Veerman operated centrally between Ryan Gravenberch and Tijjani Reijnders, completing 90% of 117 passes and logging 135 touches. He played 77 passes in the opponent's half and won five of eight duels, adding defensive weight to a display built around circulation. His five key passes were the most in the match.
The decisive highlights arrived in sequence: Veerman threaded a pass to Til between two Serbian defenders; Til then sent Meerdink through; and the forward finished low into the corner. That move settled the score and delivered Xavi's first win in the new Netherlands cycle.
In the wider summary, the result belonged to a side that found its cutting edge through a deeper playmaker: Veerman's stats supplied the control, Til's pass opened the route and Meerdink provided the finish.
Our pre-match analysis called this one correctly. These picks were backed before kick-off and landed after the final result.
1X2: Away @1.45
Pre-match pick: The Netherlands are favored and the prediction points to an away win.