The two highest placed teams in the men’s FIH Hockey Pro League standings will go head to head on Wednesday (4November), as pace-setters Belgium welcome the Netherlands to the Royal Uccle Sports Complex in Brussels for what promises to be an enthralling clash between the two European powerhouses.
Both teams come into the fixture on the back of double victories against Great Britain, with Belgium’s Red Lions recording 3-2 and 2-1 wins in Brussels a matter of days after the Oranje had beaten the Brits 1-0 and 3-1.
As the World and European champions, league leaders Belgium will start the contest as favourites, but Red Lions head coach Shane McLeod will be acutely aware of the threat posed by Max Caldas’s team. The Netherlands twice defeated Belgium in the 2019 edition of the competition, although the Lions did claim a 3-1 win in the semi-finals on the way to a second-place finish behind Australia.
The Belgium and Netherlands women’s national teams will also be in action on Wednesday, with top-of-the-table Dutch looking to extend their advantage over second placed Argentina, who have played one game more than the Oranje, to six points. The reigning World, European and FIH Hockey Pro League champions remain the team to beat, although Belgium – who sit sixth in the standings – will be determined to bring their A-game to the Low Countries derby match.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 global health pandemic, the FIH Hockey Pro League fixtures between Belgium and the Netherlands are a one-off departure from the standard double-header format, with the second matches between the two nations scheduled to take place on Belgian soil in May 2021. The decision was reached in agreement with the International Hockey Federation (FIH), the Royal Belgian Hockey Association (KBHB), the Royal Dutch Hockey Association (KNHB) as well as our broadcasting partners.
As has been the case with all of the recent FIH Hockey Pro League matches, the health and safety requirements in relation to the COVID-19 global health pandemic means that spectators will be unable to attend the upcoming clashes, which will be played behind closed doors. However, the TV cameras will be present to capture all of the action via the global broadcast.
More information about the matches can be found below.
Belgium v Netherlands (Women & Men)
Where: Royal Uccle Sports Complex, Brussels (BEL)
Dates: 4 November 2020
WOMEN’S MATCH
Times: 15:30 (local time)
Match page: click here.
The essentials…
Current FIH World Ranking: Belgium: 12 | Netherlands: 1
Current FIH Hockey Pro League position: Belgium: 6 | Netherlands: 1
Final standings - FIH Hockey Pro League 2019: Belgium: 5 | Netherlands: 1
Head-to-heads in all competitions (since 2013 – 16 matches)
Wins: Belgium: 2 | Netherlands: 13 | Draws: 1
Goals scored: Belgium: 8 | Netherlands: 41
Team pages (squads & statistics): Belgium | Netherlands
MEN’S MATCH
Times: 1800 (local time)
Match page: click here.
The essentials…
Current FIH World Ranking: Belgium: 1 | Netherlands: 3
Current FIH Hockey Pro League position: Belgium: 1 | Netherlands: 2
Final standings - FIH Hockey Pro League 2019: Belgium: 2 | Netherlands: 3
Head-to-heads in all competitions (since 2013 – 17 matches)
Wins: Belgium: 7 | Netherlands: 8 | Draws: 2
Goals scored: Belgium: 40 | Netherlands: 42
Team pages (squads & statistics): Belgium | Netherlands
Six FIH Hockey Pro League matches are set to be played this month, with the remaining 76 scheduled between January and May 2021.
Although the fans will not be allowed into the stadium itself, all four matches will be available to watch via television or digital streaming thanks to our broadcast partnerships, as well as on the new Watch.Hockeyapp in every country where a rights holding broadcaster is not showing the matches live.
You can also keep up to date with all the latest news on the FIH Hockey Pro League via the event websiteand through FIH social media channels - Facebook,Instagramand Twitter.
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