Liverpool’s leader, Virgil van Dijk, assumed the role of savior as he propelled the Netherlands to the brink of securing qualification for Euro 2024. The match against Greece, part of Group B, seemed destined for a draw after Wout Weghorst, a former Manchester United striker, missed an early penalty, leading to a frustrating night for the Oranje.
However, the Dutch captain, Van Dijk, decided to take matters into his own hands during the 93rd minute.
Following a foul on Denzel Dumfries, he coolly stepped up to take the crucial penalty. Despite a three-minute delay due to a VAR check and distracting laser pointers from the home crowd, the resolute Reds defender expertly slotted the ball past Odysseas Vlachodimos.
This victory propelled Ronald Koeman’s side into second place in the group, firmly positioning them for Euro qualification.
Social media erupted with praise for Van Dijk’s unwavering composure, with fans dubbing him as having ‘nerves of steel.’ One Twitter user remarked, “Calm and composed, the lasers aren’t enough.” while another noted “Ice in his veins.”
Some even hailed his redemption, remembering a missed penalty in the World Cup in Qatar. A fourth fan acknowledged his pivotal role, saying, “Carrying the Netherlands on his back once again.”
Van Dijk’s match-winning penalty ensured that the Netherlands surged ahead of Greece on head-to-head statistics and held a game in hand. Qualification now appears to be within their grasp, especially since Greece faces a daunting fixture against the unbeaten group leaders, France, in their final game.
Koeman’s side, on the other hand, is set to face the Republic of Ireland and Gibraltar in November.
Speaking at the final whistle, Van Dijk expressed, “Greece kept winning in this group and we kept chasing them, but we beat Greece twice and now we are the ones in the driving seat. Now we have to finish the job to qualify, and we will.”
Adding to Greece’s woes, their manager and former Chelsea player, Gus Poyet, received a straight red card, compounding his team’s disappointing night. Furthermore, VAR denied the visitors a second penalty opportunity in the 99th minute.”
Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk
This season he played in total 6 times for 478 minutes for Premier League.
Virgil van Dijk didn’t score any goal for Liverpool. He procured twice assists. He received 1 yellow card and 1 red card.
His team is currently 4th in Premier League. In the last match Liverpool drew 2-2 against Brighton & Hove Albion. The next match in Premier League will be against Everton.
Liverpool performance and stats
Liverpool is currently 4th in the Premier League with 17 points.
In the last 8 games, it has won 4 times, drawn 3 times, and lost once. In its last match, Liverpool drawn 2-2 against Brighton & Hove Albion.
It has a positive goal difference after scoring 18 goals and conceding 9.
Liverpool will play the next match in Premier League against Everton on Saturday 21st of October in Liverpool. The prediction is Liverpool winning the match.