With a 2-0 win over Austria, the Netherlands reached the round of 16. In total, it is a well-deserved three, even if the Elftal needed some start-up help in the form of the penalty meter.
David Alaba
Then Frank de Boer's team showed the more mature play system. Fireworks did not burn down the Orange, but at least it was enough to be more dangerous than the enemy. The hosts scored a second goal after the break in front of 15,243 spectators in the Johan Cruijff Arena.
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Austria remained largely harmless, with the exception of two half-chances. There was a lack of penetration, ideas and ultimately the quality to lure the Dutch defensive out of the reserve.
But nothing is lost yet. If you win against Ukraine on Monday, you will be in second place in Group C. And even if there is only one point, there is still the possibility of finishing third in the group as one of the four best. In the end, the Dutch will play against North Macedonia in parallel.
The voices for the game
Franco Foda: We were too imprecise in the last zone. We had good chances to finish a few times, but then didn't look for a shot on goal or the cross. In this respect, we were then too harmless overall. Small details make the difference at this level.
We had errors that were too simple in the setup of the game. We talked about that during the break. We did much, much better in the second half and were able to develop pressure at times. But we didn't have a lot of determination around the area and didn't have enough chances to score. If Karim Onisiwo uses his scoring chance, it might be exciting because Holland also conceded two goals against Ukraine, but overall it wasn't enough in the game.
We knew Holland was the favorite. Now it's just a matter of analyzing the game, regenerating it and we have our final against Ukraine. We will be there. And that with Arnautovic.
David Alaba: We knew beforehand that the quality of the Dutch is very high. Nevertheless, we played really bravely, wanted to stand high, play football and not let ourselves be rushed in. But of course we didn't have the solution in the last third of the attack. Still, we wanted to play out the back and play our game. We felt good at the game. The penalty is of course my responsibility. There are also positive scenes, especially on the defensive.
Christoph Baumgartner: Of course, Holland has an absolute quality. We have already had one or the other chance. We weren't entirely without a chance. With one I shoot him, with the other he stretches away world-class.
It was an unfortunate scene that we fell behind. You have absolutely world class in some positions, that has to be recognized. We didn't manage to get 100 percent.
We won one or the other ball, but then didn't finish it well. We rarely managed to get into 1: 1 situations. We seldom came face to face, we often stood with our backs. We didn't play against just anyone. Matthijs de Ligt is simply a world class defender.
It was often the case that Gregerl and I came in ten at the same time. At the beginning of the second half there was a little urge phase. We have to be chalked up for lack of depth in the game.
Frank de Boer: I am very proud of my team. It was a very good performance. Of course you can be better. It was a contrast to the Ukraine game, today we were better on the defensive. On the offensive, we often lost the ball after two seconds. But the tournament is young and we can grow. We knew that Austria was mentally and physically strong. It wasn't an easy job.
