Donyell Malen handed over his calling card to national coach Ronald Koeman in Borussia Dortmund's Champions League match against PSV on Tuesday evening, according to Valentijn Driessen. Someone who was less appealing to the journalist is Ian Maatsen, who started as a left back for the Germans.

Malen hurt his former club PSV, where he was under contract between 2018 and 2021, in the Philips Stadium by putting Borussia Dortmund ahead before half-time.

After a strong attack on the right side of the penalty area, Malen was somewhat lucky that his shot came in via a block from Sergiño Dest and the underside of the crossbar, but with his accelerations he turned out to be the most dangerous man on the German side during the entire game.

“Undoubtedly to the satisfaction of national coach Ronald Koeman,” Driessen writes in his column The Telegraph. “The Dutchman had a free role and was relieved of his defensive duties in relation to Sergiño Dest by his coach Edin Terzic. every German danger involved Malen. While he always shows the pale version of himself with the Dutch team, he turns out to be one of the great men in the German service.”

Driessen thinks that Malen will be a certainty for Koeman for next summer's European Championship in Germany, 'in the form of the first half against PSV'. The 28-time international of the Dutch national team was mainly a starting player during the qualifying series.

Maatsen has already been in Koeman's selection a number of times, but is still waiting for his debut. In the eyes of Driessen, the left back left a 'very mediocre' impression against PSV. “Either he lost the ball or made the wrong choices. His trainer took him aside for a while without any results.”

The journalist further writes that Jerdy Schouten and Joey Veerman were given the ideal opportunity to convince Koeman. However, according to Driessen, the best of the two did not emerge against Dortmund. As a central defender, Schouten did not get the chance to move to midfield, while this resulted in Veerman 'playing with the handbrake on'.

More sports news