Denzel Dumfries heads a dramatic late winner to earn the Netherlands victory after Ukraine come back from 2-0 down in a Group C thriller in Amsterdam.
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Oranje boss Frank de Boer is hoping to use Euro 2020 to prove to fans he is the right man to lead the team into a successful new era after an unconvincing start in the role.
It looked like going to plan for De Boer when Georginio Wijnaldum, who scored eight times in qualifying, pounced from inside the box before Wout Weghorst’s instinctive finish doubled the lead.
But Ukraine pulled one back through Andriy Yarmolenko’s outstanding 25-yard dipping finish and, four minutes later, Roman Yaremchuk header the equaliser to silence the Dutch fans.
However, Dumfries’ excellent 85th minute header, after substitute Nathan Ake’s cross, earned the Netherlands victory on their return to the major tournament stage after a seven-year absence.
Will the Oranje be Euro 2020’s great entertainers?
De Boer headed into Euro 2020 on the back of 11 games in charge that have seen five wins, four draws and losses to Mexico and Turkey. Not all fans are convinced he is the right man for the role.
Yet his team of youth and inexperience showed grit and determination to edge the highest scoring game of the tournament so far – much to the delight of most of the 16,000 fans in the ground.
While 19-year-old defender Jurrien Timber made just his third appearance for his country, Maarten Stekelenburg started in goal at the age of 38.
It was Stekelenburg’s opposite number, Georgi Bushchan, who looked like frustrating the hosts as he made excellent saves to keep out Memphis Depay and Wijnaldum before the latter opened the scoring, the first of five goals in 33 minutes.
Yarmolenko’s long-range finish to begin Ukraine’s comeback was the pick of the bunch but it was Dumfries’ header which lifted the roof as the Netherlands got their campaign off to a winning start.
What’s next?
Both teams are back in action on Thursday. While Ukraine take on North Macedonia in Bucharest at 14:00 BST, the Netherlands entertain Austria in Amsterdam at 20:00.
Netherlands
-
Squad number8Player nameWijnaldum
Average rating8.10
-
Squad number22Player nameDumfries
Average rating7.66
-
Squad number21Player namede Jong
Average rating7.65
-
Squad number19Player nameWeghorst
Average rating7.15
-
Squad number10Player nameDepay
Average rating6.99
-
Squad number6Player namede Vrij
Average rating6.87
-
Squad number4Player nameAké
Average rating6.76
-
Squad number17Player nameBlind
Average rating6.68
-
Squad number12Player namevan Aanholt
Average rating6.67
-
Squad number15Player namede Roon
Average rating6.66
-
Squad number25Player nameTimber
Average rating6.59
-
Squad number1Player nameStekelenburg
Average rating6.49
-
Squad number5Player nameWijndal
Average rating6.45
-
Squad number9Player namede Jong
Average rating6.43
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Squad number2Player nameVeltman
Average rating6.35
-
Squad number18Player nameMalen
Average rating6.35
Ukraine
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Squad number7Player nameYarmolenko
Average rating8.13
-
Squad number9Player nameYaremchuk
Average rating7.89
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Squad number17Player nameZinchenko
Average rating7.62
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Squad number8Player nameMalinovskiy
Average rating7.24
-
Squad number5Player nameSydorchuk
Average rating6.97
-
Squad number20Player nameZubkov
Average rating6.87
-
Squad number10Player nameShaparenko
Average rating6.81
-
Squad number16Player nameMykolenko
Average rating6.77
-
Squad number22Player nameMatvienko
Average rating6.75
-
Squad number1Player nameBushchan
Average rating6.67
-
Squad number13Player nameZabarnyi
Average rating6.66
-
Squad number21Player nameKaravaev
Average rating6.61
-
Squad number11Player nameMarlos
Average rating6.22
Line-ups
Netherlands
Formation 3-5-2
- 1Stekelenburg
- 25TimberSubstituted forVeltmanat 88’minutes
- 6de Vrij
- 17BlindSubstituted forAkéat 64’minutes
- 22Dumfries
- 15de Roon
- 8Wijnaldum
- 21de Jong
- 12van AanholtSubstituted forWijndalat 64’minutes
- 19WeghorstSubstituted forde Jongat 88’minutes
- 10DepaySubstituted forMalenat 90+1’minutes
Substitutes
- 2Veltman
- 4Aké
- 5Wijndal
- 7Berghuis
- 9de Jong
- 13Krul
- 14Klaassen
- 16Gravenberch
- 18Malen
- 23Bizot
- 24Koopmeiners
- 26Gakpo
Ukraine
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Bushchan
- 21Karavaev
- 13Zabarnyi
- 22Matvienko
- 16Mykolenko
- 8Malinovskiy
- 5SydorchukBooked at 90mins
- 17Zinchenko
- 7Yarmolenko
- 9Yaremchuk
- 20ZubkovSubstituted forMarlosat 13’minutesSubstituted forShaparenkoat 64’minutes
Substitutes
- 2Sobol
- 4Kryvtsov
- 6Stepanenko
- 10Shaparenko
- 11Marlos
- 12Pyatov
- 14Makarenko
- 19Besedin
- 23Trubin
- 24Tymchyk
- 25Popov
- 26Dovbyk
- Referee:
- Dr. Felix Brych
- Attendance:
- 15,837
Live Text
Match ends, Netherlands 3, Ukraine 2.
Full Time