Yahoo Sports ‘Reijnders indispensable for Fonseca, Koopmeiners has enchanted Motta’
Next Saturday Tijjani Reijnders and Teun Koopmeiners will face each other with AC Milan and Juventus coming together in the Serie A. In the Italian media, the duo is being showered with compliments and the upcoming confrontation is fondly being referred to as the battle of the Dutch.
In recent weeks, Reijnders and Koopmeiners were still each other’s competitors in the Dutch national team, but on Saturday the two attacking midfielders will face each other in the Serie A with Milan 7th and Juve a place above. In Italy this has been seen as a reason to broadcast the Dutch clash widely.
Reijnders and Koopmeiners grace Friday’s front page of Corriere dello Sport, under the heading ‘the battle of the Dutch’. Apart from the origins of the two midfielders, the Italian outlet sees many similarities. “They are capable of anything. They score goals, provide assists, defensive work, move in the same way and have excellent insight.”
Yet one of the two is in better shape. That is Reijnders, but Koopmeiners is coming back, it is said. “Koopmeiners has it harder than his compatriot, but has already shown that he is almost back to his Atalanta form. With that he has already bewitched Thiago Motta (Juventus’ coach).”
The added value of Reijnders at Milan is also not left unmentioned. “Reijnders is indispensable for Paulo Fonseca (coach AC Milan). He is a fundamental part of Milan and already irreplaceable. He has grown in personality, has more self-confidence, and is one of the leaders of the team.”
The match between Milan and Juventus will be played on Saturday. Kick-off is at 17:00 (GMT) in San Siro.
