Liverpool's Van Dijk one of four Dutch representatives in France-Netherlands combined XI
France and Netherlands get their European qualification campaign underway tonight as the Group B favourites go head-to-head. Here we present a combined XI of the two sides.
Jasper Cillessen (Netherlands) - 7.07
In between the sticks is Netherlands’ hero of the 2014 World Cup. The former Ajax shotstopper now plies his trade for NEC Nijmegen, has played all but one of their league matches this season. In total he has made 108 saves, the third highest in the league, and kept seven clean sheets, while only two sides have conceded fewer goals than NEC (26), with Cillessen key.
Benjamin Pavard (France) – 7.16
Bayern Munich’s Benjamin Pavard is the right-back in this XI. Despite his position, he is known for his quality in contributing further forward and has recorded three goals and an assist this season for the Bundesliga champions. His height means he is influential in the air, underlined by the fact he has won 67.2% of his aerial duels contested this, and has only been dribbled past five times.
Having made his debut at the 2022 World Cup, Axel Disasi has continued to shine for his club side Monaco. Disasi has been one of the most influential defenders in Ligue 1, making 45 interceptions, which ranks in the top 10, and he is averaging 0.9 blocks per game, which again ranks highly in the league. The 25-year-old has also won an impressive 71% of his aerial duels this season making him a key figure in the backline for France, especially with their injuries to William Saliba and Wesley Fofana.
Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands) - 6.97
Partnering Disasi is Liverpool and Netherlands centre-back Virgil van Dijk. Domestically, his club side Liverpool haven’t been at their best, and part of this may have come down to Van Dijk’s injury earlier in the season. In the Premier League, he has only been dribbled past six times which makes him a difficult player for any attacker to get past, all the while winning possession in the defensive third 65 times. Despite his position, he is a key figure offensively and has made 223 long passes from his own half to the opposition half, which is the third highest value in the league and has even come up with three league goals of his own.
Theo Hernandez (France) - 6.82
The defence is completed in the form of the only Serie A player in the XI, Theo Hernandez. The AC Milan full-back, best known for his ability to get forward, contributed to three goals at the World Cup, and in Serie A this season, he has been directly involved in six goals, three of which have been assists, coming from a total of 30 key passes, making him one of the most creative defenders in Serie A.
Antoine Griezmann (France) - 7.47
Starting the midfield is one of France’s key players in recent years, especially at the World Cup as one of their most important players. For club side Atletico Madrid, he has been the main creative outlet, registering eight assists, which is more than any other player in La Liga this season, and have come from a total of 51 key passes, the fourth highest value. His work off the ball is also key and he has won possession in the attacking third 19 times this season in the league, which ranks among the top 15.
Xavi Simons (Netherlands) - 7.69
In the centre of midfield is 19-year-old Xavi Simons. The former PSG wonderkid signed permanently with PSV in the summer and hasn’t looked back, currently sitting as the second highest rated player (7.69) in the Eredivisie of those players still in the division. This is mainly due to his eye for goal, noted in that he is the joint top scorer (13) in the division, and his 19.1% conversion rate ranks third of those to have managed 50+ shots this season. Simons is also a very difficult player for opposition players to contain, as he is presently fouled 2.2 times per game.
Steven Berghuis (Netherlands) - 7.34
The final Dutch representative in the team is another Eredivisie player in Ajax’s Steven Berghuis. The veteran midfielder has scored seven and assisted a further seven in the league this season. A credible 83.9% pass success rate as well as 1.5 crosses and 0.3 through balls per game makes him a master with the ball at his feet, with his ability to find a teammate key to the Amsterdammers and the Netherlands.
Kingsley Coman (France) - 7.09
It has been a stop-start season for Kingsley Coman owing to injury, which has limited his game time. However, his quality when he has played has earned him a spot in the team, averaging 0.53 goal contributions a game, which looks even better when he has only made nine starts in the Bundesliga this season. Coman’s threat down the wing is underlined by his 26 successful dribbles, which ranks highly for a player with limited minutes this season.
Randal Kolo Muani (France) - 7.28
After nearly scoring the winning goal in the World Cup final, there is no doubt Randal Kolo Muani will be playing a lot more often for France. He has continued to impress for club side Frankfurt this season, and is one of only five players in Europe’s top five leagues to register double figures for both goals (11) and assists (10). Furthermore, Kolo Muani is a sound player with the ball at his feet, completing 55 dribbles in the Bundesliga this season, which only four other players in the league can better.
Completing the XI is France’s new captain and one of their top goalscorers (36) of all time Kylian Mbappe, who is currently the joint top goalscorer in Ligue 1 with 19 goals to his name. His 48 dribbles in Ligue 1 are the fifth highest of any player and only Lionel Messi (8.45) ranks higher in the league than Mbappe.
