'That was my fault as a coach' - Netherlands' Xavi takes blame for Greece setback

The Dutch looked out of sorts in the first half and trailed after goals from Fotis Ioannidis and Georgios Masouras.

Virgil van Dijk pulled one back shortly before the hour mark before Tijjani Reijnders completed the comeback with an equaliser in the final minute.

The draw kept Xavi's unbeaten record since taking charge of the Netherlands intact, but the former Barcelona boss admitted he got his tactics wrong in the opening 45 minutes.

"I'm never happy with a draw. But the first half was very poor. That was my fault as a coach," Xavi said.

"Maybe I made things unclear for the players by making too many changes."

Xavi responded at half-time by making three substitutions, with Ryan Gravenberch, Noa Lang and Reijnders helping to change the game.

The Netherlands also switched to a midfield diamond, giving them more control and attacking speed.

"I told the players exactly the same thing: sorry, because I think this is my fault," Xavi said.

"Forget the first half, now we're going to restructure things in the second."

The tactical change made a clear difference as the Netherlands took control and created a series of chances after the interval.

"I think above all that the system was different. We played with a diamond in midfield, and that created more chances," Xavi added.

"The pitch became more open, and we had more speed with the ball."

The Netherlands now turn their attention to their final match of the international window when they face Serbia in Eindhoven on Sunday.