Start well against France or be punished, Dutch skipper van Dijk tells teammates ahead of Euro 2024 qualifier
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(From left) Netherlands' Daley Blind, Denzel Dumfries and Virgil van Dijk run during a training session on Thursday.
PHOTO: AFP
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AMSTERDAM – Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk has urged his men to be at their sharpest from the first whistle when they host France in a Euro 2024 qualifier at Amsterdam’s Johan Cruyff Arena on Friday.
In this reverse fixture in Paris seven months ago, the Oranje were comprehensively crushed in a 4-0 loss.
While the Dutch have since won their next three qualifiers against Gibraltar, Greece and Ireland, that nightmare in Paris was still fresh in van Dijk’s mind.
When asked at the pre-match conference on Thursday the lesson learnt from that match, the Liverpool skipper said: “Start well. We have discussed this in meetings and training.
“In the warmup, you try to get everyone as sharp as possible. We should not play the first few balls like we did there in Paris... We have to change something and we will.”
The centre-back also wants the backline to stay in shape, or risk being punished by the likes of Kylian Mbappe, who scored one and created another as Les Bleus took a 3-0 lead after just 21 minutes in that match.
“It is not always the case that if you play with an extra defender, no one will get through,” added van Dijk.
“You want to put pressure on the ball and not allow them space in dangerous positions. Hopefully we can do that well tomorrow.”
France head the Group B standings with a perfect record after five matches. The Netherlands are second on nine points from four games, tied with Greece who have played one game more.
During that 4-0 trouncing in Paris, the Dutch were hit by absences, similar to the scenario now, but coach Ronald Koeman insisted that both situations are different.
“We now have a fit team from day one,” he said. “It was different away at France. We had dropouts there two days before the match.
“It was a team that does not press very well... and gives the ball away. If you make mistakes and opponents gain possession of the ball, you have to pay attention. You have to ensure that you are not open defensively when you attack.”
Koeman was already hit by the unavailability of midfielder Frenkie de Jong, defender Matthijs de Ligt and strikers Cody Gakpo and Memphis Depay – who are all injured – before he announced his squad.
He also decided not to call up Ryan Gravenberch, in response to the Liverpool midfielder’s rejection of a Dutch Under-21 call-up in September, citing the need to settle down at his new club after joining from Bayern Munich on transfer-deadline day.
Koeman has also been hit by the injury withdrawals of goalkeeper Mark Flekken and midfielders Steven Berghuis and Teun Koopmeiners.
The absence of Brentford’s Flekken, who had played in the last two internationals, means Koeman is likely to turn to Brighton & Hove Albion’s 21-year-old custodian Bart Verbruggen. REUTERS
