The Netherlands produced a ruthless attacking display in Amsterdam on Friday night, thrashing Greece 7-0 in the Nations League to move three points clear at the top of Group A2 — and match the biggest win in the competition’s history.
Tijjani Reijnders was the star of the show at the Johan Cruijff ArenA, scoring a first-half hat-trick as the Dutch raced into a 5-0 lead before the break. Crysencio Summerville opened the scoring inside six minutes, Reijnders struck three times in the space of 21 minutes, and Jurrien Timber added a fifth before half-time. Timber completed his brace just after the hour mark and Donyell Malen added the seventh late on.
The result was a statement from Xavi Hernandez’s side, who had been held to a 2-2 draw by the same opponents in October after surrendering a two-goal lead. This time there was no way back for Greece, who arrived in Amsterdam unbeaten in the group after taking four points from Germany.
Netherlands 7-0 Greece: Reijnders runs riot in Amsterdam
Reijnders needed just 12 minutes to get off the mark, finishing from the edge of the six-yard area after Joey Veerman threaded a pass through the Greek defence. Six minutes later he was on the scoresheet again, converting Malen’s pass across goal, and he completed his hat-trick in the 33rd minute with a simple tap-in after Denzel Dumfries nodded the ball down in the six-yard box.
Timber, the Arsenal defender, turned in a Malen cross before the interval to make it 5-0, then struck again on the hour mark. Malen, who had a hand in three of the goals, rounded off the scoring himself to cap a night the home crowd will not forget in a hurry.
What the Netherlands 7-0 Greece result means for Group A2
The Netherlands now lead Group A2 on 11 points, three clear of both Greece and Germany, who are level on eight points after beating Serbia 3-1 in the other group game on Friday. Germany struck twice inside the opening 14 minutes in Belgrade — an own goal from Srdan Babic and a Florian Wirtz finish — before debutant Brajan Gruda added a fine solo goal after the break.
It all sets up a decisive final round of group matches on Monday. Germany host the Netherlands in Berlin, while Greece host a Serbian side still without a point after five matches — and with two quarter-final places on the line, the Dutch know a point in Berlin would be enough to finish top of the group.
For Greece, the scale of the defeat is a warning ahead of that final game: they went into Friday’s match unbeaten in the group and left Amsterdam with their goal difference in tatters. For the Netherlands, it was the perfect response to October’s dropped points — and a reminder of just how dangerous this side can be when it clicks.
Thursday’s other Nations League action saw England beat Croatia 2-1, Italy stun France 3-1 and Spain win 2-0 in Czechia.
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Featured image: SportsBuddy graphic design on a licensed photo of the Johan Cruijff ArenA (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, R.M.Jaarsma). Sources: Al Jazeera, UEFA, PUNCH.
