Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman expressed satisfaction with his team's strong start to their Nations League campaign, following their 5-2 victory over Bosnia on Saturday. The Dutch side can now approach their upcoming match against Germany with confidence. The Netherlands led 2-1 at halftime but allowed Bosnia to close the gap to 3-2 with about 15 minutes left in the game. However, they managed to score two late goals to secure a convincing win. The home team occasionally showcased impressive football, much to the delight of the crowd at the Philips Stadion and their coach.
"We played very well in possession of the ball. Very fresh, fast, often finding the man between the lines. We certainly had a good phase after the break, but then we had to kill off the match," Koeman remarked. Instead, when leading 3-1, they conceded a goal to Bosnian veteran Edin Dzeko, causing a brief period of nervousness before they finally secured the victory. "When Bosnia brought it back to 3-2, you saw some doubt in our team, which was not necessary if you looked at the overall scheme of the match. Their two goals came from nowhere," Koeman noted.
Bosnia's second goal saw Dzeko get goal-side of defender Matthijs de Ligt to score, but Koeman defended the defender, stating that any criticism would be unjust. "He himself also realised that he was in the wrong position. This should not happen, but mistakes are part of football. I think it is unfair to make a big deal out of it," the coach said. The Dutch will next host Germany, who defeated Hungary 5-0 on Saturday, in Amsterdam on Tuesday for their next League A Group 3 match.
