Preview: Montenegro vs. Netherlands - prediction, team news, lineups

Netherlands will be looking to move a step closer towards securing their spot at the 2022 World Cup when they make the trip to Montenegro on Saturday night.

Louis van Gaal's side are currently top of Group G, two points clear of second-placed Norway, while Montenegro sit fourth in the section and only have an outside chance of sneaking into second position.

Match preview

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Montenegro have won three, drawn two and lost three of their eight matches in Group G, which has left them in fourth position on 11 points, six points behind second-placed Norway with two games left.

In theory, the Brave Falcons can still sneak into second, claiming a spot in the playoffs in the process, but a lot would have to happen for Miodrag Radulovic's side to stand a chance, including recording victories over Netherlands and Turkey in their next two matches.

Montenegro started October with a 3-0 win over Gibraltar but then suffered a 2-0 defeat to Norway, and it does appear that their wait to qualify for the finals of a World Cup will go on for at least another four years.

Radulovic's team struggled to make their mark against Netherlands in the reverse match back in September - suffering a 4-0 defeat - but they have beaten both Latvia and Gibraltar in this section, in addition to claiming a point away to Turkey at the start of September.

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Netherlands, meanwhile, are top of Group G on 19 points, having won six, drawn one and lost one of their eight matches during a strong qualification campaign.

Van Gaal's side could be down in second by the time that this match kicks off, as second-placed Norway face Latvia in the earlier kickoff, but a victory would ensure that they are top and in pole position to secure their spot in the finals heading into Tuesday's clash with Norway.

Netherlands suffered a 4-2 defeat to Turkey in their Group G opener back in March but have since posted six wins and one draw, including four straight victories over Montenegro, Turkey, Latvia and Gibraltar in their last four World Cup qualification matches.

Holland incredibly failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup but were runners-up in 2010 before finishing third in 2014, and it would be a huge shock if they missed out on the finals of the competition once again.

Netherlands were present at last summer's European Championship, but after topping Group C with nine points from three matches, they were knocked out by Czech Republic in the round of 16.

Team News

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Montenegro will be without the services of Marko Vesovic on Saturday through suspension, meaning that there could be a spot at right-back for Marko Vukcevic.

Stevan Jovetic is the captain and leading goalscorer in the squad with 31, and the 32-year-old is expected to be joined by Uros Djurdjevic in the final third of the field.

Marko Jankovic is likely to be given the nod in the middle of the park, while Lazio defender Adam Marusic largely plays further forward for his national team, so he is expected to feature on the right of a midfield four.

As for Netherlands, Joel Drommel has been forced to pull out of the squad through illness, while Steven Berghuis and Jurrien Timber are available for selection through injury.

Memphis Depay will again operate through the middle and could be joined by Noa Lang and Arnaut Danjuma, with the latter enjoying an excellent 2021-22 campaign for Villarreal.

There should also be spots in the team for the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Frenkie de Jong and Georginio Wijnaldum, with Van Gaal not expected to take any risks when it comes to team selection ahead of the clash with Norway next week.

Montenegro possible starting lineup:

Mijatovic; Vukcevic, Vujacic, Tomasevic, Radunovic; Marusic, Jankovic, Kosovic, Haksabanovic; Jovetic, Djurdjevic

Netherlands possible starting lineup:

Biljow; Dumfries, De Vrij, Van Dijk, Blind; Klaassen, F de Jong, Wijnaldum; Lang, Memphis, Danjuma

We say: Montenegro 1-2 Netherlands

There is no question that Montenegro are capable of harming Netherlands, and we are expecting this to be a tricky and uncomfortable contest for the visitors. That said, Van Gaal's side are in strong form, so we are backing them to record their seventh victory in Group G.