Netherlands National Football Team Formation

Starting Lineup

01. Verbruggen
22. Dumfries
04. van Dijk
06. de Vrij
05. Aké
24. Schouten
16. Veerman
14. Reijnders
07. Xavi Simons
11. Gakpo
10. Depay

The Netherlands look to control matches through an aggressive high press and heavy ball retention. This 4-3-3 lineup aims to squeeze the space in the opponent half and win it back high up the pitch. By focusing on playing through the lines, they intend to break the opposition defensive unit and create chances through rapid movement and ball movement.

Verbruggen stays between the posts to play short from the back. The back four consists of Dumfries, van Dijk, de Vrij, and Aké. Dumfries acts as an attacking wing back to provide width and overlap the winger. van Dijk uses his aerial strength and passing range to lead the line and progress through the thirds. de Vrij provides cover to ensure the team can play a high line without being caught out. Aké can step up into midfield or shift to cover the space when Dumfries pushes forward.

In the middle, the team uses a three man midfield with Schouten sitting as a single pivot to shield the defence. Veerman works to recycle possession and switch play to the opposite flank to find space. Reijnders plays more advanced to drive forward with the ball and arrive late into the box. This group connects the defensive and attacking lines by moving the ball quickly from the back to the forwards.

The attack features Depay as the lone striker who can hold up the ball and find the feet of his teammates. Gakpo plays on the left as an inverted winger who likes to cut inside to create goalscoring chances. Xavi Simons operates on the right, often pulling wide to stretch the defence before looking to cut inside. The forwards will press from the front to force a long ball and win the second ball.

This formation offers the ability to press high in coordinated waves to win it back high up the pitch. The presence of Dumfries allows for wide overloads from overlapping full backs to create crossing opportunities. Additionally, the midfield trio provides numerical superiority in the center of the pitch to control the tempo and protect the ball. This formation allows them to stay compact when defending in a mid block.

The Netherlands play an aggressive game designed to dominate territory. This lineup is best suited for matches against opponents that prefer to sit deep in a low block.