Tijjani Reijnders enters Monday’s Nations League fixture against Germany as the central creative threat for the Netherlands following a rapid scoring streak.
The fixture is scheduled for Monday evening at 20.45 local time, with live coverage broadcast via the Sport-Ticker of WELT, DIE WELT reported.
The midfielder secured a hat-trick within twenty-one minutes during a 7-0 victory against Greece. DIE WELT reported that this performance marked his second three-goal haul in the space of two weeks, following a similar feat for his club side Al-Qadsiah at the end of October.
“I have both sides of the medal seen,” Reijnders said in an interview with NOS, describing the stark contrast between his early working life and his current career as a professional footballer.
His family agreed that the period spent working outside of professional sport ultimately benefited his development, DIE WELT reported. Before securing his breakthrough in professional football, Reijnders spent time working at an Aldi supermarket in Zwolle at nineteen years old, where he operated the checkout register and shelved products after school hours.
Reijnders earned a few hundred euros a month from his retail employment, which his mother encouraged him to pursue so he would understand the value of money, DIE WELT reported. At the time, his sporting progress encountered hurdles, including spells on the bench for the under-nineteen squad at PEC Zwolle.
“I see myself also as a late developer,” Reijnders said retrospectively. When AZ Alkmaar eventually offered him a professional contract, he still had an active shift scheduled at the supermarket and was forced to resign immediately because no replacement could be found.
His primary attacking qualities center on deep surges from midfield, carrying the ball forward and arriving in the penalty area with precise timing. During his tenure at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola explicitly praised this exact capacity to time runs into the box effectively, DIE WELT reported.
Family background plays a prominent role in his career, with a Dutch father and a mother possessing Indonesian roots. His younger brother, Eliano Reijnders, represents the Indonesian national team, while his first name honors former Ajax and Nigeria international Tijani Babangida, whose style inspired his father.
Germany faces the Dutch side with heightened awareness of Reijnders’ current form and movement through the central channels.
Monday’s match kicks off at 20.45 local time. Subsequent international fixtures will resume according to the official UEFA calendar.
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