Netherlands
Ladbrokes previews Netherlands vs Japan in World Cup Group F
An entertaining draw is predicted with both teams scoring in the game
Cody Gakpo is backed for two shots on target, with Takefusa Kubo also tipped to test the goalkeeper

Group F at the 2026 World Cup kicks off with an intriguing match-up between the Netherlands and Japan in Dallas in a battle between two highly-rated teams.
The Dutch are the favourites to top Group F and are also considered outside contenders for a first-ever World Cup triumph, but it is a difficult start for them against a strong Japan side, who have been tipped by Ladbrokes as a dark horse in the competition.
Check out our in-depth preview and bet builder tips for Netherlands vs Japan, including lineups, predictions and where to watch.
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Fixture: Netherlands vs Japan
Competition: World Cup group stage (Group F)
Date: Sunday, June 14, 2026
Kick-off: 21:00 BST
Venue: Dallas Stadium, Arlington
Our predicted XI (4-3-3): Roefs / Dumfries, Van Hecke, Van Dijk, Van de Ven / De Jong, Gravenberch, Reijnders / Summerville, Malen, Gakpo
Our predicted XI (3-4-2-1): Suzuki / Tomiyasu, Itakura, Watanabe / Ito, Kamada, Tanaka, Nakamura / Kubo, Doan / Ueda
There is plenty of competition for places in the Netherlands attacking department, but Cody Gakpo's place on the left-hand side seems pretty secure, despite a slightly underwhelming season for Liverpool.
Gakpo has an excellent scoring record for his country with 20 goals in 50 appearances, including both in a 2-1 win over Uzbekistan in their final warm-up clash.
With the 27-year-old bound to cut in from the left and have an effort at goal as much as he can, we think he'll test the goalkeeper with at least two shots on target.
In a similar vein, Takefusa Kubo is Japan's main attacking threat from a wide position, with the Real Sociedad winger often cutting in from the right to get shots off on his left foot or create a chance for one of his team-mates.
The Samurai Blue often have plenty of fluidity among their front three, meaning Kubo will often find himself in the box to finish off chances. With free-kicks also part of his armoury, we believe he is a good choice for a shot on target at a price of evens.
This game has all the makings of an entertaining match, with Netherlands likely to see more of the ball and make use of the likes of Gakpo, Donyell Malen and Crysencio Summerville, while Japan will look to catch the Oranje on the break, much like they did to England on countless occasions during a 1-0 win at Wembley in March.
With chances aplenty likely in this game, tipping both teams to score at 8/11 feels like a smart move for our bet builder.
We can't pick a winner between these two and are tipping a draw for our final pick of the bet builder - which goes along with our score-draw pick in Ladbrokes' accumulator for day four.
While the Dutch are the favourites for the group, Japan have made no secret of their grand aims for this tournament and holding Ronald Koeman's men to a draw would give them a great chance to finish Group F on top and earn a more favourable draw in the knockout stages.
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All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.