Al Thumama Stadium will play host to Tuesday's FIFA World Cup game between Senegal and Netherlands. The game kicks off at 3:00 am with Netherlands heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Senegal vs. Netherlands game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Tuesday November 22, 2022 at 3:00 am

Where: Al Thumama Stadium

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Senegal vs Netherlands Odds

Senegal vs Netherlands Preview

Senegal and the Netherlands will both expect to qualify from Group A, but with the winners likely to enjoy a far easier route through the latter stages of the World Cup there is plenty to play for in this opening encounter.

The Netherlands are heavily odds-on to top the section but Senegal manager Aliou Cisse knows a thing or two about upsetting fancied European opponents, captaining the Lions of Teranga to a shock victory over holders France in the opening match of the 2002 World Cup.

Cisse and his Senegalese side experienced heartbreak in Russia four years ago, suffering elimination at the group stage for collecting more yellow cards than Japan, who they matched in every other tie-breaking criteria.

Returning for his second World Cup as manager and only Senegal’s third finals appearance in their 52-year history, Cisse will be desperate to go one better this year. And he will have an eye on matching the quarter-final appearance he achieved as a player.
He has the squad to do so.

Chelsea pair Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly bring Champions League experience to the goalkeeper and centre-back positions.

Former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Idrissa Gueye and Leicester’s Nampalys Mendy add midfield steel and up front there is world-class talent in Bayern Munich’s Sadio Mane, who is ably assisted by rising star Ismaila Sarr.

The Dutch squad has no shortage of talent, either, and they have been revitalised by the second return of manager Louis van Gaal, who led his nation to third place at the 2014 World Cup.

The Oranje had been in the doldrums following Van Gaal’s 2014 departure, with a succession of managers failing to qualify for Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup before flopping at Euro 2020 with a shock round-of-16 defeat to the Czech Republic.

But Van Gaal’s arrival last August prompted a dramatic renaissance as the Netherlands have yet to lose in 15 games under him, winning 11 – including home and away victories over Belgium in the Uefa Nations League and a 1-1 draw against fierce rivals Germany.

His switch to a front-footed 3-4-1-2 or 3-5-2 seems to have solved the issue of the Dutch lacking a classic number nine, with both Memphis Depay and Steven Bergwijn flourishing in his system. One or both of the pair have scored in five of the last seven games in which they have started and while Depay may start the tournament slightly rusty due to his lack of game time at Barcelona, Bergwijn will be of interest in the goalscorer markets at bigger prices.

Van Gaal has also made the Oranje a fantastic team to watch, with his Netherlands side packed with attacking intent.

June’s impressive 4-1 victory in Belgium summed up the approach under Van Gaal, with the Dutch lining up with two attacking midfielders in Ajax pair Davy Klaassen and Steven Berghuis alongside pivot Frenkie de Jong in the middle of the 3-5-2, with the attack-minded Denzel Dumfries at right wingback.

It may be that Van Gaal is a little more cautious against Senegal in this important opening encounter, opting to play an additional defensive midfielder.

But even when playing that system, the Dutch have been looking to outscore rather than shut out opponents. And while they have the attacking options to gain an important victory over a dangerous Senegal side, the Oranje’s record of just three clean sheets in their last ten outings suggest that players of the class of Mane and Sarr will test the biggest Dutch weakness – a lack of a world-class goalkeeper.

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