Marco van Basten is critical of Matthijs de Ligt after the 2-0 victory of the the Dutch over Austria. In the studio of the NOS a moment from the first half of the game in the Johan Cruijff ArenA is highlighted, where Marcel Sabitzer seemed to get a free passage towards the goal because De Ligt followed Michael Gregoritsch. On the basis of that moment, Van Basten comes to the conclusion that De Ligt has learned nothing in Italy.
“If you look at how often Stekelenburg has to handle the long ball and therefore cannot build up, that is not something positive. Then it is fifty-fifty and it becomes a kind of fighting football. I think that as a parent from the back you have to have more overview and control, to come forward playing football. Then you can dominate a match, I have not seen that now”, Van Basten begins his analysis. The moment is then highlighted when a gap is created in the defense because De Ligt follows Gregoritsch.
The moment when Van Basten and Perez aim.
“That’s definitely what you don’t want when you play with three centrally,” Kenneth Perez analyzes the moment in the first half. “Then I think a little further, because the group is over. If you have to play against good opponents later… There were a lot of moments where those three just kept standing and then it becomes very difficult for the three midfielders to solve that. I think it is too vulnerable against countries like Germany and France.”
“De Ligt is a central defender and he needs to give more leadership,” Van Basten adds. “Either De Vrij has to go with his husband, or he has to go himself, or he has to go out. You have to make yourself heard, assert yourself. Because you have to lead the defense. He just runs after his man, leaving a gaping hole. De Ligt went to Italy to learn how to defend, but I don’t think he learned much there. Based on this kind of moment. These are the things that matter. He is the last man to lead De Ligt and De Vrij. If he goes along, he must have the ball one hundred percent. But he walks along and if that other player goes deep, you walk free to the goal.”
Perez stands up for De Ligt somewhat. “It’s a lot to ask for a young player. Marco has played a lot higher than most people. In this situation it seems very inviting to me to walk with your husband, after which it is difficult to get in touch with Daley Blind. Blind has to see it, I think he should walk in five or ten meters,” Perez says. Van Basten: “You see everything in front of you, so you have to think out loud. If you go with your husband, you must call Blind in.”
The man of the match was not Denzel Dumfries or Frenkie de Jong
The report figures of Voetbalzone of the players of the Dutch.
“I tried my best. I had the feeling it was well put together. If I wasn’t there, Stefan or Daley would be there. We put on a good game, grown up. Giving away little defensively and created more himself,” De Ligt analyzes in front of the camera of the NOS. The Juventus defender is content with the 5-3-2 system. “If it works, it’s great. Then we had trained for three days and it went less. We trained it day by day, it runs much better now.”
“Opponents have a hard time playing against us. Today we have used the long ball quite often. As an Ajax player, that still feels strange, but it is tournament football,” continues De Ligt, who had to be changed in the last minute with cramp. “When you say it, you’re a little ashamed of it. I think the last game for me was 16 days ago, against Scotland. I have not been able to do much to not put strain on the groin. I was able to train again for four days, but you don’t do that too hard because the boys have to rest after the last game.”
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