Netherlands vs Austria live on June 17, 2021: How to watch this Euro 2020 clash in 198 countries

June 17, 2021 By Ali M.

Topics: TV Schedules, Netherlands, Austria, UEFA Euro 2020

The Oranje will look to make it two wins out of two in their quest to top their group. Here's a preview of their Euro 2020 clash with Austria.

Preview

Netherlands return to action in the UEFA Euro 2020 this Thursday, taking on Austria in their second game of the tournament. This 3 p.m. ET showdown, set to take place at the famous Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam, will see the top two sides go head-to-head in a fixture that will likely decide who will win Group C.

Both nations kicked off their European Championship campaign in winning fashion, with the Oranje beating Ukraine in a dramatic 3-2 triumph while Das Nationalteam overcame North Macedonia 3-1 in their opening tie. As a result, Frank de Boer's men find themselves in second spot due to the inferior goal difference; however, the momentum will drastically shift in their direction should they win this midweek tie.

Due to the brackets, the runners-up in this group will face the winner of Group A, which is all but destined to be Italy. Depay and Co. must avoid this at all cost and with their last group-stage tie being against North Macedonia, a winnable fixture, this tie looks to be the decider. However, the Oranje will need to improve.

Against Ukraine, their shortcoming were laid bare for the naked eye. Their defensive frailties reemerged as they conceded twice in quick succession despite being 2-0 up and on their way to a comfortable three points. On top of that, the Dutch were wasteful in front of goal, with match winner Denzel Dumfries missing a blatant goalscoring chance in the first half.

Austria, as they showed in their opening game, are a side capable of attacking and scoring. Their 3-1 victory over North Macedonia might have been their first triumph in the European Championship, but the display they put in showed that they can achieve more victories in this tournament.

Unfortunately, they have been rocked by a UEFA ban. Striker Marko Arnautovic, who made it on the scoresheet against North Macedonia, has been slapped with a one-match suspension after being accused of insulting an opposition player due to his Albanian heritage. The Shanghai Port ace apologized but has denied the racism allegations. Nonetheless, he will not be available for his nation in their tricky showdown with the Netherlands. Can they win without him? Tune in to find out the answer.

Team news

Netherlands: De Boer is unlikely to make many changes to the side that beat Ukraine, with De Ligt, who sat out the opener due to a groin injury, being the only name likely to return to the starting XI. Georginio Wijnaldum put in a lovely showing against Ukraine, as did Depay, and will be looked to for inspiration on Thursday.

Austria: Arnautovic is banned, meaning the Austrian cannot turn to the Chinese Super League forward for this fixture. Gregoritsch, who also came off the bench in the 3-1 triumph over North Macedonia, will be hopeful of a starting role.

Key stats

Netherlands have won all of their last six encounters with Austria.
In their last six encounters with Thursday's opponents, the Oranje have scored at least two goals per game, thus hinting at another high-scoring encounter.
Netherlands have triumphed in six of their last seven European Championship ties.