Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has faced another wave of criticism in his homeland despite Holland’s 4-0 World Cup qualifying win over Malta on Thursday.
[Voetbal Primeur reports] the Dutch media branded Van Dijk’s performance “weak,” while Algemeen Dagblad described his early mistake as “painful” for the national captain.
– ADEVERTISEMENT –
The defender’s misplaced backpass gifted Malta an early chance and he later received a yellow card, leaving him one booking away from suspension with three qualifiers remaining.
Dutch outlets rated Van Dijk among the team’s poorest performers, continuing a trend of domestic scrutiny over his international displays.
Reacting to his caution, Van Dijk said: “I didn’t consider it a yellow card at all. I hear I’m on edge, and I have to deal with that. This is part of the game. We still have three important matches to achieve that. On to the next one.”
Holland next face Finland before concluding their group campaign against Poland and Lithuania, while Van Dijk will rejoin Liverpool ahead of their clash with Manchester United next week.