The Netherlands defeated Austria 2-0 on Thursday
The Netherlands defeated Austria 2-0 on Thursday, earning a place in the Euro 2020 last 16 as Group C winners thanks to an early penalty by Memphis Depay and a goal by Denzel Dumfries.
After a second win, the Dutch cannot be overtaken at the top of the standings, while Austria’s hopes are dependent on the outcome of their last match against Ukraine.
The home side took an early lead thanks to a penalty kick in the 11th minute. Flying full back Dumfries doubled the tally in the 67th minute with his second goal in as many games at the Johan Cruyff Arena.
On Sunday, Dumfries scored a dramatic late winner to give the Dutch a 3-2 victory over Ukraine. There was less of a frenetic feel this time as they coasted through the game.
After Austrian captain David Alba caught Dumfries on the foot on the corner of the penalty area, they were awarded the penalty. However, it was only given after referee Orel Grinfeeld conferred with the pitchside VAR monitor, and Depay dispatched a powerful spot-kick beneath the diving Daniel Bachman.
Depay had two more chances in the first half to add to his tally, hitting the side netting with a snap effort after another Alaba error and missing a horror miss five minutes before halftime.
Wout Weghorst’s attack partner played a square ball into the back post for the unmarked Depay
Wout Weghorst’s attack partner played a square ball into the back post for the unmarked Depay. He rushed the effort and skied his side-footed effort wide. Donyell Malen beat the offside trap and played in the charging Dumfries, whose finish was enthusiastically applauded by his teammates and the 16,000-strong crowd.
“It’s starting to feel like something out of a fairytale. It’s great to see how far we’ve come “Dumfries opined. “We dominated in every aspect of the game and deserved to win.”
The visitors’ first shot on goal came in the 84th minute. Substitute Karim Onisiwo headed straight at Maarten Stekelenburg in the home goal. Austria lacked the cutting edge in attack that they will need against Ukraine on Monday without the suspended Marko Arnautovic.
The Dutch are hosting North Macedonia at the same time, safe in the knowledge that they have already qualified for the last 16 of the competition.
“I am pleased with our overall performance. In possession, however, we could have done a lot better “, said Frank De Boer, the manager of the Netherlands, at a press conference.
“We improved our defence and didn’t give up as many opportunities as we did against Ukraine. However, the speed with which we lost the ball on numerous occasions was frustrating. We can do a lot better, which is good because you don’t want to hit your stride too soon.”
The Dutch coach said he didn’t know how many players would be rested for their final group match
The Dutch coach said he didn’t know how many players would be rested for their final group match on Monday against North Macedonia, which is essentially a dead rubber because their opponents can’t advance to the next round.
“We’ll see who needs to rest and who wants to stay in the game.” De Boer explained, “Having five different substitutions on hand gives you a lot of options.” Now that the first hurdle has been overcome, Wijnaldum cautioned against complacency.
It’s a bit of a treat to be done with it already, but we must resist the urge to unwind. We must remain focused, and this team must work diligently to achieve a goal.” He stated Austria coach Franco said his players rarely took the game to the Dutch and struggled to create anything in their opponent’s box, aside from a few half-chances.
He told reporters, “We weren’t brave enough.” “We gave away far too many balls too easily, allowing them to go on the offensive. We created a few opportunities ourselves, but we lacked the clinical acumen to see them through.
Instead of penetrating the penalty box, we tried to play around and down the wings. The opponent, on the other hand, played extremely well; they were always compact and defended well.
“Either we didn’t cross the street or we didn’t fire. We weren’t determined enough, and we didn’t have a clear goal in mind. Going forward, it wasn’t enough.”
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