The Dutch national team is two games away from qualifying for the World Cup in Qatar. Montenegro and Norway are the last hurdles on their way to next year’s final tournament. On Saturday evening, the confrontation with Montenegro, the number four in Group G, awaits in Podgorica. The suspected position of national coach Louis van Gaal has few surprises.
With a victory over Montenegro, the the Dutch is certain of second place and assured of at least the play-offs. Van Gaal and his team, however, go for direct qualification and so the the Dutch will have to keep Norway and Turkey, which in theory also have a chance of World Cup qualification. Montenegro is already out though, playing for bacon and beans tonight. On paper, the Netherlands is the towering favorite, especially when looking at the previous meeting between the two countries in the World Cup qualifiers. At the beginning of September, the team of national coach Miodrag Radulovic was defeated in the Philips Stadium with clear figures: 4-0. It was Van Gaal’s second game since his return to the Dutch. After the 1-1 draw in and against Norway, the Netherlands was a size too big for Montenegro.
The national coach let Feyenoord back Tyrell Malacia make his debut in Eindhoven, while Virgil van Dijk was given a rest. The captain had only just recovered from a serious knee injury and with the game against Turkey (6-1) ahead, Van Gaal did not want to take any risks. It was the game in which Memphis Depay was important with two goals. He earned a penalty in the first half and converted it himself. The the Dutch played strong offensively. Defensive mistakes were not penalized by the Montenegro strikers. Malacia, for example, breathed a sigh of relief when he blunderedly released Stefan Mugosa in front of Justin Bijlow ten minutes after the break. However, the Montenegro striker finished off dramatically, so that the Netherlands escaped the equalizer. Five minutes later, Depay signed for the 2-0. Goals from Georginio Wijnaldum and Cody Gakpo sent Montenegro home a 4-0 defeat.
Cillessen back at the Dutch: “That’s nice, after a lesser period”
In the closing press conference on the way to tonight’s game, it was mainly about the cabinet’s decision not to allow spectators to the game with Norway due to the increasing corona infections. “The players are used to playing in an empty stadium, but with the support of the public you can always do a little more,” said the national coach. “I fully agree with the statement of the KNVB. In it they emphasize that they have invested a lot of money in the corona check. Despite the fact that it has produced few infections because of that system, it will start without an audience. I understand that corona is more important than football. But it’s not logical thinking. If you see it’s working well, why can’t it continue?”
Van Gaal compares the Netherlands and Portugal: ‘Rutte is the leader, isn’t it?’
Louis van Gaal discussed the corona policy of the Netherlands on Friday.
Injuries and suspensions
Joël Drommel, Jurriën Timber and Steven Berghuis withdrew for various reasons. Tim Krul told the national coach that he would rather stay at Norwich City to focus on his performances in the Premier League. “Krul called me and explained what his situation is and what his preference is at the moment,” said Van Gaal. “I can only welcome that, if a club is in trouble and a player then chooses his club to Krul would have simply been selected. It has had a positive effect, because they won immediately. But I have not written off Krul, because if we go to the World Cup, I will go to a penalty specialist on the position of the goalkeepers to make.”
Virgil van Dijk, Davy Klaassen, Ryan Gravenberch, Steven Bergwijn and Donyell Malen are on edge and will be suspended against Norway if they run into a yellow card tonight. Nevertheless, Van Dijk just wants to appear at the kick-off tonight at 8.45 pm. “I just play the game and don’t suddenly do something completely different,” the Liverpool defender is quoted by The Telegraph. “If you look at my stats and the way I defend, I try not to get into situations where I can take a yellow card, although it’s not always in your hand. I just play the game and hopefully come I came out unscathed, without a yellow card and with three points.”
Probable arrangement
Justin Bijlow is the first goalkeeper under Van Gaal and will therefore be under the bar against Montenegro. The return of Jasper Cillessen in the selection will not change that. The closing post of Valencia was added to the selection after the cancellation of PSV keeper Joël Drommel. “We have spoken with him and explained to him that he is number three at the moment,” said the national coach, who designates Bijlow and Mark Fleks as first and second goalkeepers respectively.
Montenegro had a lot of trouble in Eindhoven with the frequently emerging Denzel Dumfries. The attacking right back of Internazionale is expected to kick off tonight. That also applies to Stefan de Vrij, who is expected to be preferred over Matthijs de Ligt, and Virgil van Dijk. With Nathan Aké, Tyrell Malacia and Daley Blind, Van Gaal has three players who can play as left backs. It General Newspaper expect the latter in the base.
In midfield, Frenkie de Jong and Georginio Wijnaldum are sure of their starting place. Wijnaldum often has to settle for a place on the bench at Paris Saint-Germain, but has been in regular action in recent weeks and was important in the Champions League with two goals against RB Leipzig. Last Tuesday he skipped training because he wasn’t feeling well. A day later, on his 31st birthday, he just appeared on the training field again.
Davy Klaassen is expected to start as an attacking midfielder. At Ajax he lost his base place to Steven Berghuis, but Van Gaal seems to retain confidence in him. In recent international matches he has been of great value with goals and assists, while he also has a good click with attack leader Memphis Depay. However, the national coach does not have many tastes in his position. Ryan Gravenberch, Teun Koopmeiners and Marten de Roon are more defensive, while Klaassen still seems to have an advantage over Guus Til.
Due to the cancellation of Berghuis, the big question is who will choose Van Gaal as right winger. Arnaut Danjuma, Steven Bergwijn and Noa Lang play at their clubs from the left. “I see Malen and Bergwijn as options as right wingers. Noah Not long. I cannot implement another system in a week or in three days. I didn’t like what Lang was doing there, on the right. You do? That is possible,” Van Gaal referred to the debut of the Club Brugge attacker against Latvia.
It is improvising for the national coach. He cannot avoid setting up a right leg as a right winger, while Berghuis fills in his role differently as a left leg. “Then you have to go outside. The new tendency, that you are glued to that position with the wrong foot… It is not for nothing that it has arisen that way. That’s also because the backs come up a lot more than they used to. It has to do with that.” It General Newspaper expect Malen to start from the right wing and Danjuma from the left. They must supply attack leader Memphis Depay with supplies.
Probable position the Dutch: Bijlow; Dumfries, De Vrij, Van Dijk, Blind; Wijnaldum, Klaassen, De Jong; Grind, Depay, Danjuma