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Netherlands to stick with winning system against Austria

June 16, 2021
1 MIN READ
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The criticism of the Netherlands’ 3-5-2 formation has suddenly fallen silent.

The attacking play in the team’s 3-2 victory over Ukraine on Sunday at the European Championship appears to have ended the debate — at least for now — about which system coach Frank de Boer should play.

On Thursday, expect the same lineup of three defenders, five midfielders — including wingbacks on each flank — and two attackers against Austria in the team’s second Group C match at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

“I think we’ve shown that 3-5-2 can be very attacking as well,” Netherlands defender Stefan de Vrij said. “Within 10 minutes, I think we had like seven shots.”

Some Dutch fans want the team to play what they consider to be the more attacking system of 4-3-3 — four defenders, three midfielders and three attackers. One even rented a plane to push home the message before the match against Ukraine.