AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Sept 9 (Askume) – Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt will get another chance in the Nations League against Germany in Amsterdam on Tuesday despite his mistake at the weekend.
De Ligt was on the wrong side of the ball in the Nations League Group A opener against Bosnia in Eindhoven on Saturday, allowing 38-year-old Edin Dzeko to score despite the Netherlands’ 5-2 win .
The mistake put United’s new centre-forward back in the headlines in his country, but Dutch boss Ronald Koeman expressed confidence in him on Monday and sought to end ongoing questions about De Ligt’s place in the team.
“We have discussed it,” Koeman said at a news conference ahead of Germany’s game at the Johan Cruyff Stadium.
“His footwork wasn’t right. It was a bad individual moment for a defender. You have to learn from it and obviously moments like that need improvement. But we shouldn’t be dramatic about it and we shouldn’t get too dramatic about it. Get carried away.”
Koeman also confirmed that De Ligt would play against Germany, although he promised to make other changes to the squad.
The match against Bosnia was De Ligt’s first official international match in more than a year. He was a substitute in this year’s European Cup in Germany but did not get a chance to play.
De Ligt has already played 46 games at the age of 25, and although he is yet to develop into the world-class defender he was admired as a teenager, he has come a long way.
The Nightmare Begins
De Ligt was only 17 when he made a nightmare start in a crucial World Cup qualifier in Bulgaria, which the Netherlands lost, playing a key role in their failure to reach the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia.
De Ligt was shown a red card for a clumsy handball against the Czech Republic, who exited Euro 2021 in the last 16, so it was no surprise Saturday’s mistake was caught immediately.
“I didn’t feel like my footwork was right, I heard something that made me think the goalkeeper (Bart Verbruggen) was coming, but I didn’t want to put the blame on him at all,” De Ligt said. “I’m trying my best, but I know I can do better.”
Koeman said on Monday he hoped a move to Old Trafford would provide plenty of opportunities for De Ligt, who started just half of Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga games last season.
“I also discussed moving to Manchester United with Koeman. I am very happy with that,” De Ligt told Dutch NOS TV at the weekend.
“It’s also about being more in the picture, even if it feels strange. But you will notice that everyone is watching the Premier League and the Bundesliga a lot less.”
