Ronald Koeman likened Kees Smit to Barcelona star amid Liverpool transfer links

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Smit has not yet made his senior debut for the Netherlands, but Koeman confirmed that the midfielder is “on the list” for the 2026 World Cup. “I almost regret mentioning his name again [Pedri], but he’s a guy who plays in the same position,” said the Netherlands boss.

“The way he turns away from his opponent, the way he scans the area, his two-footedness... This time, he finally found the net: 1-0.” Van Dijk and his Liverpool teammates struggled in the performance ratings, with the defender, Gravenberch, and Gakpo all receiving 6/10 from Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad, which found their displays underwhelming.

On Van Dijk, they wrote: “The Dutch captain, like his teammates, wasn't razor-sharp. And at 1-0, he probably would have done better to close the gap on his right when Kaminksi began his run.” Summing up Gravenberch’s performance, they added: “The Liverpool player was the Gravenberch we know, available for passes and looking for the solution forward.