The Netherlands will be aiming for a first win at this year’s World Cup but standing in their way is a Sweden side high on confidence after thumping Tunisia in Monterrey.
Despite the air conditioning inside the Houston Stadium, things will be heating up Oranje following a draw with a spirited Japan team in their opening game.
It means anything other than a win would almost certainly require Ronald Koeman’s men to beat Tunisia in their final game to stand any chance of avoiding a first-round exit.
For Sweden and boss Graham Potter, they have appeared to hit their stride at the right time, producing an impressive 5-1 thrashing of their north African opponents, with star strikers Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres both on the scoresheet.
Avoiding defeat would likely be enough to secure the Scandinavians progress to the last 32 – no easy task in a tricky group.
Netherlands team news
Defender Jan Paul van Hecke has been passed fit after suffering a black eye in the game against Japan and starts alongside captain Virgil van Dijk.
The only change from the side that started that game is at the top end of the pitch, with goalscorer Crysencio Summerville replaced by Sunderland forward Brian Brobbey.
Netherlands XI: Verbruggen; Dumfries, Van Hecke, Van Dijk, Van de Ven, Gravenberch, De Jong, Reijnders, Gakpo, Brobbey, Malen.
Sweden team news
Sweden came through their opening contest unscathed and so Potter, perhaps unsurprisingly, names an unchanged starting XI.
Isak and Gyokeres will be hoping to add to their goal tally alongside Yasin Ayari, who bagged a brace from midfield against Tunisia.
Sweden XI: Nordfeldt, Lagerbielke, Hien, Lindelof, Bernhardsson, Nygren, Karlstrom, Ayari, Gudmundsson, Isak, Gyokeres
Where to watch Netherlands v Sweden: TV and online streams
Kick-off on Saturday is at 6pm UK time. In the UK, live coverage is on BBC One.
Streaming on a vast range of devices is available through the BBC iPlayer app and BBC Sport website.
Stats for Netherlands v Sweden
- The Netherlands have not lost any of the last 13 World Cup games (in normal time) – that’s the joint-longest unbeaten run by any team in the tournament’s history, along with Brazil between 1958 and 1966.
- Their last defeat in normal time came in the 2010 World Cup final against Spain
- Sweden’s five goals against Tunisia in their opener has already equalled their tally from the entire group stage at the 2018 World Cup, and they’ve only netted more group-stage goals in one of their previous six editions of the tournament (six in 1994).
- Sweden have won one of their last seven meetings with the Netherlands
