The Netherlands have a tough task on their hands if they are to pip one of the tournament favourites in France to the top spot of Group D.
For the Oranje to progress through to the knockout stages as group winners, they would not only need to beat Austria, but they would also need to ensure that their goal difference is greater than France, who have pointless Poland awaiting them in their final group contest. Nonetheless, they only need a single point to seal their spot in the last 16.
While it is looking likely that Austria will progress out of the group as one of the top-performing third-placed sides as it stands, they are no pushovers, and could pose as a tough opposition with aspirations of reaching the knockouts as one of the top-two sides in what is viewed as one of the toughest groups of the tournament.
The Netherlands and Austria will meet at the Olympiastadion Berlin with the match kicking off at 17:00 BST [18:00 CEST] on June 25th.
What did Ronald Koeman say?
Straight off the bat, Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman emphasised how difficult the match-up with Austria is expected to be, noting that they will need to be ‘focused’ at all times, especially when in possession.
“We know that it’ll be a tough match, because you can’t underestimate Austria, especially in the way they put you under pressure, so we’ll have to be very focussed and concentrated when we are in possession.”
With the Netherlands needing just a point, questions were raised over whether Koeman would rotate his squad a little bit, though he was vague – as expected – in his response, reiterating that he will put out the lineup that he feels will be the most capable of handling his coaching demands, and executing to his level of expectation.
“I’m not necessarily thinking in terms of putting out a different team [than against France], but there are a number of points to focus on because of the nature of our opponent,” Koeman said when addressing the media. “We’ve concentrated on that in training. We’ll have to deal well with being in possession, and also to know when to play the long ball to get out of the pressure they’ll put us under.”
One player who has drawn some criticism of late is Memphis Depay, and when asked whether he is considering dropping the underperforming forward, who is out of contract in the summer after his tenure with Atlético Madrid ran its course, the Dutch manager’s was succinct: “He just plays.”
“Of course he can and must improve, but there is also a history of match fitness. Memphis will have to grow in the tournament just like all of us.”
While he’s has started both the opening two contests, other players haven’t been so fortunate, and Koeman addressed how important maintaining squad camaraderie within the Dutch camp is, especially for those who aren’t seeing the minutes on the pitch.
“We pay attention to the players who are not playing as well as those who are. We’re in this together. Obviously there’s disappointment in the players who’re not playing. We have to make sure they’re ready if called upon. But it’s not always easy.”
What did Stefan de Vrij say?
Echoing Koeman’s comments, defender Stefan de Vrij said that due to the overall positive atmosphere internally, that this has made it easier for sometimes difficult conversations to be had with different players, though he insisted he would not elaborate further.
“There’s a very good spirit in the group. That makes it easier to address topics with each other. So there have been specific discussions with certain players, but obviously what was said stays within the group.”
The 32-year-old was then asked about how his manager’s second stint with the National Team has been, having previously been in charge of the side between 2018-2020, in which they finished as runners up in the 2018-19 Nations League, before opting to leave in favour of taking up the managerial role with Barcelona, to which the Inter Milan defender said he has observed ‘enormous progress’ across all facets of his coaching.
“As person he hasn’t changed much, but as coach he’s made enormous progress. Especially in the way he communicates with his players, on an individual level as well as when he speaks to the whole team.”
Coming off a gruelling 0-0 stalemate with France, which, had it not been for a controversial VAR decision in which Xavi Simons’ second-half strike was ruled out, could have seen the Netherlands take away all three points and all but seal their qualification as winners of Group D, De Vrij chose instead to focus on areas of improvement for the next contest against Austria.
“We can take a lot of positives from the match [against France], but also of course there are things we can improve upon. Obviously we had to recover after the game, so there wasn’t much time to work on these things, but through video analysis and meetings we can also improve.”
With the Netherlands virtually through to the knockout stages of the tournament, they could be easily forgiven for thinking about potential opponents that may lie ahead, but for now at least, De Vrij iterates that the team’s focus is solely on their own performance against the Austrians, and only after that game can they then think about the future.
“There are a lot of strong teams, but we don’t want to calculate too much. We just want to focus on our own performance. Especially tomorrow, we just want to play a good game and get a good result. And then we’ll see afterwards.”