Liverpool stars Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch featured for the Netherlands in its win over Serbia, with the pair signing off from international duty at the top of the group
Virgil van Dijk of The Netherlands enters the pitch during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Netherlands and Serbia
The Netherlands played out a 2-1 win over Serbia during the international break(Image: (Photo by Yannick Verhoeven/Newhouse Media/MB Media/Getty Images))
Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch were viewed as unconvincing by some in the Dutch media when the Liverpool pair featured for the Netherlands national team against Serbia.
The duo headed into the clash with a win and two draws from the opening three UEFA Nations League matches, with new head coach Xavi Hernandez still looking to implement his style on the group of players at his disposal. At the center of the change will be Van Dijk, with the 35-year-old keeping his place in the team as the captain and the leader of the group, as he will look to set the standards for those around him to follow.
The Liverpool star was handed his moment to shine before the match against Serbia, when he was awarded his 100th cap for the nation, as a special moment before the match saw him walk onto the pitch with his son.
During the match, the defender then played a key role as his dummy across the face of the Serbian backline helped Teun Koopmeiners open the scoring from a wide free-kick opportunity.
While Van Dijk lasted the full 90 minutes, eventually seeing out a 2-1 win for the Oranje, his teammate for club and country, Gravenberch, was substituted after 59 minutes of action.
Assessing the performance after, some of the Dutch media were left far from convinced with the pair, despite the win, as reviews of the game came in.
Voetbal Primeur gave Van Dijk a rating of six out of ten, stating: "In his 100th international match, Van Dijk played as a right central defender rather than a left one for the first time since 2017.
"It looked awkward, particularly on the ball. In the final minute, he prevented Serbia's perhaps deserved equalizer."
Netherlands' defender #04 Virgil van Dijk gestures during the UEFA Nations League football Group A2 match between the Netherlands and Serbia
Virgil van Dijk featured for the Netherlands against Serbia(Image: (Photo by Koen van Weel / ANP / AFP via Getty Images))
While the defender wasn't quite convincing, the same outlet then gave Gravenberch a five out of ten rating, and said: "Gravenberch didn't feature much in the match against Serbia. One would expect a player of his status to assert himself more emphatically and take control of the game. Substituted after just under an hour."
Another Dutch media outlet, Voetbal Zone, was slightly more forgiving, giving both stars a rating of six out of 10 for a solid but unspectacular performance.
Overall, it sums up an international break for the Netherlands that was far from convincing, but got most of the job done for Xavi and his side.
The Oranje sits top of its UEFA Nations League group with two wins and two draws, but tough matches against Greece and Germany await in November to try and seal top spot.
Until then, both Van Dijk and Gravenberch will return to Liverpool for a nine-match spell that will surely test the pair across all competitions.