After scoring twice against Holland, Kylian Mbappe has been hailed as a difference-maker by Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk. With a 2-1 victory in Amsterdam, the Paris Saint-Germain striker propelled France into the European Championships in Germany the following summer. Mbappe made it four goals in two games against Ronald Koeman’s team by having a decisive impact in their rematch, which ended in a humiliating 4-0 loss for Holland in Paris.
Van Dijk received praise from L’Equipe after Friday’s defeat, but he had faced criticism for his performance in the corresponding match in the French capital. With this outcome, Holland will not be in the top two spots in Group B heading into Monday’s pivotal match against Greece. The Liverpool defender will face Kostas Tsimikas, his defensive partner, who was instrumental in their 2-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland on the road. With Oranje holding the advantage going into the final matches of the qualifiers thanks to their victory at the Arriva Stadium, they were able to overtake Holland. Van Dijk was forced to admit that, despite his partial belief that they handled Mbappe well, the quality of the in-demand striker was a significant factor in their loss.
The 32-year-old said, “I think there were a lot of times where we were able to stop Kylian Mbappé in his tracks. “But in the end, he scored twice, winning the game for himself. The highest level is that. “The goal situation frequently has several potential resolution points. But we can’t, and then we make a mistake; we need to provide better coverage. “Unfortunately, in football, players like him can make all the difference. He behaved in that way.
