The Netherlands kicked off their Euro 2024 campaign with a well deserved 2-1 victory over Poland at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg on Sunday.
Here are five key takeaways from the action-packed encounter.
1. The Netherlands are off to a great start
Ronald Koman’s Netherlands needed to start their campaign on a winning note and that is exactly what they did. Despite suffering an early scare when Poland’s Adam Buska grabbed the opening goal against the run of play in the 16th minute, the Dutch side rallied together and pulled off an impressive comeback. With France and Austria still to come, this victory could prove very vital.
2. Netherlands’ wastefulness in the final third
The Netherlands could easily have won by a wider margin but for their wastefulness in front of goal. They were relentless in attack, creating chance after chance, but poor finishing from the likes Memphis Depay, Cody Gakpo and Xavi Simons ensured the match finished with a close scoreline. The Dutch will need to work on their accuracy in the final third if they are to go far in Germany.
3. Premier League stars shine for Netherlands
Three Premier League stars featured in Netherlands’ starting XI including Manchester City’s Nathan Ake and Liverpool’s Gody Gakpo and Virgil van Dijk. Van Dijk impressed in defense while Ake and Gakpo combined to grab Netherlands’ equalizer in the 29th minute.
4. Impact from the bench
Koman will definitely be pleased with the impact of his substitutions. Donyell Malen looked really bright on the right hand side after coming on in place of Xavi Simons, causing a lot of problems for Poland’s back four while Wout Weghorst grabbed the Netherlands winner just two minutes after replacing Depay. Talk about instant impact!
5. Defensive concerns for Poland
The Polish back line looked vulnerable for most parts of the ninety minutes. If the Netherlands had been more clinical with their finishing, the result could have been much worse. Head coach Michal Probierz will need to address Poland’s defensive worries before their remaining group stage matches against Austria and France if they are to have any chance of progressing.