Defensive switch justified, Koeman defends five-man back against criticism

Koeman defended his decision to move to a five-defender system in the knockout match, rejecting claims that the tactics were overly defensive. He highlighted that the Dutch side had conceded few goals against Sweden and Tunisia, and that a tighter formation was needed to stop Morocco's growing chances. "If we had not made the change, we might not have even reached extra time," Koeman argued, insisting he would repeat the approach if given another chance.