Netherlands will face Uzbekistan in their final international friendly on Monday before they begin their FIFA World Cup 2026 journey in a few days.
Netherlands vs Uzbekistan – Match preview and team news
- Date: Monday, 8th June.
- Kick-off: 7:45pm BST.
- Venue: Icahn Stadium, New York, USA.
Netherlands team news
The Netherlands team news focuses on key returns and major injury worries ahead of their final friendly match.
Manager Ronald Koeman treats this game as a serious dress rehearsal. He plans to field his strongest possible starting lineup with very few early changes.
Forward Memphis Depay and defender Jurrien Timber are both back in the squad after recovering from recent physical injuries.
Depay will likely lead the front line to regain his peak match fitness. However, the medical staff will make a late fitness test decision on whether Timber starts.
Right-back Denzel Dumfries will return to the defence after missing the previous game against Algeria.
On the downside, the squad deals with major health absences. Midfielder Jerdy Schouten is out long-term with a torn ACL. Matthijs de Ligt, Xavi Simons, Stefan de Vrij, and Jeremie Frimpong are also completely missing from this setup.
Uzbekistan team news
The Uzbekistan team news highlights a defensive setup built to handle elite European pressure.
Italian manager Fabio Cannavaro wants his squad to remain compact and disciplined on the pitch.
He plans to deploy a deep five-man backline to absorb the Dutch side’s heavy attacking waves.
Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov will anchor this defensive wall and lead the backline coordination.
Going forward, the team relies heavily on their most clinical and experienced star player. Captain Eldor Shomurodov will start up front as the lone striker and primary focal point for counter-attacks.
He carries the main scoring burden for the visitors. The midfielders will focus on winning the ball deep and launching quick transitions.
This tactical approach aims to frustrate the Dutch attackers while creating few high-quality chances for Shomurodov to exploit on the break.
Form
Netherlands
The Netherlands national football team shows inconsistent form in their recent World Cup warm-ups. They earned a narrow 2–1 victory against Norway. However, they then settled for a 1–1 draw with Ecuador after picking up an early red card. Their most recent match ended in a disappointing 1–0 defeat to Algeria. While their attack has shown flashes of brilliance, structural defensive errors remain a primary concern for the manager.
Uzbekistan
The Uzbekistan national football team enters this fixture with a mix of gritty defensive performances and recent setbacks. They played to a 0–0 draw against Venezuela, winning the subsequent penalty shootout. Before that, they secured a solid 3–1 victory over Gabon. However, their momentum stalled in their last match, suffering a 2–0 loss to Canada. They remain highly disciplined but struggle to score when falling behind.
Predicted lineups
Netherlands: Verbruggen; Dumfries, Van Hecke, Van Dijk, Ake; De Jong, Gravenberch, Reijnders; Summerville, Depay, Gakpo
Uzbekistan: Yusupov; Sayfiev, Abdullaev, Khusanov, Ashurmatov, Nasrullaev; Fayzullaev, Hamrobekov, Shukurov, Uronov; Shomurodov
How to watch Netherlands vs Uzbekistan?
Local UK television networks are not broadcasting this friendly live on traditional TV, you will need alternative streaming methods to catch the action.
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