Ronald Koeman looked ahead to the Netherlands crucial European Championship qualifier in Athens on Monday.
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The Netherlands chances of qualifying automatically for the Euros would be out of their hands if they were to lose to Greece on Monday. Greece would move six points ahead of the Netherlands with only two games left for Oranje. However, a win for Netherlands would make qualification almost certain.
According to Voetbal International, Koeman said on the match at the pre-game press conference, “They will use everything to get the result they need. You have to be smart and find the peace of mind to be and stay in possession of the ball. I can say that we are going to win, but we prefer to show that on the field. It’s just a dangerous match.
“They see this as an opportunity that they may not have expected to have. We take a lot of things with us from the first match against Greece (3-0 win), but they will also have learned a lesson from that.”
In terms of line-up, Koeman confirmed Bart Verbruggen will start, “I was very satisfied with Verbruggen. He was not guilty of both goals conceded. He is self-critical and I think that as a debutant – at his age, in that situation, and against that opponent – he has done more than well.”
Koeman also confirmed that he should have Wout Weghorst available, “I understand from Wout that if there is no response after training, he will be fit again and can participate tomorrow.”
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“They see this as an opportunity that they may not have expected to have.” Yes, 12 points so far is just a luck. You should learn to respect other teams, especially Greek Team!