"Done with the National Team", "Error prone" - Fans unhappy with Netherlands star's performance in 2-2 Germany draw
Fans had a go at the Netherlands defender Matthijs de Ligt after their 2-2 draw against Germany in the Nations League clash on Tuesday (September 10). Despite the Dutch scoring in the second minute, Germany ended the first half with a 2-1 lead. Denzel Dumfries equalized for the Oranje in the second half to draw the game.
De Ligt had an underwhelming game at the helm of the Netherlands defense. The Manchester United center-back recorded zero ground and aerial duels and was replaced by Jan Paul van Hecke at halftime.
De Ligt's fatal error led to Joshua Kimmich's goal just before the halftime whistle. The Manchester United defender couldn't clear the ball inside the penalty box, leading to Deniz Undav's assist to Kimmich. The Bayern Munich midfielder deposited the ball into the net, making it 2-1 for the Die Mannschaft.
Fans slammed Matthijs de Ligt's performance on X (formerly Twitter), calling him a 'one-season wonder' and 'Dutch Harry Maguire.' Some popular reactions on X are as follows:
"Matthijs de Ligt is done with the National Team. That's his starting spot gone, maybe even forever," a fan commented.
"De Ligt is error prone man. Never been a match when he plays for us," one netizen wrote.
"His international career is over lol," agreed another.
Another fan compared him with Harry Maguire, writing:
"Dutch Harry Maguire for a reason."
"'ONE SEASON WONDER' one of the clearest I’ve ever seen," inferred another.
"Cant believe they said he’s better than Konate," opined one fan on X.
One fan chimed in, tweeting:
"he became bad all of a sudden when he transferred to a certain club recently."
"And Manchester United really paid £50m for a bum like him, I knew from his two games for United that he doesn't deserve any spot in the National team at the moment but Koman is another finished Coach who doesn't know how to do his job," inferred one fan on X.
After the international break, Matthijs de Ligt will look to find some form in the Premier League where the Red Devils will square off against Southampton on Saturday (September 14).
What's next for Germany and the Netherlands in the Nations League?
After matchday 2 of the Nations League, Germany and the Netherlands lead the League A Group 3 table with four points each. Both teams registered wins in their Nations League season openers.
Germany recorded a thumping 5-0 win against Hungary on September 7, with Niclas Fullkrug opening the scoring in the first half. It was followed by an onslaught in the second half by Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Aleksandar Pavlović, and Kai Havertz.
The Oranje registered a comfortable 5-2 victory over Bosnia Herzegovina on September 7, with Joshua Zirkzee, Tijjani Reijnders, Cody Gakpo, Xavi Simons, and Wout Weghorst getting on the scoresheet.
Germany will travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina while the Netherlands will visit Hungary on matchday 3 of the Nations League on October 11.