Football

Netherlands must stop Kylian Mbappé as a team – Virgil van Dijk

The Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk said they must stop France’s Kylian Mbappe with a collective effort. The Dutch will take on France in Group D at the Red Bull Arena at Leipzig on Friday. 

The Netherlands got off to a winning start in their campaign as they registered a 2-1 win against Poland after Cody Gakpo and Wout Weghorst scored for them.

Meanwhile, Mbappe is one of the best players in the world and he is known to bamboozle the opposition defenders with his extra speed. 

“Look, everyone knows his qualities,” Van Dijk told reporters. “We have to be at our best as a team in order to stop them [France] from scoring, but obviously he is a world-class player that can make the difference in one split second.

“But we have to be ready as a team for a different kind of challenge and I think we’ve shown what we can do over the last couple of games.

“We have a top-level defence ready to be tested on Friday. That game is now the big one.

“We struggled them in our last couple of games against them but I am looking forward to that. The focus will be on recovery and making sure that everything’s ready for what a huge test that will be.”

Meanwhile, Weghorst was able to strike the match-winning goal within two minutes after coming on as a substitute against Poland. Van Dijk gave credit to his team for staying patient and delivering at a crucial phase.

“You just have to stay calm and patient and I think we did, obviously,” he said.

“I think it’s very important to keep pushing, keep the confidence in each other and I think we did. Guys who came off the bench made a difference and that’s what we need.

“I don’t think that there is anyone in the team that has a give-up mentality. It’s about keeping going and trying to keep creating.

“Wout eventually scored and I think we got what we deserved. I’m glad for Wout obviously and for the whole team and nation that we got our first win.

“I think the main thing was that we need everyone. When he came from the bench he made a big impact with the goal but he also brings a lot of energy, he brings a different type of dimension to our game that’s very needed as well

“And yeah, you know, we need that from the bench. Let’s keep going.”

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

Mavericks pick Cooper Flagg at No. 1 in 2025 NBA draft

Dallas Mavericks have bagged the services of forward Cooper Flagg with the first pick of… Read More

June 27, 2025

Nick Kyrgios predicts Carlos Alcaraz to have better career than Jannik Sinner

Nick Kyrgios has predicted that Carlos Alcaraz will have a better career than Jannik Sinner.… Read More

June 27, 2025

Pep Guardiola says Manchester City played like a good team after a long time

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola noted that his side played like a good team after… Read More

June 27, 2025

Aakash Chopra opens up on Jofra Archer’s return, says fast bowler can be a game-changer ahead of 2nd Test against India

Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has noted that while Jofra Archer has been added… Read More

June 27, 2025

Michael Vaughan lauds Rishabh Pant, says there is a lot of science in his madness

Former England captain Michael Vaughan showered praise on Rishabh Pant after the opening Test match… Read More

June 27, 2025

Ajinkya Rahane picks India’s two best hundreds from ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane picked KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant’s centuries in the second innings… Read More

June 27, 2025