Only fools rush in, but many have the feeling that this could be one of the classic games of this World Cup. You don't have to be Nostradamus or even Eileen Drewery to see why. Both teams are attacking, technically brilliant and possess some of the greatest players. Tonight one of them will have to pack their bags.

The Yugoslavs played awesome football against Germany until they lost concentration after an hour. That performance would have had a sharply sobering effect on those few fools who felt that Ireland have an easy draw in the next European Championships.

Holland let Mexico off the hook in their final group game, withdrawing three of their best players and their ambition before the Mexicans scored the goals which put them into the second round. It would be foolish to read anything into that game. When the Dutch needed to be at their best, they were.

The Dutch have done plenty of soul-searching since that draw in St Etienne, questioning whether their decline was due to a mental lapse, a physical waning, or merely the result of having withdrawn three of their best players when the yellow cards started flashing.

Hiddink has indicated that concentration dwindled when the game was won and players such as Bergkamp began heading for the bench. There is no likelihood of mental wanderings today. The Yugoslavs are as good a team as the competition is likely to see.

Hiddink, who brought the wonderful Mijatovic from Partizan Belgrade to Valencia when he was the coach of the Spanish club, knows the Yugoslavs' potency better than most and he has spoken of the awesome challenge facing the Dutch.

Mijatovic, now with Real Madrid, was substituted early in Yugoslavia's last game, against the USA, with a knee injury. He has been one of the higher-profile casualties in a camp beset by injuries.

Stojkovic noted over the weekend that "the number of players who are injured could create problems for us." He has, however, recovered from an injury and will start in midfield.

Indications yesterday were that Mijatovic would start but his partner, Kovacecic, seems certain to be ruled out for the second successive match.

Aston Villa fans would not be surprised to hear that Milosevic, who deputised the last day, was singularly unimpressive and either the veteran Savocevic or youngster Ognjenovic should start. Ognjenovic, who plays with Red Star, replaced Mijatovic against the US and has the slight edge.

The team will be named at midday today and is otherwise expected to be along the lines of that which started the last day.

The Dutch have no injury worries and are expected to stick to what has basically become their established starting line-up, with Cocu having done enough as Kluivert's replacement to hold the position for the time being. Hiddink has gone out of his way to praise the player and it would have been a major surprise if he were dropped.

Stam, whose high-profile blunder belied his status as the world's highest-priced defender, will have a point to prove against serious opposition. Davids and the surprisingly recalled Real Madrid midfielder Seedorf will endure a busy afternoon.

Plenty of goals to share. The Dutch to shade it.

Holland: Van der Sar, Reiziger, Stam, Frank de Boer (capt), Numan, Ronald de Boer, Davids, Seedorf, Overmars, Bergkamp, Cocu.