The Dutch media have been critical of Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk after he was sent off in the latter stages of the Netherlands’ 1-1 draw against Hungary on Thursday night.
Hungary’s Roland Sallai opened the scoring for the hosts in Budapest a little past the half hour mark. Late in the second half, when the Dutch were still trailing, Van Dijk picked up two yellow cards in quick succession, and was sent off as a result.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom, however, as Denzel Dumfries levelled the scoreline before the full time whistle to save a point for the team when the Inter Milan defender met a cross from Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo to hand Ronald Koeman’s side a lifeline.
The defender picked up his first red card for the Netherlands
Dutch outlet Sportnieuws branded the performance from Koeman’s side as mediocre, and highlighted that there was little energy in the team. Van Dijk was awarded the lowest score in the ratings with a four-and-a-half out of 10.
The Liverpool defender received his first booking for protesting at the referee after Donyell Malen was brought down while surging towards goal, and the second was given for a foul. Criticism was levelled at the 33-year-old in the ratings, and it centred around the second booking, as they deemed the offence took place in a harmless area of the pitch and was “stupid”.
|
Virgil van Dijk stats for the Netherlands vs Hungary (11/10/24) |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat: |
|
|
Minutes played |
79′ |
|
Clearances |
4 |
|
Interceptions |
1 |
|
Aerial duels (won) |
3 (2) |
|
Key passes |
1 |
|
Accurate passes |
145/152 (95%) |
Sportnieuws believe, as captain, Van Dijk should lead by example and not show his frustration. They also noted his overall performance was subpar, along with the rest of the Dutch team.
The Netherlands now sit second in their qualifying group behind leaders Germany after three games. They sit two points behind Julian Nagelsmann’s side, and three points clear of Hungary in third.
Pundit predicts Van Dijk replacement
The Dutch will be without their captain against Germany
The big blow for Koeman is that he will be without his captain for their next Nations League fixture against Germany on Monday night. A victory in Munich would put the Dutch top of the group, whereas a defeat could leave them vulnerable if Hungary were to pick up a win in the other game.
Speaking to Dutch outlet VI, former Ajax midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has explained what the manager will likely do in Van Dijk’s absence. He also questioned why Aston Villa’s Ian Maatsen hasn’t been utilised more.
“You can now see Micky van de Ven in his favourite position. He will then put Jorrel Hato at left back. Ian Maatsen does not seem to be in the national coach’s sights, which I find quite strange. He is actually never brought in. And De Ligt is also an option in central defence.”
All stats courtesy of SofaScore – correct as of 12/10/2024.
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