Netherlands ended their Group A3 campaign in the Nations League with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina at Stadion Bilino Polje on Tuesday. 

Ronald Koeman's side, who had already secured their place in the quarter-final heading into the final group fixture, finished with nine points - five fewer than group winners Germany. 

Brian Brobbey gave a second-string Oranje the breakthrough in the 24th minute when he headed home a cross from Noa Lang following a short corner kick. 

But Ermedin Demirovic scored on the rebound, after Edin Dzeko's initial effort was stopped by goalkeeper Mark Flekken, to help Bosnia salvage a point in the 67th minute, as the hosts finished bottom of the group with two points. 

Earlier, Dzeko's shot was cleared off the line by Jorrel Hato in the first half and the Bosnia captain also had a goal ruled out for a foul in the build-up just past the hour mark, before Sergej Barbarez's side found the leveller. 

Data Debrief: Bosnia's spirited comeback

The home side ended the first period without registering a single shot on target and only creating an expected goals (xG) of 0.54, compared to the Netherlands' xG of 1.29. 

But they were a much-improved side after the break as they restricted the visitors to zero shots on target while recording three of their own to secure a point. They ended the second half with an xG of 0.46, which bettered the Netherlands' xG of 0.37 despite being lower than their first-half effort. 

Prior to this fixture, Bosnia and Herzegovina had lost all four of their 2024-25 Nations League matches in which they were losing at half-time. But they fought back this time to end their League A stay with a draw.

Virgil van Dijk and Frenkie de Jong have left the Netherlands’ squad ahead of their final Nations League game on "medical grounds".

Both players featured in the Oranje's 4-0 victory over Hungary on Saturday, a match which confirmed their place in the quarter-finals.

Van Dijk, who has been an ever-present for Liverpool in the Premier League this season, played the full 90 minutes in Amsterdam but will return to his club for further assessment.

De Jong, meanwhile, returned to the Netherlands line-up for the first time since September 2023 in that victory, having missed the previous 18 international matches due to injuries.

The Barcelona man was taken off after 68 minutes, and had confirmed after the game that he would not be featuring on Tuesday, but has now opted to return to Spain instead of staying with the national squad.

"For both Frenkie and Virgil, it is better for them to leave the training camp at this moment. That decision was taken on medical grounds, with of course, the interest of the players coming first," Koeman is quoted as saying on the Netherlands' X account.

The Netherlands will finish second in Group A3, with their result against already relegated Bosnia-Herzegovina unable to affect the standings.

Frenkie de Jong believes his confidence will improve with more playing time after returning to the Netherlands starting line-up for the first time in over a year.

De Jong received widespread praise for his return to the national side in their 4-0 victory over Hungary as they confirmed a Nations League quarter-final spot on Saturday.

The midfielder returned for Barcelona in October after a six-month absence due to an ankle injury, while his last appearance for the Dutch national team came against the Republic of Ireland in September 2023.

He missed 18 matches for the Netherlands during that period, including their Euro 2024 campaign in which they reached the semi-finals before being knocked out by England.

Against Hungary, De Jong played 68 minutes and made more passes in the final third than anyone else on the pitch (31), while he also made 12 final third entries, the second-most behind team-mate Jan Paul van Hecke (17).

"I still need some time to really get into top form", said De Jong. "After an injury, I usually felt I would get back into form quickly, now after this injury that is really different.

"I need to gain back my confidence in doing certain things on the pitch. I knew it would be this way and so people are not worried. It should improve from now onwards.

"I'm happy to be back! I need games, I need rhythm, and then my good form will return. I will not start the next game, but I will stay with the national team."

Ronald Koeman was also delighted with the influence De Jong had on the side after such a long absence and is confident he can help the team going forward.

"You saw his qualities in a number of moments", said Koeman. "He helped us to create a lot more chances."

Virgil van Dijk saluted Hungary for playing on after assistant coach Adam Szalai appeared to suffer a fit during their Nations League clash.

Play was suspended for 13 minutes at the Johan Cruijff ArenA while Szalai was treated pitchside, with staff and substitutes forming a protective barrier around him.

The 36-year-old was taken to Amsterdam Hospital, where he later revealed he was "doing well" on his social media channels.

Although Hungary agreed to play on, the Netherlands ran out comfortable 4-0 winners to book their place in the Nations League quarter-finals.

Wout Weghorst and Cody Gakpo were on target from the penalty spot during the first half, while goals from Denzel Dumfries and Teun Koopmeiners after the break saw the Oranje secure second place in Group A3.

And Van Dijk paid tribute to his side's opponents.

"That was quite a shock, of course," he told NOS. "You see someone lying down, you see someone shaking. That is quite scary. But thankfully, at a certain point, it became clear that he was stable. I hope he is doing well and that he recovers quickly.

"They had to decide whether they wanted to continue playing. I think it shows a lot of strength that they did carry on. I have a lot of respect for that."

On his side's performance, Van Dijk added: "The pitch was very fast, but that's no excuse. It was sloppy.

"In the end, we won deservedly and that's the most important thing. We go to the quarter-finals, we win, we keep a clean sheet."

The Netherlands booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Nations League with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Hungary on Saturday.

Two first-half penalties had put the hosts in control before Denzel Dumfries and Teun Koopmeiners secured second place in Group A3 at the Johan Cruijff ArenA.

A medical emergency on the Hungary bench saw the game suspended after eight minutes, but play resumed with a Netherlands penalty after a Tamas Nikitscher handball, and Wout Weghorst confidently converted.

Cody Gakpo then doubled their lead from the spot in first-half stoppage time when Zsolt Nagy tripped Donyell Malen in the box, and Denes Dibusz was sent the wrong way once more.

Weghorst whipped a delightful, long-range curler against the crossbar shortly after the restart, but Dumfries would get their third in the 64th minute with a drilled finish across goal into the far-bottom corner.

Koopmeiners rounded off the scoring late on, meeting Dumfries' inch-perfect cross to power a header past Dibusz and in at the far post, and was denied a second moments later by the post.

Data Debrief: Oranje march on

The Netherlands knew they needed to avoid defeat to make it to the last eight in the Nations League, but Ronald Koeman's side were not going to settle.

They were on the attack from the very start, registering 22 shots as they created 2.92 expected goals. 

Dumfries was at the heart of both goals after half-time, and he became the second player in history to score each of his first nine international goals for the Netherlands in the second half, after Pierre van Hooijdonk (also nine).

Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong doubted whether his troublesome ankle injury would ever go away but is now looking forward to resuming his international career after a pause of more than a year.

De Jong spent almost six months on the sidelines before returning for Hansi Flick's LaLiga leaders last month, but he has not represented the Netherlands since September 2023.

A series of ankle issues prevented him from featuring in the majority of the Oranje's Euro 2024 qualifiers and caused him to miss the final tournament in Germany, where they went out in the semi-finals to England.  

He will likely get playing time in the Nations League on Saturday when Ronald Koeman's team host Hungary in Amsterdam in their penultimate Group A3 match.

"Did I wonder whether I would ever fully recover? That crossed my mind sometimes, but I always had the confidence that I would eventually be able to play football again," De Jong told reporters on Wednesday.

"There was uncertainty about how long it would take and whether my ankle would be completely the same as it was before."

The 27-year-old said the hardest part was missing this year's European Championships, as a late Ollie Watkins goal dashed the Netherlands' dreams of repeating their Euro 1988 triumph.

"That was tough. I watched all the matches of the Dutch national team but not much of the rest. I did not want to be confronted with it every time," De Jong said.

He was taken off on Sunday when Barcelona lost at Real Sociedad in LaLiga, but fears he would miss out for the Netherlands again were later abated.

"I first got a blow on the muscle next to my shin and then another kick, but it was nothing to do with my knee or ankle," he said. 

"I knew it was not a serious injury, but it did bother me a lot."

Frenkie de Jong is expected to make his return for the Netherlands in their Nations League clash against Hungary, but is a long way off from reaching his "peak" level.

Those were the words of Ronald Koeman, who called up the Barcelona midfielder for the first time in 14 months after his struggles with an ankle injury. 

De Jong has made seven appearances for Barca in all competitions this season, but was substituted in their 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad. 

The 27-year-old was replaced by Dani Olmo at half-time on Sunday after sustaining a knock, though Koeman confirmed it was not a serious issue. 

"I got in touch pretty quickly. Then it became clear that it wasn't about his ankle," Koeman said. 

"It was already stated somewhere that it was about his shin, so it wasn't a problem then either. 

"We assume that he can play on Saturday. But it is possible that he will have to train individually tomorrow. But we will see that tomorrow."

However, Koeman said that despite his recent return to the pitch, De Jong is yet to return to being the player that helped the Netherlands finish runners-up in the 2018-19 Nations League.

"It's clear that he's been out for a long time and hasn't played a whole game yet. So yes, then you're not at your peak yet. Let's put it that way.

"But it's so important for us that he's there."

De Jong was one of three players to return to Koeman's ranks, alongside PSV Eindhoven's Noa Lang and Ajax's Devyne Rensch, but there was no place for Memphis Depay. 

Depay featured in all six of the Netherlands' fixtures at Euro 2024, notching one goal and one assist in their run to the semi-finals of the competition. 

The 30-year-old recently joined Brazilian outfit Corinthians and has scored three goals in 10 appearances for his new club. 

However, Koeman explained the reasoning behind his omission was due to his fitness, but kept the door open for a return to the squad next year. 

“Memphis is not good enough and fit enough in my opinion,” he added. "If there is one player I have regular contact with, it is Memphis. We have talked about his situation.

"If he continues like this, he will come into the picture in March. He probably finds it a shame now that he is not in the squad, and maybe he did not expect to be left out either.

"Memphis is getting fitter, that is clear. But I will decide the moment when he returns.”

The Netherlands welcome Hungary to the Johan Cruijff Arena this Saturday before facing Bosnia and Herzegovina three days later.

Koeman's side sit second in Group A3 with five points from their four games, and know that two victories will seal their progression to the quarter-finals of the competition. 

Frenkie de Jong is in line to make his first Netherlands appearance in 14 months after being named in Ronald Koeman's squad for their Nations League fixtures next week. 

De Jong last featured for his country in a European Championship qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in September last year. 

The 27-year-old missed Euro 2024 with a lingering ankle injury, but returned to action in Barcelona's Champions League win over Young Boys last month. 

He has since made six appearances in all competitions, and will be looking to help the Netherlands advance to the quarter-finals of the Nations League. 

Koeman's side sit second in Group A3 with five points, level with Hungary, who they face at the Johan Cruijff Arena on November 16, before they take on Bosnia and Herzegovina three days later. 

Other returnees for Koeman include PSV Eindhoven's Noa Lang and Ajax's Devyne Rensch, but there is no room for either Memphis Depay or Nathan Ake. 

Depay, who has 98 appearances for his country since his debut in 2013, has not been picked for the Oranje's opening four Nations League fixtures. 

The 30-year-old joined Brazilian side Corinthians from Atletico Madrid in September, and has scored two goals in six appearances for his new club. 

Manchester City's Ake has also missed out despite returning from a hamstring injury for Pep Guardiola's side at the end of last month. 

Netherlands squad in full: 

Mark Flekken (Brentford), Nick Olij (Sparta Rotterdam), Bart Verbruggen (Brighton & Hove Albion); Matthijs de Ligt (Manchester United), Stefan de Vrij, Denzel Dumfries (both Inter Milan), Jorrel Hato, Devyne Rensch (both Ajax Amsterdam), Jurriën Timber (Arsenal), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton & Hove Albion); Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen), Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool), Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus), Tijjani Reijnders (AC Milan), Quinten Timber (Feyenoord), Mats Wieffer (Brighton & Hove Albion); Brian Brobbey (Ajax Amsterdam), Cody Gakpo (Liverpool), Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth), Noa Lang (PSV Eindhoven), Donyell Malen (Borussia Dortmund), Wout Weghorst (Ajax Amsterdam), Joshua Zirkzee (Manchester United).

Julian Nagelsmann hailed Germany's first-half display against the Netherlands as their best performance of 2024.

And Nagelsmann said his "supercharged" team have big ambitions after Monday's 1-0 win in Munich, which came a year to the day since he took charge of his first game—a 3-1 friendly win over the United States.

Germany are unbeaten in the Nations League after four games, and sit five points clear at the top of their group.

The Dutch did not manage a single shot in the first half, with Germany having eight themselves, albeit Nagelsmann's team had to wait until the 64th minute to make the breakthrough as Jamie Leweling marked his senior bow with the decisive goal.

"The first half tonight was the best we’ve played this year," said Nagelsmann.

"The greed that the team embodied was a huge step [forward].

"We did well and let very little in. We absolutely deserved to win.

"We've got the ambition to keep going. There's a supercharged atmosphere in the dressing room—they want to win."

An ecstatic Leweling told ZDF network: "We won as a team, I scored the 1-0, we won 1-0, but we did well and I'm just happy I could help out.

"The Dutch are a top nation, but we played a good game."

Leweling is the first debutant under Nagelsmann to score in his first appearance for Germany. Niclas Fullkrug was the last player to net on his senior debut, in 2022.

At the other end of the pitch, Nagelsmann handed a debut to goalkeeper Oliver Baumann.

Aged 34 years and 131 days, Baumann is the second-oldest Germany debutant (after Matthias Mauritz) in the post-war era and the oldest goalkeeper to make his debut for the national team.

Not that Baumann had much to do. Indeed, he had only one save to make, with the Netherlands mustering only one attempt on target and a meagre 0.13 expected goals.

Ronald Koeman believed his Netherlands side fell short in "all facets of football" after they slumped to a 1-0 defeat to Germany in the Nations League on Monday.

Jamie Leweling netted the only goal of the encounter at the Allianz Arena, marking his senior international debut in style to put his nation on the brink of qualification. 

The Netherlands struggled during the contest, ending the game with an expected goals (xG) total of just 0.13, with Donyell Malen's 89th minute effort their only attempt on target.

Koeman's side also managed just eight touches in the opposition box compared to Germany's 26, despite edging the possession at the full-time whistle. 

"If you go back too far, you bring that on yourself," Koeman said.

"We came up short on all sides, perhaps in all facets of football. We did things differently at half-time and then we got a bit more rest. But they were much better today.

"I am not satisfied by our performance. The Germans were the better, faster and physically stronger. They created more chances.

"We lost too many balls in the midfield. We went too far back. That was not the plan. The plan was to put pressure forward on the right side. But it did not happen."

The result leaves the Netherlands in second in Group A3, level on points with Hungary after Dominik Szoboszlai's double handed them a 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Stand-in captain Stefan de Vrij echoed Koeman's thoughts after the encounter, saying his side deserved to lose against Germany.

"It seems clear to me that it was a deserved defeat," said De Vrij.

"The first half was very mediocre. We were very sloppy and gave away a number of balls just like that, which allowed them to become dangerous.

"In the second half it was a bit better, but it's hard to create chances."

The Lazio defender took the armband in place of Virgil van Dijk, who was suspended following his red card against Hungary.

Though the Netherlands did not do enough in attack, De Vrij said that Van Dijk's absence from the team had an impact. 

"Yes, of course you miss him. He's a very important player and he's our captain. And he's a great defender, so it makes sense that he's missed," De Vrij concluded.

Jamie Leweling netted the winner on his senior international debut as Germany beat the Netherlands 1-0 in Monday's Nations League clash at the Allianz Arena.

The Stuttgart forward, in for the injured Deniz Undav, had a goal within two minutes of his first cap ruled out after a VAR check showed Serge Gnabry was offside in the build-up.

However, there was no denying Leweling in the 64th minute as the 23-year-old thumped a loose ball inside the box into the bottom corner past Bart Verbruggen to give the hosts a deserved lead in Munich.

Verbruggen had undoubtedly been the busier of the two goalkeepers up until that point, making four saves prior to the breakthrough from Leweling, who also had a goal-bound shot blocked near the line by Stefan de Vrij.

The Netherlands twice went close to equalising in the final 15 minutes, but Oliver Baumann got a faint touch to a long-range Xavi Simons drive to help it onto the crossbar and then superbly helped Donyell Malen's powerful effort wide.

The win moves Germany to 10 points from their first four Group A3 matches, five points clear of the Netherlands and Hungary - 2-0 winners away at Bosnia-Herzegovina - who each have five points with two games remaining.

Data Debrief: Debutants decide the game

Leweling was a threat throughout on his debut as he scored one, had another disallowed and had an effort blocked off the line, generating an expected goals (xG) value of 0.35 - the highest of any player on the field.

Just as key to the victory was fellow Germany debutant Baumann, who produced two big saves in the second half. 

Aged 34 years and 131 days, he became the second-oldest Germany debutant (after Matthias Mauritz) in the post-war era and the oldest goalkeeper to make his debut in the country's history.

Ronald Koeman is intrigued how his Netherlands side will cope without captain Virgil van Dijk when they visit Germany on Monday.

Koeman's Oranje travel to Allianz Arena to round off their October internationals with a mouthwatering clash against another European heavyweight.

The Netherlands will do so without star centre-back Van Dijk after the Liverpool defender was dismissed in their last 1-1 draw with Hungary in their Group A3 meeting.

Koeman acknowledged their towering captain will be a sore miss against Julian Nagelsmann's side, with Stefan de Vrij or Denzel Dumfries expected as his replacement.

"Virgil is someone who coaches a lot from the back. Now others have to do that. Some people are more capable of that than others and it also has to do with experience," Koeman told Sunday's press conference.

"I certainly think it will be interesting to see how that works in the team now that Virgil is not there. He has almost always been available."

Liverpool team-mate Cody Gakpo echoed a similar sentiment on Van Dijk's enforced absence.

"Virgil is an exceptional player, but now we are obliged to replace him. There are other good players who can do that," Gakpo added.

For the hosts, Germany midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic will be back from injury and form a midfield partnership with Angelo Stiller, Nagelsmann confirmed on Sunday.

"Angelo and Pavlovic will play in midfield," Nagelsmann told a press conference, praising the pair as prospects for the team ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

"[Stiller] trains well and he played a good last season [with VfB Stuttgart]. He has also started this season well. He still has a few things he can do better. But I want to see him do that.

"Given his age he is a prospect for us. We have two years until the World Cup ... so we need some younger players."

Germany are top of Nations League Group A3 on seven points from three matches, with Netherlands second on five.

The pair shared a 2-2 draw last month in Amsterdam, and Nagelsmann expects another tough test on Monday.

"It will be an interesting game against a good opponent," Nagelsmann added. "We could have won in Amsterdam so we'll try to do it again. We'll be more pushed than we were against Bosnia."

Mohamed Salah will return to Liverpool earlier than expected, along with Virgil van Dijk, after he was released from international duty by Egypt on Saturday. 

The 32-year-old was on the scoresheet as Egypt defeated Mauritania 2-0 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Friday, and was also expected to feature in the return fixture on Tuesday. 

However, in a boost for the Reds, who face fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League on October 20, Salah will head back to Merseyside having played just once for his country.

"The technical staff of Egypt's senior football team led by manager Hossam Hassan held a meeting with Mohamed Salah, the captain of the Pharaohs," the Egyptian FA said in a statement. 

"It was agreed during the meeting to rest the player from the upcoming match."

Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman was left perplexed by Virgil van Dijk's "frustrating" red card in his side's 1-1 draw with Hungary on Friday. 

Van Dijk, making his 77th appearance for his country, received the first dismissal of his international career with two yellow cards in the space of three minutes in the second half.

The first booking stemmed from his protests to referee Lukas Fahndric after a foul on Donyell Malen, before committing a foul soon after to receive his marching orders.

Van Dijk's dismissal looked to have settled the contest after Roland Sallai had smashed home Zsolt Nagy's cross to hand Hungary a goal advantage in the first half. 

But the Netherlands drew level four minutes after going down to 10 men when Denzel Dumfries headed Cody Gakpo's free-kick beyond Denes Dibusz to seal a share of the spoils. 

Speaking after the game, Koeman was left baffled by the decision to hand Van Dijk a first yellow card for discussing the foul on Malen with the referee. 

"That moment was frustrating," Koeman told the NOS. "I don't understand it. I think we agreed that a captain can protest to a referee.

"That foul [on Malen] was good for a red card. There was no intention at all to play the ball. That Virgil then takes that second card is not convenient. He knows that himself."

Van Dijk's red card also saw him become the oldest player to be sent off (33 years and 95 days) since Phillip Cocu (34 years and 313 days) against the same opponents. 

The Liverpool captain had enjoyed a solid game up until his dismissal, completing more passes (145) than any other player, 99 of which came in the first 45 minutes, only adding to his frustration in his assessment at full-time. 

"[The red card] is a bummer. It should not have happened. But I'm especially angry about the first," Van Dijk told ESPN Netherlands.

"They say the captain is the only one who can talk to the referee. I walk up to him. Up tempo, but not in a nasty way, not at all. Very respectful.

"Because I felt it was a breakaway player, he did not go for the ball at all. If even the captain can not say anything ... then it gets difficult."

Denzel Dumfries' late equaliser maintained the Netherlands' unbeaten start to their Nations League campaign as they rescued a 1-1 draw with Hungary despite Virgil van Dijk's red card.

The Oranje were staring at their first defeat in Group A3 when Roland Sallai smashed Zsolt Nagy's cross home at the back post to cap a rapid break midway through the first half.

Sallai had earlier struck the post as Hungary started impressively, while Denes Dibusz was called into action by Cody Gakpo at the other end shortly before half-time.

The visitors' position was made even more tenuous with 11 minutes remaining, as Liverpool captain Van Dijk received two yellow cards in three minutes, the second for a tactical foul to prevent a Hungary counter.

But Ronald Koeman's side made light of their numerical disadvantage to draw level four minutes later, Dumfries appearing unmarked to head Gakpo's free-kick delivery home.

Neither side were able to find a winner late on, with the result keeping the Netherlands second in the table with five points, two behind leaders Germany and three clear of Hungary.

Data Debrief: No Van Dijk, no problem

Dumfries' equalising goal was the first the Netherlands have scored after receiving a red card since September 7, 2005, salvaging a valuable point just as Hungary looked set to pull level in the standings.

Van Dijk, meanwhile, became the oldest player to be sent off (aged 33 years and 95 days) since Phillip Cocu in that exact same match (34 years and 313 days).