Romania need to be 'close to perfection' to defeat Dutch

FAVOURITES: Netherlands' head coach Ronald Koeman on the touchline. AP Photo/Sunday Alamba.

The Netherlands would have preferred a shorter turnaround between their last group match and Tuesday’s European Championship round of 16 clash with Romania, but coach Ronald Koeman said it also gave them valuable time to fix problems in the side.

The Dutch were last in action last Tuesday in Berlin where they went down 3-2 to Austria in their final Group D game, relegated to third place in the standings but still advancing to the knockout stage.

"It has been a very long week. Seven days is a long period between two matches at a tournament like this," Koeman told a press conference.

"We’ve certainly had enough time to review and analyse the match against Austria, and what went wrong. We didn't play compact enough, which sometimes makes it seem like you're not aggressive enough."

The Dutch had long discussions and extensive critique after the performance.

"Players and staff were open with each other. After that you continue and look for a reaction in training. Everyone knows that things can and should be done differently and now we look forward to seeing the confirmation of that tomorrow."

Koeman’s decision on who plays in the midfield is eagerly anticipated, with changes expected but he gave nothing away to reporters. But he said he would insist on a more compact lineup, better aggression and communication.

"And the creative players must be able to make a difference,” he said.

Injuries to key midfielders like Frenkie de Jong, Marten de Roon, and Teun Koopmeiners have seen Koeman struggle to find the right combination in the middle.

"It's a long story and I don't like to talk too much about who is missing. This is the squad that we have and we need to improve, but it's not only the midfield but sometimes the communication between the centre backs and the midfielders needs to be better."

Romania need to produce a near perfect performance against a Netherlands side brimming with quality players and tournament experience, Romania coach Edward Iordanescu said on Monday ahead of the round of 16 Euro 2024 clash.

Iordanescu – who watched his father Anghel coach Romania to the 1994 World Cup quarter-finals in the United States – said his side were focused on staying well organised and playing with intensity at the Munich Football Arena on Tuesday.

“We know we have to be close to perfection tomorrow to have a good result,” he said. “Mentally we have to be very strong and decisive. We have to show that on the pitch.

“I think my team can do that. We must not make individual mistakes and be very well organised.”