After injuries to Brian Brobbey and Donyell Malen, in the Serbia vs Netherlands match, 23-year-old Mexx Meerdink was given his first start for Oranje. The AZ Alkmaar forward, who was only given his international debut for the Netherlands against Germany a couple of days prior, was entrusted to lead the line by head coach Xavi.
Meerdink, who has started the season well with AZ Alkmaar by scoring three goals and getting two assists in seven Eredivisie games, had tough shoes to fill after the injuries to Brobbey and Malen. In the Serbia vs Netherlands game, the 23-year-old took his opportunity with both hands, as the Mexx Meerdink brace ensured Oranje would get a well-earned three points away from home.
The forward is your usual number nine, looking to be a fox in the box, creating chances and getting shots on target. This was pinpointed by his limited passing, limited touches and his joint-second most touches in the opposition box. The Mexx Meerdink brace came through a penalty and a left-footed effort from inside the box, but the heartening factor for head coach Xavi will be that the striker isn’t afraid to have a go.
Serbia vs Netherlands: Mexx Meerdink Brace Keeps Xavi’s Unbeaten Run Going
For the Netherlands, it was important for them to get the win. Xavi, the new Netherlands head coach, would have been happy with the game against Germany, which ended in a 1-1 draw after Cody Gakpo’s late goal. In the Serbia vs Netherlands clash, it was imperative that Oranje got a positive result against a team that is ranked 40th in the world.
With that being said, the attacking department for the Netherlands is down to its bare bones. Injury to Brobbey in the Germany game, Malen out with injury, Gakpo subbed off after only 17 minutes; Xavi had a massive task on his hands to keep the forward line up to Dutch standard. Alongside the Mexx Meerdink brace, Crysencio Summerville and substitute Ruben van Bommel, the son of Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel, put in fantastic displays to disrupt the Serbian defence, make bombing runs into the box, and subsequently create chances for Meerdink.
Meerdink was the main man in terms of goalscoring, as his fox-in-the-box instincts paired with his penalty-taking ability saw Oranje come out on top. However, it was a total team performance, with several players putting in valuable displays that cannot be overlooked. At the back, Jan Paul van Hecke made the most defensive contributions and also played the most passes in the game. In the middle of the park, Joey Veerman was the chance creator, whilst Tijani Reijnders utilised his long-range shooting, but to limited success.
In the Serbia vs Netherlands match, Xavi has slowly started to make his mark as the Dutch national team head coach, with the possession-based football in full flow as Oranje dominated possession and dominated the overall momentum of the game. After failing to initially get the call-up, the Mexx Meerdink brace proves that the Netherlands head coach played his cards right amidst a striker crisis in the national team.
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Extra Time Notes
A Mexx Meerdink brace ensured that the Dutch would win their away clash against Serbia and maintain their unbeaten run in the UEFA Nations League. The 23-year-old striker, who was called upon as a late arrival due to the injuries to Justin Kluivert and Donyell Malen, has prove his worth with two goals in his first start for the national team.
With that being said, the Netherlands have another two games to go in this international break, as they travel to Greece and then take on Serbia at home. The game against Greece will be the tougher of the two, as Galanolefki have won both of their game so far and stunned Germany in their recent clash, beating Die Mannschaft 1-0 away from home.
Xavi will have a tough task containing the likes of Christos Tzolis and Vangelis Pavlidis, but on the other hand, will need his remaining forwards to try and break through the Greek wall that is Konstantinos Mavropanos and Konstantinos Tzolakis. To retain the unbeaten start to their UEFA Nations League campaign, Mexx Meerdink needs to retain his hot goalscoring form, wingers van Bommel and Summerville need to pose threats to the Greek full-backs consistently, and the midfield needs to have a sense of calm and composure with the ball.
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