Netherlands are now top of Group G after a resounding 6-1 victory over Turkey in Amsterdam on Tuesday evening. Michael Bell provides his player ratings for the Oranje stars.
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Justin Bijlow 6.5/10: Another strong night from the Feyenoord goalkeeper, who has really justified his selection as number one by Van Gaal. He made an excellent save in the second half and the only reason his score isn’t higher is because of the error that led to the Turkey goal late on.
Denzel Dumfries 7/10: Netherlands right-back put in another good performance with plenty of energy and support to the attack. Continuing his form from the Euros, Dumfries will now look to break into the Inter side.
Daley Blind 6.5/10: Criticised for his performance against Norway and suspended for the Montenegro win, Blind did okay against Turkey but did look a bit slow at times. A solid performance but not one that will persuade those that want Malacia or Wijndal to take over permanently at left-back.
Stefan de Vrij 8/10: De Vrij was picked over De Ligt and proved why with an outstanding and commanding performance at the back. The partnership with Van Dijk is one that could be very good for Van Gaal
Virgil van Dijk 8/10: Completely dominated Yilmaz and proved why he was such a big miss in the reverse fixture. Van Dijk is crucial to this Netherlands side and it is no wonder that Netherlands plays well when he is on form.
Frenkie de Jong 7/10: Played well and dominated the midfield in the early stages before being given a well-earned rest at the break.
Davy Klaassen 9/10: Klaassen’s finest game in Oranje by far. He not only scored an excellent goal but then set up Memphis with a lovely flick. He also won the penalty for the third goal. An outstanding performance from the Ajax man.
Georginio Wijnaldum 6/10: Did not do much wrong except pick up a yellow card that rules him out of the game in latvia. Wijnaldum struggled to get into the game for the most part and was substituted in the second half.
Steven Berghuis 8/10: A constant threat down the right, Berghuis played a major role in the opening goal. After lesser performances against Norway and Montenegro, this was a great performance from the Ajax winger. He provided five key passes.
Steven Bergwijn 6.5/10: Bergwijn came in for the suspended Gakpo and showed some decent form at times. Had plenty of pace to burn and caused Turkey some problems. Not as crucial to the game as Berghuis or Memphis though.
Memphis Depay 9.5/10: Netherlands star man once again, Memphis was on fire and came away with a hattrick and an assist. His link up play with Klaassen was excellent in the first half and he was a constant threat throughout. Now has the same number of goals for Netherlands as Johan Cruyff. What an incredible player in excellent form.
Substitutes
Teun Koopmeiners 7/10: Koopmeiners finally got a chance to impress and he provided a wonderful assist for the Guus Til goal. Showed that he can handle this level with some nice interceptions and touches.
Guus Til 6.5/10: Got himself his first international goal with a nice finish. Til’s career is back on track at club level and now he is doing the business for Oranje.
Donyell Malen 6.5/10: Got the 6th Netherlands goal and showed some good things after coming on. A great option to have on the bench.
Devyne Rensch N/A: Made his Oranje debut but not on the pitch long enough for a rating
Ryan Gravenberch N/A: Not on the pitch long enough for a rating
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Good ratings Michael.
Memphis and Klaassen certainly deserve most of the plaudits, but I also find it refershing that LVG didn’t didn’t look at the De Ligt vs De Vrij choice with red-tinted lenses the way FDB, Blind, and Koeman did. De Vrij is calm and assured, FAR less error prone, and has years of top-level experience under his belt.
I’d been wanting to see De Vrij and VVD together for some time and they didn’t disappoint. Yilmaz was completely bullied by both of them. Some will point to the Norway game but Haaland is an exceptional player and it was still only 2-3 chances, one of them entirely Gakpo’s fault. In a 4-3-3, this CB pairing is among the best on the planet and should be undisputed for the Dutch.
I though Bergwijn was excellent on the left wing. Very unselfish player, and he manufactured Klaasen’s pen. In my opinion, a better option than Gakpo.
Very entertaining game for Oranje fans. Turkish team looked like they checked out mentally. You could see it in some of the goals they conceded. They desperately need a coaching change.
That’s not to take anything away from this win. Dutch teams flourish when they are given space
That’s why a lot of opponents love to sit back a clog up the passing lanes, and play the counter attack. Norway did it in their game. It gets even worse if the opponent scores first against the Dutch.
I think if Bijlow develops into a reliable keeper, it will do wonders to this team. It will give the team so much more confidence in the back. It is a morale killer when a team gives up soft goals. Oranje have been lacking that commanding presence in the back since Van der Sar left.
Van Dijk/De Vrij combo is awesome. De Ligt will keep the competition hot and will be an able and excellent replacement as needed.
I hope Guus Til and Cody Gapko can finally answer the call at the striker/forward position. I like the tall (not to tall strikers) because they have both the mobility and quickness on the ground as well as adding an aerial threat to their game.
All in all, there’s still a lot more progress to be made and a much promising future and feeling from the Frank de Boer era.