Inter Milan won their first league championship in Italy since 2010 when they lifted the Scudetto last season. Their hopes of retaining their crown took a big blow when they lost manager Antonio Conte and a host of star players such as Romelu Lukaku last summer.
Despite the loss of key individuals, Inter have made an excellent start to the 2021/22 campaign and are strong contenders to win the league again. A key part of their success has been down to Dutch defenders Stefan de Vrij and Denzel Dumfries.
The Dutch pair have been key starters in the Italian team who lost just one of their opening 21 matches this season. They are now odds-on at -500 in the sports betting for their Serie A title. The Milan-based club continue to be one of the best betting tips in Serie A this season due to their excellent defensive record. They conceded just 16 goals in those 21 games and de Vrij and Dumfries have played a big role in that.
De Vrij is into his fourth season at Inter after making a move to the club from Lazio in 2018. He has played in Serie A for eight years now, so it is a league he knows very well. The reliable central defender has been in the heart of Simeone Inzaghi’s back three. The Dutchman continues to be linked with a move to the Premier League, but he has a contract to remain with Inter until 2023. As a former Serie A Best Defender, he has proved to be one of the most invaluable players in the league over the past few years.
Dumfries joined his Netherlands teammate last summer when he signed for Inter from PSV. That move came on the back of an impressive European Championship for the wing-back where he scored twice at the tournament. He has fitted in well to Inzaghi’s team and has been an excellent replacement for Achraf Hakimi who left to join PSG back in July.
Dutch Pair Will Be Vital for Netherlands at 2022 World Cup
If they are fit and healthy, De Vrij and Dumfries will be a key part of Louis van Gaal’s national team at the World Cup in Qatar later this year. The Dutch team were disappointingly eliminated in the last 16 of Euro 2020 as they were beaten 0-2 by the Czech Republic.
Netherlands responded well to that upset by ending their qualification campaign for the World Cup on 23 points. It left them top of their standings, two points clear of Turkey who had to settle for second place and a play-off spot.
As they are currently ranked in the top 10 in the FIFA world rankings, the Netherlands will go into the World Cup as one of the teams fancied to go all the way. The country has been to the final on three occasions but are still yet to lift the trophy.
After strong seasons for Inter, de Vrij and Dumfries are likely to be full of confidence when they meet up with their international teammates for the campaign in the winter.
