The Netherlands sweats its victorious debut

The Netherlands sweats its victorious debut

The 'Oranje' need two goals in the final stages to knock down a fierce Senegal

MADRID, 21 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Netherlands team added their first three points in the World Cup in Qatar and joined Ecuador as the winning team of Group A after beating Senegal 2-0 on Tuesday with much suffering, in a match even on the scoreboard until the end of the match. minute 84, when it broke in her favor and when she was most uncomfortable on the pitch of the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha.

The triple runner-up in the world returned to the World Cup after failing in 2018 and did so with a difficult match against the African team, whom she did not completely subdue and against whom she suffered much more in the second 45 minutes, when the ball He prowled more of a Noopert goal that was one of the legs on which a triumph that was made to wait was established.

The team coached by Louis van Gaal was the one that settled the fastest against some 'Leones de la Teranga', who have already seen the impact of the significant loss of their star and benchmark, striker Sadio Mané. The Netherlands, protected by their technical quality and the push from Frenkie de Jong and Denzel Dumfries, was the one that threatened the most, although they were scared by their inaccuracies in the delivery of the ball.

In any case, and despite the fact that Edouard Mendy did not have to make any interventions, the two best chances in the first half were for the Dutch team. The first, after a quick combination on the edge of the area and the 'death pass' that Bergwijn narrowly missed. The second was clearer with De Jong getting involved when he had been in a one-on-one with the Chelsea goalkeeper. After dribbling the goalkeeper and a defender, another one arrived in time to clear the danger.

There wasn't much else to tell in this first act, in which Senegal held up well, but created little offensively except for a shot from Cisse that narrowly missed, and a high shot from Sarr that went high.

And it seemed that the second would go through the same paths. Van Dijk made it 0-1 with a powerful header that brushed the crossbar shortly after the two teams returned from the changing rooms, but the 'Oranje' stayed there, who gradually lost the pulse of the game and who saw how their rival, despite the injuries to Diallo and Kouyaté, grew.

Van Gaal tried to improve his offensive performance with the entry of Memphis, but the FC Barcelona striker did not appear until the last minute, and Senegal had the best chances. Noppert put a good hand on a surprise shot from Boulaye Dia and had the reflexes to fend off another powerful, if somewhat focused, shot from Idrissa Gueye.

The game seemed controlled for Aliou Cissé's team when a cross into the area from De Jong found Gapko entering and in his jump he beat Mendy in his perhaps somewhat hasty exit to make it 0-1 at the worst Dutch moment. Senegal did not want to give up and Pape Gueye once again tested Noopert's safety before, at the last breath, a Memphis cross shot was not well repelled by the Chelsea goalkeeper and allowed Klaasen to kill.

--RESULT: SENEGAL, 0 - NETHERLANDS, 2 (0-0, at halftime)

SENEGAL: E.Mendy; Sabaly, Koulibaly, PA Cisse, Diallo (Jacobs, min.62); N. Mendy, G. Gueye, Kouyate (P. Gueye, min.74); Diatta (Jackson, 74 mins), Dia (Dieng, 69 mins) and Sarr.

PAÍSES BAJOS: Noopert; De Ligt, Van Dijk, Ake; Dumfries, Gapko (De Roon, min.94), De Jong, Berghuis (Koopmeiners, min.79), Blind; Bergwijn (Klaasen, min.79) y Janssen (Memphis, min.62).

0-1, minute 84. Gapko.

0-2, minute 99. Klaasen.

--REFEREE: Wilton Sampaio (BRA). He admonished N.Mendy (min.93) and G.Gueye (min.96), for Senegal, and De Ligt (min.56), for the Netherlands.

--STADIUM: Al Thumama.