Xavi reshuffles midfield: Veerman, Timber and Til get a chance

In the stadium of Thessaloniki, national team coach Xavi saw yesterday how he set up a completely different midfield for the Netherlands in the Nations League match against Greece, which ended in a 2‑2 draw. He chose Joey Veerman, Quinten Timber and Guus Til as starting midfielders. The decision marked a clear break with the previously praised trio of Tijjani Reijnders, Frenkie de Jong and Ryan Gravenberch.

New midfield under Xavi

The new selection stood in stark contrast to the “dream midfield” that had been cherished in recent years. Reijnders, De Jong and Gravenberch were seen as the three best Dutch midfielders, but Xavi opted for a different dynamic. With Veerman, Timber and Til he wanted more aggression and variety in the game. With Joey Veerman, Quinten Timber and Guus Til, Xavi set out a new tactical course.

That dream midfield first came together against Finland in Helsinki, where the Netherlands lost 0‑2 in June last year. Since then the three started together nine times, including six matches in 2026. They formed the regular core at the World Cup until Ronald Koeman changed the system and Reijnders was left out against Morocco.

Yesterday against Greece none of the three were in the starting eleven, a rarity that had only occurred once before in the last 45 internationals, namely against Ecuador in March. For that match Eindhoven had a midfield with Jerdy Schouten, Xavi Simons and Quinten Timber. Now Veerman, Timber and Til got the chance to show what they are worth.

Performances and coach reactions

Veerman returned to the Netherlands after two years of absence under Koeman and delivered a solid performance against Germany and a strong baseline performance against Serbia in Belgrade. Xavi also praised Timber’s aggressive play against Germany and called Til a “revelation”. “I told him that I had misjudged him,” Xavi explained on Wednesday, “He wasn’t initially on the list, but he trains well and is a true professional.”

Til was initially not called up for this international period, but after Justin Kluivert dropped out he still got a place. He provided an assist against Serbia and, according to Xavi, masters the “attacking of space”. His ability to make a deep run at the right moment was praised by the national coach.

In the match against Greece Til was not at his best; he stayed low on the ball and was hardly dangerous in attack. Timber also performed poorly and lost possession. After the break, with Reijnders and Gravenberch ahead of Timber and Til, possession increased and the Netherlands played better, partly thanks to Veerman who kept his position and developed.

After the match Xavi took responsibility and admitted that he had not prepared the players sufficiently. He acknowledged that the options in Thessaloniki were limited and that a repeat of the Til, Veerman and Timber combination is less likely. The future of the Dutch midfield now appears more focused on the original trio of De Jong, Reijnders and Gravenberch.