Liverpool star delivers 9.5/10 performance in international mauling but Reds ace 'doesn't have finest night'
Four Liverpool players were in action for the Netherlands as they cruised past Malta on Thursday night
Liverpool stars Cody Gakpo, Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Jeremie Frimpong were all in action on Thursday night as they Netherlands solidified their place at the top of Group G in UEFA’s World Cup qualifiers.
Ronald Koeman’s side had sat top of the group on goal difference ahead of the game, but had played one game fewer than second-placed Poland. They hammered Malta 4-0 away from home to go three points clear at the top of the group. Poland played New Zealand in a friendly and were not in competitive action.
They face Finland at home on Sunday before heading to Poland in November in what appears to be the decisive game to decide who will top Group G. Against Malta, Gakpo scored twice from the penalty spot while Manchester City midfielder Tijjani Reijnders also found the net just before the hour mark.
Former Manchester United forward Memphis Depay added a fourth goal in second-half stoppage time.
Cody Gakpo earns high match rating as Van Dijk criticised
With his two goals, Gakpo was handed a 9.5/10 rating by FotMob. The Liverpool ace also bagged an assist in the 4-0 mauling and created the most chances in the game with five - he also struck the woodwork once.
Meanwhile, Frimpong and Gravenberch played their part in the win but Van Dijk was on the end of some criticism from Dutch media. Football Oranje handed him a 5/10 for his performance, as they said of his display: “Almost gifted Malta a goal early on with a terrible back pass and was booked in the second half for a silly push. Not his finest night.”
The Netherlands have won four and drawn one of their five qualifying games so far and their fate is firmly in their own hands as they look to reach the World Cup next summer. Finland also sit three points behind them but have played a game more.
Ronald Koeman reacts to Netherlands 4-0 win
Speaking after the game, Dutch national team boss Koeman said he was happy with the result but admitted it could have been a tidier performance.
“We won 0-4, so that's good. I didn't find it frustrating, but we could have done things better. I thought we started well, even though we gave away a chance to Malta in the opening minutes,” he said, in what appeared to be reference to Van Dijk’s mistake.
"Jurrien Timber played very well in the build-up. He freed himself a few times towards midfield and then we were able to find our people there. After that, I thought, because they also started to put a lot of pressure, that we should have found solutions faster.
“Then the pace went down. But we gave maximum throttle until the end. There were a lot of good things, so I pay less attention to what you think.”
Van Dijk reflected afterwards: “I don't think we should underestimate how difficult it is to play polished football through the middle. We tried, but we had to go around them. But we secured victory, that is the most important thing. We won, now on to the next one."