Spectacle in the Nations League
Netherlands inspire – and make fans tremble
07.09.2024, 23:34
The Dutch national football team started the Nations League match against Bosnia-Herzegovina with great enthusiasm. However, defensive deficiencies also played a role and national coach Ronald Koeman’s team had to accept two goals from their opponents, who were full of Bundesliga professionals.
Almost two months after the semi-final exit at the European Championship, the Dutch national football team started the Nations League with a spectacle. 59 days after the 1:2 defeat against England in Dortmund, the team of national coach Ronald Koeman offered exciting offensive football in the 5:2 (2:1) against Bosnia and Herzegovina – albeit with defensive deficiencies. On Tuesday (8.45 p.m./RTL and in the ntv.de live ticker) Oranje in Amsterdam is the next opponent of the German team in Group A3.
Former Munich player Joshua Zirkzee gave the clearly superior hosts an early lead on his debut in the starting eleven in Eindhoven when he headed on a cross from Leipzig’s Xavi Simons (12′). A “German” co-production provided the surprising equaliser: After a pass from Cologne’s Denis Huseinbajic, Stuttgart’s Ermedin Demirovic scored (27′).
Then Oranje were unlucky at first: After a great one-two with Zirkzee, Tijjani Reijnders hit the crossbar (42′). In stoppage time of the first half, the AC Milan midfielder did better and scored the well-deserved 2-1 again with a pass from Zirkzee (45’+2). Reijnders was the brilliant assist for Cody Gakpo’s 3-1 (56′). Edin Dzeko used the visitors’ second chance to score the second goal (73′). Substitute Wout Weghorst (88′) and Simons (90’+2) finally decided the match.
Former Bundesliga professional now national coach
In Bosnia, former Bundesliga professional Sergej Barbarez took over the coaching job after missing out on participation in the European Championship. In the first two games, there were defeats against England (0:3) and Italy (0:1). The starting eleven included four German legionnaires: goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj from FC St. Pauli, Huseinbasic from Cologne, Armin Gigovic from Kiel and Demirovic from Stuttgart.
Before the game, Koeman caused a stir at Oranje because he did not consider striker Steven Bergwijn because of his move to Saudi Arabia. This had “nothing to do with sporting ambitions,” criticized the coach, and Bergwijn countered: “You don’t treat players like that. I have always felt it was an honor to play for the Dutch team, but I don’t want to do that anymore under this coach.”
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