The secret in 30 passes: Xavi brings Barcelona's magic to the Netherlands
La Masia's fingerprints are starting to show on the Netherlands, and the man pressing them into place is Spanish coach Xavi Hernandez.
According to Marca, the Dutch turned heads against Serbia in the UEFA Nations League. They strung together 30 passes without losing the ball for a minute and a half in the second half, and the sequence ended with Joshua Zirkzee tucking away the winner.
Top of Group Two is where the Netherlands finished the international break, sitting on 8 points.
In a report, Sport explained that Xavi has backed a more dynamic side, one that dictates play with the ball and hands chances to young players. Mex Meerdink stood out as one of the brightest of the lot during the break.
His knack for tweaking games as they unfold, and for shouldering the blame when things go wrong, won him plenty of praise in the Dutch press too.
Work remains to be done, chiefly on consistency and defensive solidity. Even so, the mood across the Netherlands looks upbeat.
Xavi got the results, blooded fresh faces, and, above all, has begun to stamp his own identity on the Oranje.
One test down, the Spaniard leaves the international break with his confidence topped up and a growing sense that his Netherlands project is off to the right start.
