Netherlands head coach Frank de Boer is very impressed by striker Donyell Malen and believes he is destined for the top.
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Malen impressed in the 3-0 victory over North Macedonia and was praised by Ruud van Nistelrooy during his press conference on Friday.
De Boer also praised the PSV star during the pre-match press conference ahead of Netherlands clash with Czech Republic on Sunday, “Ruud van Nistelrooy is right that it is Malen’s international breakthrough but he will have to show it every time he plays.
“I think he has what it takes to become a major international player. If you’re a connoisseur and you like football, you can see the quality in him. That is why everyone is very charmed by him.”
De Boer would not confirm whether it will be Malen or Wout Weghorst that starts the clash with Czech Republic on Sunday, “The Czechs try to put pressure early. Then you can say that there is space and you need a fast player. But if you can’t play out of it, you need a cue point for the long ball. So you’ll see who’s playing tomorrow; Donyell Malen or Wout Weghorst.”
The Oranje boss knows his side need to be at their best to reach the quarter finals, “The Czech Republic is a unit, we know very well what they want. They want to disturb the opponent early and have dueling power. They showed that by playing a 1-1 away at Belgium. And they have played 1-1 against World Cup finalists Croatia. If there is space they play on the ground, if not they have a lot of players who go deep and fight for the second ball. It is a difficult opponent, traditionally we always have a difficult time. We have to be top notch to beat them.”
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