Some Liverpool fans have been lauding Virgil van Dijk on social media for his performance for the Netherlands, as Louis van Gaal’s side drew 1-1 with Norway on Wednesday night.
Van Dijk started his first international fixture since October 2020 at the Ulleval Stadion as Holland continued their World Cup qualifying campaign. The 39-cap centre-half missed his countries’ three Group C ties in March due to his lengthy cruciate ligament injury recovery.
The 30-year-old made his domestic return from the blow sustained against Everton in last month’s Premier League opener at Norwich. He is yet to miss a second of top-flight action this season, having played all 270 minutes available so far.
Erling Haaland put Norway ahead 20-minutes into Van Dijk’s Netherlands comeback, with the Liverpool enforcer unable to prevent his strike. Davy Klaassen moved Van Gaal’s side level 16-minutes later, turning home Georginio Wijnaldum’s cross from the right-wing.
Klaassen had another chance to score just before half-time, before Norway’s Andre Hansen saved Van Dijk’s header on the line. The Liverpool defender also dislocated his finger and had to have it pushed back into place on the sidelines mid-game.
Liverpool fans react to Van Dijk display for the Netherlands
Van Dijk impressed Liverpool fans with his midweek display for the Netherlands, with some lauding his efforts on social media. The £220,000-a-week ace delivered an overall imposing presence in Van Gaal’s backline, despite Haaland occasionally having the upper hand.
The Dutch captain won all eight of his aerial duels and no Norway player dribbled past him, per SofaScore. Van Dijk also made six clearances – double his defensive partner Stefan de Vrij – and completed 12 of 18 long passes. No Holland player, including goalkeeper Justin Bijlow (6), also found teammates with more long balls on Wednesday night.
So, here are some of the messages Liverpool supports shared, praising Van Dijk’s display. With a few also noting his performance came just four games into his return from an ACL injury…
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