Driessen predicts Malen will sit out versus Morocco

Journalist Valentijn Driessen argued on the Kick‑Off podcast that forward Donyell Malen should be dropped to the bench for the Netherlands’ upcoming clash with Morocco, noting the striker has started every World Cup match yet failed to score, and that the Dutch side had just beaten Tunisia in the group stage. Driessen said Malen was involved in two scoring chances but did not shoot, opting to dribble instead. He added that Malen had two decent actions where a shot was expected. He explained that coaches prefer a left‑footed player on the right side and a right‑footed player on the left to maximise shooting with the stronger foot. Consequently, he expects Koeman to move Malen to the bench for the Morocco game.

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Mike Verweij concurred, noting that when players are out of form they often receive a phone call from the press. He said Malen was called but declined to comment, which he views as a negative sign. Nevertheless, Verweij believes Malen can still be decisive for the Dutch national team, especially against strong opponents. He recalled Malen’s past impact as a substitute and mentioned missed chances in early friendlies against Algeria and Uzbekistan.

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The discussion aired on De ’s Kick‑Off podcast, hosted by journalist Valentijn Driessen. The podcast follows the recent Studio Oranje episode that reviewed the Netherlands’ group‑stage win over Tunisia. Both programmes aim to analyse squad selections ahead of the next World Cup match.