Germany and the Netherlands are set to lock horns in a highly-anticipated Euro 2020 qualifier later on Friday. This game will see two European heavyweights lock horns, but despite all the excitement, Ronald Koeman insists that this is not a crucial game.
This is despite the disadvantageous position La Oranje find themselves in in the race to qualify for next year’s European Championship. Van Dijk and Co. have played two of their eight qualifying matches but boast only three points.
To put this in perspective, Germany, who are in second in the standings, sit six points ahead of them. Group leaders Northern Ireland, meanwhile, boast a huge 12-point gap over the Netherlands.
This means the greatest national team to have never won the World Cup have a huge deficit to overturn if they wish to seal automatic qualification. Nonetheless, the manager isn’t worried.
"The duel with Germany is not a key match," Koeman said, as per BBC Sport.
"We have to get 12 points against Estonia and Belarus and be better in the two games with Northern Ireland."
Holland will be hopeful of beating Germany, but the four-time World Cup champions boast the home advantage. Koeman’s men famously scored three past die Mannschaft without a reply in the first of their two UEFA Nations League encounters before a 90th-minute equalizer saw them draw 2-2 in the return leg.
However, the Netherlands suffered a 3-2 defeat on home soil to a younger-looking Joachim Low squad when they faced off in the Euro 2020 qualifiers back in March. Should they lose to Werner and Co, both Germany and Northern Ireland will enjoy a nine-point cushion over the Dutch.
