"We simply have a great squad. There's a lot of competition, and you can see that again with the players coming on [as substitutes]."
"These are difficult choices, because there's so much quality."
"If we tighten our expectations of each other a little bit, to make each other even bigger, stronger, and better, then a lot is possible. [Captain] Virgil [van Dijk] plays a role in that, Frenkie [de Jong] plays a role in that, Memphis [Depay] plays a role in that. That's the core of our team."
The Netherlands secured Group G qualification with a 4-0 win over Lithuania, with Tijjani Reijnders, Cody Gakpo, Xavi Simons and Donyell Malen scoring. The team produced an xG of 3.16 from 20 attempts while Lithuania had 0.67 from nine shots. Four Premier League players scored in a single game for the Netherlands for the first time. Several regulars such as Ryan Gravenberch and Micky van de Ven did not feature, highlighting squad depth. Ronald Koeman praised the competition for places, named Virgil van Dijk, Frenkie de Jong and Memphis Depay as the core, and expressed confidence about challenging at the 2026 World Cup.
Read at Soccer News
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