Group E: Holland v Denmark preview

  • 14 years ago

A confident Netherlands side are set to meet an injury-hit Denmark in the showpiece Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg.

After winning all their qualifying matches and showing strong form in their warm-ups, the biggest enemy for Netherlands could be over-confidence, although manager Bert van Marwijk is fast building a reputation as the tournament curmudgeon.

So far, his list of complaints includes the new Jabulani tournament ball, the fans' deafening vuvuzela trumpets and the hardness of South African pitches.

But he is blessed with one of the tournament's most deadly strike forces in Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart and winger Arjen Robben, although the latter will be out of the Denmark match with a hamstring injury.

The Dutch have not lost to Denmark for 43 years - apart from a penalty shootout defeat in Euro 1992 - but the Danes believe they can possibly catch their opponents napping as the unfancied side with nothing to lose.

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