“Spain wants the game to be different”

The soccer coach of the Netherlands, Ronald Koeman, was wanting the confrontation of this Sunday against Spain and in Mestalla, with many incentives and very good players to see a “great game”, after a first leg where the ‘Oranje’ was better.

“Spain wants the game to be different because we were very good in the game, for a long time. The two teams can learn from Thursday’s game and want to do things better, with ball and without ball,” he said at a press conference this Saturday.

“I expect an interesting game because the two teams want to play with great intensity, the two teams want to press, they want to play, they have very good players with ball. Hopefully we have the same game, because it was at a high level,” he added.

However, Koeman gave the role of a favorite to a Spain that has 22 games without losing and plays at home. “They are a little favorite, because of the final result in Holland, they play at home, they are the champions of the League of Nations, of the Eurocup last summer, they have a little advantage of being favorites. We respect Spain and them too,” he said.

In addition, the Dutch coach praised Lamine Yamal but pointed to the quality of his team. “I don’t like talking about players individually, quality exists in the whole team. There are very good players like Lamine, but the other day we were able to control him. You can never control fully,” he said.

“We have many injured in that left position and have to play another. The others also have to help. They also have to defend our extremes, we also have very good people up,” he added.

On the other hand, Koeman fell from Nico Williams’ statements about painting the Dutch face in the return of the quarterfinals of the Nations League. “I am not in favor of putting players interviews. The player I know him from the outside, very good, that he respects others. ‘Painting his face’, we’ll see tomorrow, I think he has also asked for forgiveness, nothing happens,” he said.

“Mestalla is a great field. Valencia is a big club, I was not here long, but we won the Copa del Rey. I do not like if Valencia is suffering, but it is true that a club, to achieve its objectives, needs an important tranquility, so many changes is not the way to improve things,” he said.

“I have very good memories of this field. As a Ajax coach we also play against Valencia here. I remember the cup matches. Not everything has been bad. As a visitor you do not think that they will help you. There is a lot of respect for the Spaniards towards us and hopefully we have our help from fans like Spain had in Róterdam,” he added.

In addition, the coach was asked by Frenkie de Jong and the young Spanish Dean Huijsen. “We are happy that Jong is at his level again, for us it is very important. He came from illness. He is fine to play tomorrow. I do not get into his contract, or his relationship with Barça. He has to continue playing and is happy in Barcelona, ​​for me there is no reason for not to continue,” he said.

“He is still a young central and has a very good career, he has a great future. He has chosen Spain, it is his right, but we also have very good plants. Hair color looks like me, he is thinner, hopefully he marks the same goals as me but defensively is good. Debuting to his age with the absolute of Spain, playing personality, is very good,” he finished.