Senegal and Netherlands were tied at 0-0 as the game neared its conclusion.
However, Holland took the lead through Cody Gakpo in the game’s 84th minute, and Davy Klaassen sealed the victory in the ninth minute of extra time at the end of the 90, giving Van Gaal’s team the perfect start to their Group A campaign.
After playing well in their last two World Cups, Netherlands will take on Ecuador on Friday before finishing their group stage against the hosts Qatar on Tuesday.
It will be interesting to see what this group of players can accomplish in the competition.
If Van Gaal’s team succeeds in winning Group A, they will face either England, Wales, the United States of America, or Iran in the competition’s round of 16.
However, Netherlands won’t be planning too far ahead at this point, especially before playing a talented Ecuador team that defeated the hosts in the tournament’s opening game on Sunday.
Enner Valencia scored both goals against Qatar, with the former West Ham United forward netting from the penalty spot in the 16th minute before making it 2-0 in the 31st minute.
Currently, Ecuador’s two toughest games in the group are against the Netherlands on Friday and Senegal on Tuesday, who will be looking to avenge their loss to Holland.
The Tricolor were present at the 2014 World Cup but did not advance past the group stage before being eliminated. Their best-ever performance came in the 2006 World Cup when they reached the last 16 before losing to England.
La Tri has played well recently, having only lost one of their last seven games in the qualifying round, which includes 1-1 draws with Brazil and Argentina. They will undoubtedly be confident of winning again in this game.
What does the market think about this game?
1×2 Betting Odds
The Netherlands are the outright favourites to win this one, with odds standing at 1.80.
The odds that Ecuador surprise the Dutch stands at 5.30.
The possibility of points shared between the two stands at 3.75.
This has the potential to be a very, very difficult match for the Netherlands, and it would not be a surprise to see Ecuador triumph, or for the points to be shared.
Van Gaal’s side were impressive against Senegal, but with the quality that they have, they should be able to navigate their way to a huge three points here!
Total goals over/under
The odds that the total number of goals score will be over 2.5, stands at 2.12.
While the odds that the total number of goals will be under 2.5, stands at 1.82.
