The Netherlands concluded their Euro 2024 group stage with a disappointing 3-2 loss to Austria. Oranje were able to twice come from behind but below-par defending eventually led to their defeat. This means that Ronald Koeman’s side have finished third in Group D and will have to wait to find out their round of 16 opponents. Last Word on Football looks at what we learned from the Netherlands group stage performances.
Netherlands Euro 2024 Group Stage Top 5 Things We Learnt
Disappointing Netherlands Collapse Against Austria
Much has been made of the fantastic defensive options at Koeman’s deposal, five of his centre-backs played for teams who finished in the top three of their respective leagues. However, against Austria, they were a defensive disaster. For the opening goal, Lutsharel Geertruida gave Alexander Prass too much space on the left and the Austrian’s cross bounced off Donyell Malen and in.
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After pulling a goal back, some more lacklustre defending allowed Austria to make it 2-1. This time, Jerdy Schouten didn’t follow his man and allowed Florian Grillitsch an uncontested cross. Somehow, the Dutch defending was even worse for Austria’s winning goal. No one on the right side of the pitch felt the need to track Marcel Sabitzer and he had an easy finish past Bart Verbruggen.
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This performance from what is supposed to be one of the Netherlands’ stronger departments is a real concern. Koeman will be considering what changes he can make to ensure his side does not suffer a repeat performance in the round of 16.
A real area of weakness against Austria was the performance of Stefan de Vrijj, the Inter Milan defender was consistently beaten in the air by Marko Arnautovic. A solution to this problem would be to give Matthijs de Ligt his first appearance in the tournament. The 24-year-old is comfortable in the air and would’ve fared better against the Austrian striker.
Koeman Still Searching for His Best Team
The two changes that the coach made against Austria demonstrated that the former Barcelona manager still doesn’t know his best team. Donyell Malen made his first start in place of Jeremie Frimpong and Joey Veerman returned in place of Xavi Simons. The latter change was reversed in the 35th minute, the PSV midfielder had completed just 47% of his passes and lost possession 16 times.
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Simons justified his manager’s decision by assisting Gakpo’s equaliser in the 47th minute. The 21-year-old should be a nailed-on starter for the round of 16. The Netherlands squad’s lack of international experience is proving challenging for Koeman.
The 61-year-old is finding out on the job who is suited to tournament football and who isn’t. Oranje need time to grow into Euro 2024, their collapse against Austria means they might not get it.
Verbruggen Is the Real Deal
Verbruggen came into Euro 2024 with questions about his ability to perform in a major tournament at a young age. However, despite the shaky defence in front of him, the 21-year-old has impressed, making crucial saves in every game. The Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper has proved he’s the real deal and has been the best player of the Netherlands Euro 2024 Group Stage.
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As Oranje gets deeper into the tournament, Verbruggen will be pushed even further. Experiencing such adversity at such a young age is only going to benefit the 21-year-old in the future. If he continues his solid form, expect teams in need of a long-term goalkeeping solution to be phoning Brighton this summer.
The Revolving Right-Wing Door
Another example of Koeman’s selection problems is the fact he’s started a different right winger in every game so far. Simons started there against Poland but struggled and was moved centrally for the next outing. Replacing him on the right was Frimpong. The Bayer Leverkusen winger failed to have an impact against France and was replaced by Malen for the Austria game. The Dortmund star was more involved but appeared to go off injured. The Netherlands manager may try something new once again in the round of 16.
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Steven Bergwijn is yet to play a minute after an impressive season with Ajax. The 26-year-old would provide a finishing touch that Oranje’s other wingers do not possess. The Netherlands could also ditch wingers altogether and play a midfield diamond. This would involve playing Simons behind the front two of Gakpo and Depay. Koeman has many options at his disposal however, not being able to choose the correct one could mean the end for him as his country’s manager.
Netherlands Given a Lifeline by Expanded Tournament
In a normal international tournament, defeat to Austria would have seen the Netherlands eliminated. They came third in their group, in front of only Poland. However, an expanded Euro 2024 means the four best third-place teams also advance to the next round. This sees Koeman’s side get handed a lifeline they cannot afford to waste.
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The Netherlands will have to immediately improve to avoid a last-16 exit. Their third-place finish means they could face either Spain or England in the next round. These fixtures would be a great test of Oranje’s tournament credentials and prove whether the Austria game was a blip or a warning sign.
