Joshua Zirkzee of Manchester United was mainly ineffectual as the Netherlands held Hungary to a draw in the Nations League Wednesday night in Budapest.
In a tense match that nearly saw Hungary defeat their opponents for the first time in forty years, Virgil van Dijk was sent off.
The home team’s lead was given by Roland Sallai, and it appeared to be sufficient until Denzel Dumfries equalized for the Oranje in the 83rd minute, four minutes after the captain was sent out.
Despite holding a commanding 80% of the ball for the majority of the first and second halves, the United player was unable to make an impact and the Dutch were unable to convert their advantage into goals.
Zirkzee was only able to muster one shot, and it was stopped. With just 38 touches, he completed 15 of 22 passes, indicating a dismal 68% passing accuracy. He received a 6.9 sofascore for the game.
When Brian Brobbey took his place in the 76th minute, he was given the opportunity to pass away.
Despite scoring a goal in his opening match, the big man has found it difficult to settle into life in the Premier League and has started the last few games for United as a substitute.
Matthijs de Ligt, another recent addition who has also battled and lost his spot for club and country, replaced Xavi Simons in the final nine minutes of the game.
During his limited time on the field, De Ligt made three clearances and won all three of his duels.
When the Netherlands play Germany in Munich on Monday, the challenge ahead of them will be considerably more difficult. Last month, the two teams ended up drawing 2-2 in Holland.
De Ligt is expected to start the game since Van Dijk is now sidelined, but it’s unclear if Zirkzee will stick around after such a lackluster showing against weaker opponents.
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