France vs Netherlands: 5 Talking Points, UEFA Nations League 2018/19

#3 Ryan Babel: Forgotten but not gone

Italy v Netherlands - International Friendly

Regardless of the outcome of the game at Stade de France, it would have been impossible to miss Netherlands winger Ryan Babel. With his hair dyed flame-red, he stood out for his unusual fashion choice, which clashed against the orange of his shirt.

However, he was still inconspicuous enough to sneak in ahead of Benjamin Pavard to steal the Netherlands level midway through the second half, just when they were starting to get a grip on the game. His finish was an unorthodox but smart one, allowing the ball simply to ricochet off his shin and into the corner of the goal from a driven cross.

Now at Besiktas in Turkey, he seemed destined for greater things when he exploded onto the scene at Ajax and was promptly snapped up by Liverpool. It never worked out for him at Anfield and a string of moves followed before he eventually settled in Instanbul.

Since then, he has occasionally flashed back into the vision of the mainstream, and tonight was one of those telling contributions. He was, however, largely peripheral to proceedings aside from his goal and was withdrawn later on as the Dutch chased a second equaliser.

At 31, it’s too late for him to fulfil his potential, but he showed that he remains a force who is dangerous to write off – as Deschamps’ side very nearly found to their cost.