Reijnders develops with the Dutch team: 'I could be even more dangerous'

As a midfielder for Manchester City and the Netherlands, Tijjani Reijnders knows that a few meters can make the difference between a good match and a poor one. In conversation with Reijnders, he talked about finding balance, overcoming distance and recognizing space. The match against Morocco will be a bigger challenge for the Netherlands.

"A match to look forward to," said Reijnders. What do you expect? "An interesting evening, maybe very hot, against a good team that will play fiercely in duels. But this is exactly what you want: to play a match like this in the knock-out round of a World Cup."

Entering the first World Cup, Tijjani Reijnders in the US symbolizes the development of the Dutch team: not yet at its peak, but gradually improving. The final group stage match against Tunisia was his best performance to date. The somewhat slow start is also related to his role: Reijnders takes on a position in a different team than at Manchester City. "I like to stand lower on the field," he explains. "But I have played many matches as a number 10 for the Netherlands and have performed well on many occasions. I am a player who, when a coach asks me, I perform that task as best I can. From there, I try to develop my strengths. I also know that I can be even more dangerous for the team; I can create more chances than what I did before."