Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo were all in action for the Netherlands on Saturday.
The Liverpool trio started the game for their country and helped the Dutch open their UEFA Nations League encounter with a 5-2 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Under Arne Slot at Liverpool, they have been used to, not just scoring goals, but being tight at the back, as they conceded their first set of goals this season in a competitive game.
Van Dijk is usually ice-cold for Liverpool, but he was accused of losing goalscorer Ermedin Demirović when Bosnia equalised after 27 minutes.
Ronald Koeman’s side went into the break leading 2-1, before Gakpo added a third for his country and was later subbed off after 66 minutes.
Given Liverpool’s strong start under Slot, it has resulted in Gakpo having to start games from the bench, with Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz recently causing havoc on Manchester United.
Gravenberch has also started strongly for Liverpool and the midfielder, alongside van Dijk, played the entire game in Eindhoven.
The Dutch media claimed that Gravenberch played like someone who had ‘never been away’ for his country.
The all-action midfielder was given the highest rating out of his club teammates, with Voetbal Primeur rating his performance ‘7.5 out of ten’.
Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo rated
Van Dijk was rated 6/10: ‘Together with De Ligt he completely lost goal scorer Ermedin Demirović. The captain recovered, but did not yet show his Liverpool level’.
Gravenberch was rated 7.5/10: ‘His return to the Dutch national team, but he played as if he had never been away. Gravenberch clearly brought his Liverpool form with him and was very comfortable on the ball.’
Gakpo was rated 7/10: ‘In the second half, the Eindhoven native picked up his goal in his hometown. The Dutch team’s top scorer in the European Championship continued his form this summer. However, his role was otherwise somewhat less conspicuous.’
Cody Gakpo’s game time under Liverpool
Gakpo had a very strong Euro 2024 and it was a signal to the Liverpool supporters of what he can do if he starts on the left-hand side.
As of this moment, the 25-year-old is yet to start a Premier League game this season, with Diaz playing in his position instead and Diogo Jota down the middle.
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But Gakpo will be hoping for a change of fortune under Slot because things didn’t go as he would have liked under the now-departed Jurgen Klopp.
Gravenberch is showing his fellow countryman that it can be done because he was being questioned a lot more in Klopp’s final season.