World Cup roundup: Van Dijk allays injury fears after Netherlands’ 6-1 win
Oct 19, 2021
Virgil van Dijk gave Liverpool an injury scare after having to leave the field during the Netherlands’ 6-1 World Cup qualifier victory over Turkey.
The centre-half, who missed most of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury and only returned to top-flight football in August, was sent into the air by a strong challenge.
However, the 30-year-old shrugged off the incident and insisted he would be fit to face Leeds United on Sunday. “I’m fine, luckily. I’m already over it,” he said. “Maybe because I am so big, they think I am acting!”
Memphis Depay scored a hat-trick in the emphatic win over 10-man Turkey at the Amsterdam Arena which moved the Netherlands to the top of Group G.
Davy Klaassen scored in the opening minute in a dream start for the home side before Depay added three more, including a penalty. Guus Til scored the fifth 10 minutes from time and Donyell Malen added a sixth in stoppage-time before a consolation goal for Cengiz Under.
Antoine Griezmann played chief tormentor as France sprung back into life to end a five-game winless streak by beating visitors Finland 2-0 in Group D.
Griezmann struck in each half after his partnership with Karim Benzema bore fruit in satisfying fashion to put the world champions on 12 points from six matches at the top of the group. Finland, who had a decent opening half, are third on five points but have two games in hand on the French.
“Even it was not perfect we showed determination and with that came some more technical quality,” said the France coach, Didier Deschamps.
Portugal cruised to a 3-0 victory away to Azerbaijan to move top of Group A. Portugal were without Cristiano Ronaldo, who was suspended after picking up a yellow card while celebrating his second goal in their last-gasp 2-1 victory over Ireland last week, but his absence was not felt as first-half strikes from Bernardo Silva and André Silva plus a Diogo Jota header secured victory.
