Sane and van Dijk on the scoresheet ahead of Gameweek 13

We continue our international break coverage with a look back at the matches contested on Monday that involved Fantasy Premier League players.

The article below rounds up the minutes played, goals, assists and injury news concerning these Fantasy assets, with a particular focus on some of the more widely owned FPL picks.

Germany 2-2 The Netherlands

• Antonio Rudiger (£6.0m) – 90 minutes
• Leroy Sane (£9.2m) – 80 minutes
• Bernd Leno (£4.8m) – 0 minutes
• Virgil van Dijk (£6.0m) – 90 minutes
• Georginio Wijnaldum (£5.5m) – 60 minutes
• Nathan Ake (£5.0m) – 0 minutes
• Patrick van Aanholt (£5.4m) – 0 minutes

Virgil van Dijk‘s last-minute volley rescued a point for the Netherlands in Gelsenkirchen, a result that sent the Dutch through to the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League.

Van Dijk had been deployed as a makeshift centre-forward as the Netherlands attempted to claw back a two-goal deficit and the Liverpool stopper popped up with a late leveller to highlight his ability in the opposition box, albeit an aptitude that has been frustratingly unfulfilled in the Premier League since moving to Anfield earlier this year – van Dijk is still yet to score a top-flight goal for the Reds.

Indeed, van Dijk’s last Premier League strike was for Southampton in December 2016. Since then, he has had 37 attempts on goal without finding the back of the net in the English top tier.

Georginio Wijnaldum, who played the first hour of this match, had earlier credited his club colleague for his impact on the Liverpool backline:

I think Virgil has made a difference in the last line because he is a good defender, a big defender. He is an extra man who can defend set-pieces as well.

He is a leader in the last line who not only helps himself with his quality but also the players next to him and so he really helps the team.

But it is not only Virgil, the team helps him also – the players who play next to him or in front of him and the goalkeeper too because we all have to communicate with each other and help each other.

It is good teamwork that makes us do things so well, but of course he has made a real difference since he came.

For much of the evening, van Dijk, Wijnaldum and co. had it tough. Germany were worthy of their 2-0 lead and the Dutch barely had a sniff, not registering their first shot on target until the 56th minute.

Van Dijk and Matthijs de Ligt, so impressive against France last week, had a more difficult evening at centre-back as Germany’s front three – which included Leroy Sane – troubled them with their movement.

Sane played on the left of that attacking trio in a 3-4-3 and scored his second Germany goal in as many games when doubling Die Mannschaft’s lead on 19 minutes – the Manchester City winger collecting a Toni Kroos pass and firing a deflected strike past Dutch goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen.

Sane’s goal and performance sets him up nicely for a period of Premier League games in which he could be featuring more prominently, given Pep Guardiola’s previous reliance on the young midfielder whenever Benjamin Mendy (£6.4m) has been unavailable in the past.

Antonio Rudiger played the whole match as part of Joachim Low’s back three, while Bernd Leno was an unused substitute for the hosts. Patrick van Aanholt and Nathan Ake‘s Fantasy owners would also have been delighted to see the defensive pair remain on the bench for the entirety of the game.

Denmark 0-0 Republic of Ireland

• Zanka (£4.4m) – 90 minutes
• Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (£4.5m) – 90 minutes
• Christian Eriksen (£9.2m) – 45 minutes
• Jannik Vestergaard (£4.7m) – 0 minutes
• Andreas Christensen (£5.0m) – 0 minutes
• Kasper Schmeichel (£5.0m) – 0 minutes
• Kevin Long (£4.2m) – 90 minutes
• Shane Duffy (£4.7m) – 90 minutes
• Seamus Coleman (£5.2m) – 90 minutes
• Cyrus Christie (£4.2m) – 90 minutes
• Jeff Hendrick (£5.3m) – 90 minutes
• Robbie Brady (£5.4m) – 66 minutes
• Michael Obafemi (£5.0m) – 10 minutes
• Harry Arter (£4.9m) – 0 minutes

Seamus Coleman, Shane Duffy and Kevin Long somehow emerged from this UEFA Nations League encounter in Aarhus with a clean sheet, despite Denmark’s almost total dominance in the match.

The Premier League-based trio saw plenty of action as Martin O’Neill adopted a cautious approach for this dead rubber, with the hosts having 26 shots on goal to Ireland’s three – though a Zanka header on 30 minutes was the only time either goalkeeper was tested in the whole match.

Duffy was perhaps the pick of Ireland’s players at the heart of a back three, with the Brighton defender warming up for the Gameweek 13 clash with Leicester City with a towering performance at centre-half and a second successive shut-out of the international break.

Coleman was once again used at left wing-back but was afforded precious few opportunities to get forward.

Robbie Brady, Jeff Hendrick and “out of position” Cyrus Christie were used as the central midfield three and it was Brady who had Ireland’s only two serious attempts on goal, the first a shot from inside the box on 13 minutes and the second a direct free-kick attempt 20 minutes later that whistled wide.

Those three midfielders were up against Christian Eriksen in the first half, the Tottenham Hotspur playmaker seeing a shot blocked by Duffy and then a free-kick creep just over before his withdrawal at the break.

No word has been forthcoming about the reason for his half-time substitution, but with nothing riding on this Nations League encounter with Ireland, it may well have been that Eriksen’s minutes were merely being managed after his recent recovery from an abdominal problem.

Eriksen was caught late by Duffy in the first half, though played on for another 20 minutes after that incident.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg joined Zanka in completing 90 minutes for the hosts, with Andreas Christensen and Jannik Vestergaard unused substitutes. Kasper Schmeichel was suspended for this encounter.

Harry Arter also failed to see any action for the second game running, though youngster Michael Obafemi made his competitive debut off the bench in the last ten minutes.

Liechtenstein 2-2 Armenia

• Henrikh Mkhitaryan (£6.7m) – 90 minutes

Arsenal’s Armenian midfielder lasted the course of the game as his country rescued a late draw in Liechtenstein, a result that was immaterial as Macedonia topped their UEFA Nations League group.

Mkhitaryan captained his national team and was deployed in the hole, rather than wide on the right flank as he has been at Arsenal, registering a joint-high six shots on goal but ultimately ending the match without an attacking return.

The Czech Republic 1-0 Slovakia

• Matej Vydra (£5.8m) – 64 minutes
• Martin Dubravka (£5.0m) – 90 minutes

Martin Dubravka was beaten by one of just two shots on target he faced all night in Prague, though was left no chance with Patrick Schick’s chip on 32 minutes that condemned Slovakia to relegation from League B of the UEFA Nations League.

Matej Vydra lasted just over an hour on the right of midfield for the hosts but had minimal impact on the game.

Cyprus 0-2 Norway

• Mohamed Elyounoussi (£6.2m) – 90 minutes
• Alexander Sorloth (£4.8m) – 19 minutes
• Stefan Johansen (£5.1m) – 0 minutes

Southampton’s Mohamed Elyounoussi was dismissed in stoppage time of this victory for Norway in Cyprus, a win that saw the Scandinavian nation qualify for the next stage of the UEFA Nations League.

Elyounoussi collected a second booking of the match with the clock ticking down and will now serve a suspension in the next international break in March.

The Saints midfielder, playing on the left of midfield, earlier had four shots on goal without success.

Alexander Sorloth had a night to forget too, blazing over with the goal gaping after coming on as a 71st-minute substitute.

Sorloth then had another glorious opportunity saved by the Cypriot goalkeeper.

Stefan Johansen was an unused substitute, meanwhile.

Round-up

Grady Diangana (£4.5m) made his international debut as he played 72 minutes of England under-20s’ 2-0 win over Germany.

The West Ham United winger lined up on the right of a front three and went close to opening the scoring with a jinking run and shot that found the side netting.

The youngster later forced the German goalkeeper into a save with an attempt from inside the box.

Despite being withdrawn at half-time in the 1-1 draw at Huddersfield Town in Gameweek 12, the suspension of Robert Snodgrass (£5.3m) this weekend may well mean that Diangana gets a stay of execution in the West Ham side for the visit of Manchester City.

Issa Diop (£4.3m) and Matteo Guendouzi (£4.5m) were both named on the bench in the France under-21s’ match against Spain last night.

Aron Gunnarsson (£4.4m) was an unused substitute as Iceland drew 2-2 with Qatar in an international friendly.

Meanwhile, club team-mate Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (£4.8m) made his comeback from injury for the Cardiff City under-23s. The Bluebirds’ winger played 68 minutes and was on the scoresheet in a 2-0 win over Watford.

Mendez-Laing’s recovery may soon put pressure on Josh Murphy (£4.8m) on the Cardiff flank.

Abdelhamid Sabiri (£4.3m) played the last nine minutes of the Germany under-21s’ win over their Italian counterparts.

READ MORE: Thursday’s international round-up: part one
READ MORE: Thursday’s international round-up: part two
READ MORE: Friday’s international round-up
READ MORE: Saturday’s international round-up
READ MORE: Sunday’s international round-up: part one
READ MORE: Sunday’s international round-up: part two

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