Netherlands and Italy are in uncharted territory when they meet on Saturday in Valenciennes, France, as part of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. Neither team has ever reached the quarterfinals, and one team will continue its incredible journey and advance into the semis. Fresh off a win over Japan, the Netherlands enter as the slight favorite (by less than one goal) over an Italian team that just knocked off China with another impressive defensive performance. The winner moves on to face the winner of Germany and Sweden for a spot in the July 7 final.
Here's how you can watch the match and what to know:
Women's World Cup: Netherlands vs. Italy
- Date: Saturday, June 29
- Time: 9 a.m. ET
- Location: Stade du Hainaut -- Valenciennes, France
- TV channel: FS1 and Telemundo
- Streaming: fuboTV (Try for free)
- Odds: Netherlands -0.5 (+110) | Italy +0.5 (-130) | O/U: 2.5
Who wins every Women's World Cup match? Visit SportsLine now to see picks from European expert David Sumpter, the math professor whose model is up 2,000 percent on international soccer.
Storylines
Netherlands: The Netherlands dodged a bullet against Japan with some defensive lapses that needs to be corrected. Too often the back line has been caught bunched together, leaving space open on one complete side of the box. Against an Italian team that is good at getting scrappy goals in front of the box, they must hold their shape better or suffer the consequences.
Italy: The defense was strong last time out against China, but the Chinese team really lacked quality in the final third. Will they be ready for a big jump in terms of caliber of attackers? The Dutch have as good of an attacking duo as anyone in the tournament with Lieke Martens and Vivianne Miedema. Expect Italy to play a bit more defensive in the midfield to help out that talented backline with the Dutch liking to get wide.
Prediction
The Dutch continue to make history, advancing to the semifinals on a goal from Vivianne Miedema.
Pick: Netherlands 2, Italy 1
