Bosnia-Herzegovina 0-0 Netherlands: Player ratings for the Oranje as their disappointing start under Frank de Boer continues | UEFA Nations League 2020-21
The Netherlands were held to a 0-0 draw by Bosnia-Herzegovina on Sunday night in a UEFA Nations League fixture that involved sloppy finishing and a lack of attacking intent by both teams.
The Dutch were without their key man Memphis Depay for the match, and his sharpness in front of goal was sorely missed as the team didn't manage to get any shots on target for the first 45 minutes. If not for Bosnia's wastefulness with possession, the scoreline could've been much worse for Frank de Boer's men.
There were very few positive takeaways for the Netherlands from this game including Frenkie De Jong's increased involvement in the attack and Stefan De Vrij's ever-increasing understanding with Virgil Van Dijk at the heart of the defence.
The performance did nothing to lift their spirits before their showdown against Italy four days from now. On that note, let's take a look at the player ratings for the Netherlands from their 0-0 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Netherlands player ratings
Jasper Cillessen - 6.5/10
Jasper Cillessen had a reliable performance for the Netherlands on Sunday night and while there were a few misplaced passes from the former Barcelona shot-stopper, he comfortably dealt with everything the Bosnia-Herzegovina strikers had to offer. He was forced into making just one save throughout the game and nothing more could've been asked of him on the night.
Virgil van Dijk - 7/10
Virgil van Dijk was probably the best player for the Netherlands on Sunday as he kept his calm throughout the game and made plenty of crucial interventions to cut off passes before they could develop into anything dangerous.
He bullied the Bosnia forwards for the entirety of the game and stepped up his game when Edin Dzeko came on in the second half, beating the veteran striker for pace and strength.
Stefan de Vrij - 7/10
Van Dijk might've kept Bosnia strikers in his pocket in the game but it was his partner Stefan de Vrij who did most of the running around in the defensive third and who covered more ground.
He recorded more interceptions, more clearances and aerial duels than Van Dijk while also maintaining a 94 % pass accuracy. He did well enough to retain his position in the Netherlands squad for the upcoming game against Italy.
Daley Blind - 6/10
The former Manchester United man started at left-back for the Netherlands on Sunday. However, despite finding himself with time and space on multiple occasions, he failed to create meaningful chances for his strikers.
He delivered nine crosses into the box but only three of them found the target. He was not very busy defensively but did let Benjamin Tatar get the drop on him on a couple of occasions.
Denzel Dumfries - 5.5/10
Denzel Dumfries put in a woeful shift starting as a right-back and is partly at blame for the Netherlands' limited attacking opportunities going forward.
The defender was not at all marked by Bosnia players and had been given a free hand to run up and down the right flank. However, despite finding himself in good positions at least a half a dozen times, he somehow managed to lose possession.
The lack of quality in his deliveries starved Luuk De Jong from making the most of his aerial prowess in the box.
Frenkie De Jong - 7/10
Frenkie De Jong, like most of his teammates, had an unusually quiet first half. While he did enjoy a few good moments, he largely failed to impact the game before the half-time whistle.
As the game progressed into its last quarter, the Barcelona man moved deeper and deeper into the opposition half, operating almost in a No.10 role.
Marten de Roon - 7/10
Marten de Roon was one of the Netherlands' better players on the night. As always, he did the dirty work well and broke up several attacks.
He engaged in physical battles with the Bosnia midfielders and occasionally played as a third centre-back, covering for Dumfries and Blind when they moved ahead on the flanks.
Donyell Malen - 5.5/10
The 21-year-old winger failed to provide the spark going forward and also lacked the cutting edge to either pick the decisive pass or to take a shot himself. He only had 39 touches in the 69 minutes he was on the pitch, which proves that he was not involved in the game that much.
Georginio Wijnaldum - 6.5/10
Georginio Wijnaldum did not start the game well but had a few bright moments in the second half and registered the Netherland's first shot on target after the break.
The Liverpool midfielder's involvement in the attack only increased towards the final moments of the game. He found De Jong with a sublime lofted pass only for the Barcelona man's attempt to be saved brilliantly by Ibrahim Sehic.
Quincy Promes - 6/10
Apart from a few bright moments, Quincy Promes offered next to nothing in the final third and struggled with his decision-making on several occasions. His deliveries from set-pieces were fairly accurate and caused a bit of trouble for the home side.
Luuk de Jong - 6/10
The striker failed to replicate his form at Sevilla for the Netherlands on Sunday and gave Frank de Boer another reason to put him back on the bench when Memphis Depay returns.
He came the closest of all Netherlands players to getting on the scoresheet in the 78th minute but Sehic's insane reflexes denied him the goal.
Substitutes
Steven Berghuis - 5.5/10
Steven Berghuis was brought in for Malen in the 69th minute. He tried to get involved in the build-up as he made three key passes in his cameo but was unfortunately kept off the ball by Bosnia defenders.
Hans Hateboer - 5.5/10
Hans Hateboer replaced Dumfries at right-back in the 70th minute. He saw very little of the ball as every Netherlands player was instructed to go forward by De Boer. There was also very little happening in the flanks in the last quarter of the game.
Nathan Ake - N/A
Nathan Ake was brought in for Blind in the 86th minute and had just 11 touches before the final whistle was blown.
Ryan Babel - N/A
Ryan Babe was brought in for Promes in the 86th minute but was barely involved in the game and missed a sitter in injury time.