Netherlands into Nations League quarters, Germany rout Bosnia
- 2 hours ago
Netherlands outclassed Hungary with a 4-0 victory in their winner-takes-all Nations League encounter on Saturday while record-setting Germany hammered Bosnia and Hercegovina 7-0.
Netherlands and Hungary went into the match tied on five points each and with the winner set to join Germany in ensuring their progress from Group A3 to the quarter-finals.
First-half penalties by Wout Weghorst and Cody Gakpo sent the Oranje on their way, before Denzel Dumfries and Teun Koopmeiners made the game safe in the second period.
“There are always things we can improve upon,” Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk told SBS6. “But in the end, we deserved to win.”
The match at the Johan Cruyff Arena was briefly interrupted in the seventh minute following a medical emergency on the Hungarian bench.
The referee stopped play for some 10 minutes while Hungary’s assistant coach Adam Szalai received treatment, shielded from view by huddled players and staff members, as well as a large white sheet.
Szalai, 36, was stretchered off to applause from spectators and players alike, the Hungarian FA later released a statement saying he was “conscious” and in a “stable condition” at an Amsterdam hospital.
“It was a scare of course,” Gakpo told NOS. “Fortunately, I just heard he regained consciousness on the pitch. Things like this are more important than football.”
Almost forgotten in the aftermath of the worrying incident was the handball by Tamas Nikitscher as the ball was crossed into the Hungarian box.
The referee consulted the touchline video monitor and promptly restarted play by pointing to the spot, allowing Weghorst to sweep the Netherlands in front.
Denes Dibusz was the busier of the two goalkeepers as the first period wore on and had to be alert to keep out efforts from Tijjani Reijnders and Donyell Malen.
In the 11th minute of added time, Dutch dominance told and Malen was clipped by Zsolt Nagy in the box.
Gakpo dispatched the resulting spot-kick, sending Dibusz the wrong way and Netherlands into a two-goal lead.
Right-back Dumfries sealed the Netherlands’ spot in the quarters as he latched onto Malen’s flick-on at the back post and fizzed a volley back into the far corner shortly after the hour.
Koopmeiners marked his first international match since 2022 by nodding in a fourth in the 86th minute.
Germany cemented their spot at the top of the group with a 7-0 win over Bosnia -- the heaviest in the six-year history of the Nations League.
“It was good fun tonight. After a couple of goals we did the work defensively and then everything came together offensively. The more that happens, the more fun we have on the pitch,” German attacker Jamal Musiala told UEFA’s website.
Musiala opened the floodgates after two minutes with a header from Joshua Kimmich’s cross.
Tim Kleindienst scored his first goal for Germany in the 23rd minute and Kai Havertz made the game safe eight minutes before the break, slotting home after a slick one-two with Florian Wirtz.
Wirtz then made it four on 50 minutes with a sublime swerving free-kick from wide on the left, before doubling up seven minutes later.
“Seeing Flo (Wirtz’s) free-kick was kind of nice but just in general everyone played well, had good moments. We’re just playing good football,” added Musiala.
Substitute Leroy Sane scored Germany’s sixth in the 66th minute and Kleindienst completed the rout just over 10 minutes from time as he guided home a pinpoint cross from centre-half Antonio Rudiger.
The emphatic result leaves Germany five points ahead of Netherlands with only one match left to play.
In Group B1, Georgia played out a 1-1 draw at home to Ukraine and stay two points ahead of the fourth-placed visitors.
The Czech Republic drew 0-0 in Albania and remain top of the group on eight points, one ahead of Georgia in second and their third-placed opponents.
Turkey stayed top of Group B4 with a 0-0 draw at home to Wales, while Iceland beat Montenegro 2-0.
Turkey were presented with a golden opportunity to grow their two-point lead over Wales but Kerem Akturkoglu sent his 89th-minute penalty wide.
Agence France-Presse
