Captain Virgil van Dijk got the last part champ as the Netherlands beat neighbours Belgium 1-0 on Sunday to secure the best position in their Nations League group and a spot in the following year’s finals competition.
Van Dijk fueled home a header from a corner in the 73rd moment at the Amsterdam Arena on Sunday to guarantee the Dutch completed out-of-control victors in League A Group Four.
They wrapped up with 16 places, six more than Belgium, who got an opportunity to jump their neighbours and defeat all comers, yet expected to win by three objectives or more on Sunday to do so.
Any expectations of an objective banquet were immediately obstructed, be that as it may, as the different sides counterbalanced each other in a tight strategic fight.
The Dutch squeezing game disappointed Belgian endeavours at developing assaults, while five-person protection for the guests implied there was no place for the home strikers.
It implied the champ came from a straightforward set piece with Van Dijk jumping over his 18-year-old Zeno Debast marker to give Louis van Gaal his 37th triumph in his three spells responsible for the public side, equalling the record for a Dutch mentor held by Dick Advocaat.
Belgium, whose own mentor Roberto Martinez needed to sit in the stands after being given a red card toward the finish of last week’s success over Grains, got an opportunity for an ideal beginning after just four minutes, with Eden Danger set up by Amadou Onana to impact his shot wide.
There were other first-half opportunities for Michy Batshauyi, Axel Witsel, Timothy Castagne and Onana as Belgium had the better of the half’s chances while their goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was generally untroubled.
The Dutch improved after a couple of half-time changes. Denzel Dumfries, Steven Bergwijn and Davy Klaassen were completely obstructed as the home side found more space, and Belgium resided hazardously at the back in the game’s last phases.
Belgium could well have constrained a draw as a terrific exertion from substitute Dodi Lukebakio came surprisingly close to the last pant balancer with the last kick of the game.
“We needed to win; however, it was anything but an extraordinary game. We might have improved; however, we needed to buckle down against a group with many valuable players. However, winning was the main,” Van Dijk said after the match.
