Xavi hails Netherlands’ ‘family’ bond after unbeaten start

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Xavi is determined to keep turning the Netherlands squad into a family after they finished their first international break unbeaten in the Nations League.

The Netherlands sit top of Group A2 after their first four games, following their 2-1 win over Serbia on Sunday.

Teun Koopmeiners gave the Oranje a 31st-minute lead with a fine free-kick that was swiftly cancelled out by Mihajlo Cvetkovic.

However, Joshua Zirkzee, who was a late replacement for the injured Brian Brobbey, salvaged three points with 18 minutes of the 90 remaining.

The Netherlands are now in a strong position to qualify for the Nations League quarter-finals, with their final two games taking place in November.

And Xavi was thrilled with the unity within his group so early in his tenure, though he admitted there is still a lot of work to do when they next meet up.

“We fought like a family. We really had to suffer,” Xavi said.

“We had to defend, but we actually wanted to play possession football. But we couldn’t do that, and we couldn’t get a grip on the game because of Serbia, who did that really well.

“But when we switched to a different formation, things got better.

“We now know how to dominate games in different ways. But we also know how to defend at times in a low block or a mid-block.”

Three points at home! https://t.co/kjh0tOI065

— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) October 4, 2026

While the Netherlands are now unbeaten in their last eight games in the Nations League, having scored in each of the last four, there are issues at the back.

They conceded for the 12th consecutive game in all competitions, and that is one of the key things Xavi is determined to work on.

“The most important thing is that we score one more than the opponent, but we want a clean sheet. That takes time,” Xavi added.

“I’m going to get some rest now first, because it was intense.

“I’ll continue to keep an eye on everyone. We are creating a family.”

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