treat on Friday night. The Dutch have been efficient rather than spectacular, but in Dumfries and Depay they have a couple of dynamic players capable of producing game-changing moments. Argentina’s hopes appear to rest more than they should on Messi, but in Julian Alvarez they appear to have found a player with a killer instinct in front of goal. The South Americans are favourites in the market, but that counts for little at this stage, so it would be no surprise to see this tie go beyond ninety minutes.

Match Betting Odds: 

Netherlands to win: 13/5

Argentina to win: 23/20

Draw: 21/10

Odds correct at time of writing

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