After a big defeat against the Blues (4-0), at the Stade de France last Friday, the Netherlands rebounded timidly against Gibraltar (3-0), thanks in particular to a first achievement by Memphis Depay (23rd). Slow, the Oranje finally won by three goals without however convincing.
The Netherlands, recovering and lacking ideas three days after being slapped by France, won 3-0 without shining against weak Gibraltar to sign their first success in qualifying for Euro 2024, Monday in Rotterdam. Still groggy after the humiliation in Paris (4-0), the men of coach Ronald Koeman were clumsy against the players of Julio Ribas who spent the 90 minutes grouped together in front of their goal.
The Oranje only owed the opener to an error of judgment by goalkeeper Dayle Coleing who benefited Memphis Depay on receiving a cross from Denzel Dumfries (23rd). The Atletico Madrid striker, who missed his match on Friday at Saint-Denis, thus somewhat made people forget the penalty missed at the end of the match against the Blues, even if the Kuip public expected more from their star striker, regularly whistled.
A disappointing Netherlands
Facing the 200th nation in the Fifa ranking, the first period of the Oranje was unworthy of a contender for one of the two qualifying places in Group B also coveted by Greece and Ireland. It took the entry of Cody Gakpo (one of the five sick players and forfeited against France) to give a little more energy to the Dutch who doubled the bet in the 50th by Nathan Aké on a new service of Dumfries. The exclusion of Liam Walker then allowed Virgil Van Dijk and his teammates to benefit from more spaces. But the Gibraltarians, France’s next opponents in June on the Rock, continued to brace themselves, only surprised in the 82nd minute by a new goal from Aké (82) on a long shot.
The Netherlands, which will organize the final phase of the League of Nations in mid-June (they will face Croatia in the semi-finals on the 14th), now have three months to regain their senses. Ronald Koeman, furious after the poor performance of his players on Friday, probably did not expect to be faced with such a situation when he took over from Louis van Gaal last December, after the elimination in the quarter-finals of the World against the Argentinian world champions.