'That was my ​fault': Netherlands boss Xavi takes blame for slow start in Greece

[p]The result maintained the ‌former World Cup winner’s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/greece-COuk57Ci/netherlands-WYintcWb/?mid=UcYKxC0B"]unbeaten start to ‌his tenure[/a] in charge of the Dutch national team, ‌but it proved a close-run contest with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/reijnders-tijani/f17EnPl3/"]Tijjani Reijnders[/a] ‌equalising a minute from the end at Stadio Toumbas.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/greece/COuk57Ci/"]Greece[/a] had opened up a two-goal lead at the break ‌through [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ioannidis-fotis/b1pVKpjM/"]Fotis Ioannidis[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/masouras-georgios/Ma5qH2yn/"]Georgios Masouras[/a] ⁠before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-dijk-virgil/U59RNqOr/"]Virgil van ‌Dijk[/a] halved the deficit just before the hour mark.[/p][p][b]“I’m never ​happy with a draw. But the first half was very poor. That was my ​fault as a coach. Maybe I made things unclear for the players by making too many ⁠changes,”[/b] Xavi said.[/p][image alt="Greece vs Netherlands momentum" id="2214dfbd-33d6-4e66-9301-12a7bf5dc1cc" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="de39066f-55af-4e97-99da-3f33101fd5b6" original-width="3840" original-height="2160" /][p]Xavi ​made three changes at the start of the second half, and the Dutch dominated from then on.[/p][p][b]“I’m just trying to be honest, because that’s who ‌I am,"[/b] said Xavi. [b]"At half-time, I told the players exactly the same thing: sorry, because I think this is my fault. Forget the first half, now we’re going to restructure things in the second.”[/b][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gravenberch-ryan/Y5aFd8V4/"]Ryan Gravenberch[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lang-noa/4YZobWel/"]Noa Lang[/a], and Reijnders all made a big impact, but Xavi preferred to talk about a change in approach after the ‌break.[/p][p][b]“I think above all that the system was ​different. We played with a diamond in ‌midfield, and that created more chances," [/b]he explained. [b]"The pitch became more open, and we had more speed with the ball.”[/b][/p][p]The Dutch play the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/netherlands-WYintcWb/serbia-8Kl6iq0i/?mid=0OieMjGU"]last of their four fixtures[/a] in the ⁠international window against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/serbia/8Kl6iq0i/"]Serbia[/a] ⁠in Eindhoven on ‌Sunday.[/p][infobox id="5a8fbd57-e97c-4bdc-9f6b-fb0fb254e893" /]