Dutch media react amid ‘lucky’ Virgil van Dijk scenes away from Liverpool
Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk did not have his finest night as the Netherlands beat Lithuania 3-2 on Sunday.
The 33-year-old usually steps up for his nation, just like he does for Arne Slot‘s side on a weekly basis, but this time was not one of those occasions.
Van Dijk has been in solid form for Liverpool, despite them conceding four goals in their opening three matches.
Liverpool’s defence were solid in the 1-0 win over Arsenal before the international break and will hope to capitalise on that when they return to action.
Van Dijk struggles despite Netherlands win
Liverpool teammate Cody Gakpo was labelled as the best player for the Dutch, but Van Dijk did not have an outstanding night like his colleague.
The Netherlands’ defence conceded two goals, and Van Dijk was caught out in the late stages of the contest, as an attacker got past him and Jurrien Timber had to block the shot.
Algemeen Dagblad handed the Reds skipper a 5.5 rating out of 10, saying: “The Dutch captain saw a couple of 2-0 leads slip away against Liverpool early in the season and now had to watch as Lithuania twice defeated his defence to level the score at 2-2.
“With a 2-3 lead in the closing stages, Van Dijk was almost caught out by a Lithuanian attacker, but this time the Dutch escaped unscathed.”
De Telegraaf gave him a 6.5 out of 10, saying: “Van Dijk will always have the air of a leader in a match. He didn’t do anything spectacular, but tried to create something with some through passes.
“If he succeeded, someone in depth becomes free. In the closing stages, he was lucky that Timber blocked the shot when he had already run past him.”
Voetbal International handed Van Dijk a 6, presented without further comment.
| Stats | Van Dijk |
| Pass accuracy | 92/101 (91%) |
| Clearances | 3 |
| Recoveries | 4 |
| Aerial duels won | 5/8 (62%) |
Liverpool need Virgil van Dijk on form
Van Dijk has been part of a defensive unit that has not started the season well by any means, and Slot needs them to step up in the next few weeks.
- Liverpool conceded two in the opening Premier League match with Bournemouth
- They then needed a late Rio Ngumoha goal to get past 10-men Newcastle, who had scored twice
- Finally kept a clean sheet against Arsenal
The Reds need Van Dijk, who is contracted until 2027, to marshal the others around him, and build on the solidity shown in the win over the Gunners.
The openness is understandable, considering the new full-back pairing of Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, and the fact that Dominik Szoboszlai was forced to replace Frimpong in two of those matches.
However, now they need to knuckle down and strap in for the title defence, and Van Dijk cannot afford many more ‘lucky’ moments.
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