Netherlands drew 1-1 with Germany on Tuesday evening in Amsterdam. Michael Bell provides his player ratings for the Oranje stars.
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Mark Flekken 6/10: No clean sheet again for Flekken in his second cap but not much he could have done with the Germany goal. Not an overly confident performance but not as shaky as the Denmark clash.
Denzel Dumfries 6/10: Again not as involved as he was at the Euro’s but on a rare venture forward he set up the Netherlands equaliser. Germany caused him problems at the back.
Tyrell Malacia 6.5/10: A steady performance from Malacia, who started at left-wing back. An energetic defender who looked more comfortable in the position than Blind did against Denmark.
Matthijs de Ligt 6.5/10: A decent performance overall even if he sometimes got caught out of position. Towards the end, the centre-back made some good interceptions and almost netted the winner.
Virgil van Dijk 7/10: He may not be the biggest fan of three at the back, but Van Dijk was once again the strongest defender in Oranje. A solid performance from the captain.
Daley Blind 6/10: Moves central after having a difficult time against Denmark. Once again, Blind failed to impress at times and he lost Thomas Muller for the Germany goal. However, he did battle back in the second half and made some good interceptions.
Teun Koopmeiners 5.5/10: A difficult first half for the midfielder as Germany took control and he was subbed at half-time for Gini Wijnaldum.
Frenkie de Jong 8/10: The standout by far in Oranje, Netherlands came back into the game in the second half mainly because of De Jong, who was excellent on the ball as usual. A confident player playing at the top of his game at the moment.
Steven Berghuis 5/10: Lively against Denmark, Berghuis just could not get involved against Germany. Struggled until he was subbed in the 57th minute.
Donyell Malen 5.5/10: He may have been the most lively Netherlands player in the first-half but he failed to take his opportunities and his decision-making was poor at times. Netherlands improved when Bergwijn came on.
Memphis Depay 6/10: Flashes of good play, but Memphis couldn’t connect with Malen. He was smart for the Bergwijn goal and he should have earned a penalty.
Substitutes
Georginio Wijnaldum 6/10: Came on at the break and helped Netherlands get more control in the midfield. Steady performance from the midfielder.
Davy Klaassen 6/10: Replaced Bergwijn and did okay. Managed to keep hold of the ball and Netherlands got a grip on the game after his entrance.
Steven Bergwijn 7/10: Once again the goalscorer for Oranje, Bergwijn is proving to be a star for Van Gaal’s Oranje. 5 goals now in three internationals.
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Ake is better than Blind as a center-back and Malen need to be more focused on the target.
Everyone does realize that a friendly is just a glorified practice. This is a time to try things out and get a feel for the formation and probably not exactly what they are going to do at the World Cup. Aké might even perform well in the most central position in the back three to be honest. Flekken will come around and given his ability with his feet, will probably start if Cillessen isn’t healthy and performing at top level by then. Time will tell, but be patient for now.