Netherlands vs Morocco Prediction: Stick with Saibari into the knockout stage

On Monday, we have arguably the most glamorous round of 32 tie on offer at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the Netherlands and Morocco collide in Monterrey (7pm local time/Tuesday 2am BST, ITV1/STV).

Both sides impressed in the group stage and this'll be a tough test for them in their respective bids to progress to the last 16. Read on for my Netherlands vs Morocco predictions, aided by the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Cody Gakpo is set to feature for the Netherlands in the wake of the tragic loss of his unborn child last week. The Netherlands staff and players have rallied around the attacker to support him and his family.

Brian Brobbey and Denzel Dumfries have been declared fit to play after both were carrying slight knocks. Brobbey has three goals at the tournament so far and he'll be hoping to maintain his influence out on the pitch now that De Oranje have reached the knockout stage.

Head coach Ronald Koeman is set to bring Micky van de Ven back into the side at left-back, with Nathan Ake dropping back down to the bench.

Noussair Mazraoui, Issa Diop, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Azzedine Ounahi are all set to be recalled to Morocco's team after being rested last time out against Haiti.

Striker Ismael Saibari has scored in all three fixtures at the tournament and he'll be itching to strike for a fourth consecutive match in Monterrey.

Netherlands vs Morocco Odds

The Netherlands are given the edge by Betfred to win this knockout match inside 90 minutes at 13/10. De Oranje won two of their three games in the group stage.

Both sides experienced a stalemate on their way to the round of 32, with the draw here on offer at 11/5.

Morocco are seen as a 9/4 shot to prevail in regulation time. It's 11/10 for the Atlas Lions to win the tie, while the Netherlands are a 4/6 bet.

Both Teams To Score - Yes has landed in all three of the Netherlands' outings in the tournament so far, and this is available at 10/11 on this occasion.

Total Goals - Over 2.5 @ 11/10

With the attacking quality we've seen from these two sides over the first two weeks of the tournament, I'll be shocked if this tie lacks goals. Morocco have been very impressive and I'd argue they look stronger than the side that reached semi-finals in Qatar four years ago.

The Netherlands also have plenty of options in the final third, and these options in depth will be a huge asset for them to venture far at the World Cup. I'm surprised Betfred have marketed Over 2.5 Goals as generously as 11/10, which has an implied probability of 47.6%.

I'm drawn to this selection because all of the Netherlands' fixtures in the group stage saw at least three goals scored. This threshold was also reached in two of Morocco's three outings in the first phase.

Player To Score (Sub Switch) - Ismael Saibari @ 5/2

I don't think I can overlook Saibari's scoring streak. The PSV Eindhoven attacker has scored in all three matches in North America so far, and he's looked very sharp in the final third - highlighted by his early goal against Scotland.

Saibari has shown great composure for his goals, including a delightful lob against Brazil on matchday one. With his talent and form, he can ask questions of the Dutch back line which is yet to keep a clean sheet at the World Cup this summer.

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