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Liverpool duo Cody Gakpo and Virgil van Dijk have been praised by the Dutch media after the Netherlands hammered Lithuania to qualify for the World Cup.
Midfielder Ryan Gravenberch was rested by Ronald Koeman while Jeremie Frimpong is currently sidelined with injury but Arne Slot's side has a large Dutch contingent. Gakpo scored from the penalty spot while Van Dijk reached a new milestone in his career in the 4-0 victory.
The Dutch outlet AD said Van Dijk put in a "proud and strong" performance was played like a "true captain". He made history by overtaking Frank de Boer as the player to take the armband on the most occasions for the Netherlands.
Van Dijk won his 88th senior cap for his country in this fixture. The 34-year-old is now the outright record holder for the most appearances as skipper, captaining his country for the 72nd time.
Elsewhere, Voetbal Zone gave Van Dijk a 7.0 rating during the 4-0 win, while Gakpo was one of the top-rated players on the day. The Liverpool winger was handed an 8.5, level with Manchester City’s Tijjani Reijnders.
Meanwhile, Dutch pundit Pierre van Hooijdonk claimed after the match that Gakpo has actually been the Netherlands’ best player in qualifying.
"I think Gakpo is the best player in this qualifying campaign," he said. "And even before that, actually. He’s just so strong, his physique is top-notch. And he also has his own individual moves."
National newspaper De Telegraaf was not quite so complimentary, however. It felt like the Liverpool pair could have done even more.
On Van Dijk, who got a 6/10 score, it said: "Van Dijk wasn't flashy. He didn't do anything wrong, and this was simply a subdued match. He became the record captain, and that's an achievement in itself.
"He certainly has a great presence. All great teams have a captain with a certain charisma. He's highly respected within the squad, and he also has the kind of stature and qualities that make the players listen to him.
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"They'll go through fire for him. But also look at how he greets Luciano Valente on the pitch and greets him when he comes on as a substitute. It's wonderful to see, and that's a prime example of the captain he is."
On the 6.5-rated Gakpo, it added: "A convincing penalty and a brilliant assist for Xavi Simons' goal. Gakpo is important, but he needs to find more variety in his moves. You get the feeling he wants to cut inside every ball to shoot or cross to the far post.
"He also has to play a one-two sometimes. But then again, Arjen Robben did it that way. Everyone knew what he was going to do, and yet it often paid off. That's the same with Gakpo."
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