The final round of the FIFA World Cup group stage fixtures is finally here. Gone are the 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. ET fixtures, with the four matches now being played at 10 a.m. ET and 2 p.m. ET (two fixtures will be held simultaneously in those two slots). This means that while the Netherlands take on a Qatar side that have nothing left to play for, Tuesday's showdown between the European giants and the host nation is a must-watch tie as it will decide the round of 16 fixtures.
No team in this group has sealed progression to the next round. However, the Oranje, just like Ecuador, have one foot in the last 16. Additionally, unlike El Tri who are facing a Senegal side in the hunt for progression, Van Gaal's men will take on a team already eliminated from the competition.
However, this does not mean there are no hurdles to overcome for the European giants. Gakpo and Co. kicked off their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Senegal but despite the result, the Netherlands struggled to break down the Lions of Teranga.
Likewise, in the showdown with Ecuador, the Dutch were lackluster once again. Their highly-rated PSV attacker got on the scoresheet for the second game running, but in the second half, Van Gaal's men failed to get a foothold on the game and could have lost to the South Americans.
The Netherlands will want to win the group and as a result, victory over Qatar will be necessary. The first-placed team will avoid a round of 16 showdown with the Group B winners, which will likely be England, hence the importance of this tie.
Qatar, meanwhile, have nothing else to play for but pride. As mentioned earlier, the hosts have been eliminated from the competition and were in fact the first country to suffer this fate.
The AFC Asian Cup holders began the tournament in the worse way possible, losing 2-0 to Ecuador in the opening game. In fact, had it not been for VAR, the defeat could have been 3-0 for the home side.
The following fixture was a clash with Senegal which sadly didn't fare any better for Felix Sanchez's men. The Annabi were controversially denied a first-half penalty against the champions of Africa but regardless, the Middle Eastern outfit lost once more. The only positive from that tie was the goal Mohammed Muntari scored in the 78th minute. However, they now have the opportunity to knock the Netherlands out of the tournament, albeit a slim one, which would be historical.
Team news
Netherlands: Memphis Depay will be looking to return to the lineup after regaining his fitness, with the Barcelona ace making two cameos off the bench so far. Jurrien Timber started ahead of De Ligt in the draw with Ecuador and it remains to be seen whether he will maintain that spot. Steven Berghuis is also another player pushing for a start.
Qatar: Mohammed Muntari and Abdulaziz Hatem both impressed in the 3-1 loss to Senegal and could start as a result. Almoez Ali, who is gunning to become Al Annabi's all-time leading goalscorer, should lead the line once more.
Permutations
The Netherlands currently top the table but the margin is extremely slim. They are level on points, goal difference, goals scored, and level on goal difference with Ecuador. The Oranje's advantage comes through their superior fair play record, having picked up fewer yellow cards than the South Americans.
Van Gaal's men do not even need to win to progress. Were they to lose to Qatar, the Dutch would still make the last 16 if Ecuador beats Senegal. However, if the Lions of Teranga beat Ecuador and the Netherlands lose to Qatar by a greater margin, then the European giants will be out.
If Gakpo and Co. wish to secure the top spot, then they need to either get a better result against Qatar than Ecuador against Senegal or match their result but avoid picking up too many bookings.
Broadcast listings
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
