Venue: St Jakob Park, Basle Kick-off: Tonight, 7.45pm On TV: RTÉ 2, UTV: DESPITE having seen his second string maintain the Netherlands' impressive start to this European Championship, Marco van Basten is set to restore his big names for this evening's encounter with Russia.
The team is expected to include 10 of the 11 players that started against France with Arjen Robben coming in as he did at half-time in the 4-1 win and Orlando Engelaar dropping to the bench.
The switch would mean that Rafael van der Vaart would occupy a slightly deeper role as one of the two midfielders playing in front of the defence rather than one of the three behind lone striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, but Van Basten says he is unconcerned by the prospect of starting with an additional attack-minded player on the pitch, insisting that the Hamburg star is comfortably up to the role being asked of him.
The Dutch coach expresses admiration for the job done by Guus Hiddink with Russia and respect for their performances in their last two group games before suggesting that the manner of their initial defeat points the way forward for his side.
"I am really happy for Guus," he says. "After a difficult start to the tournament, Russia have started to play very well. They are an attack-minded team, with technically skilled players. (But) I think this group can handle that. We have to look at what the Spanish did to them and learn our lessons from that."
For Hiddink the match represents an opportunity to guide a third different nation into the last four of a major competition and the Russians have shown dramatic improvement since that opening 4-1 defeat, particularly against the Swedes when they had Andrei Arshavin back from a ban.
He is likely to be a key figure for the Russians again with Hiddink needing the Zenit St Petersburg star to open up the Dutch. It is likely to be at the other end, however, that his side will face their severest test.
- Emmet Malone
