On a pale green field in a sometimes excited atmosphere, the Dutch national team in Athens took a big step towards the European Football Championship next summer. In a hectic final phase, the Netherlands won 1-0 at the last minute against Greece, the main competitor in the battle for a European Championship ticket.
In long phases, the Dutch played cautious, often difficult football. Against a very mediocre Greece, which achieved little constructively and sometimes simply surrendered balls. The Greeks compensated for this with their fighting spirit and physical strength, they threw themselves into shots with everything they had and chatted in the duels.
With this victory, the Dutch national team can hardly miss out on qualifying for the European Championships in Germany next summer. One win in the remaining two games, at home against Ireland or away against Gibraltar in a month, is enough.
Empty grandstand
At the beginning of the evening, many Greeks sit quietly on terraces around the OPAP Arena, the new stadium that appears from nowhere in the middle of the residential area of Nea Filadelfeia, in the northwest of the metropolis of Athens. Little appears of the much-feared madhouse. Inside it is quite relaxed, the Greek flag display and singing are not too bad. An entire side of the stands also remains empty due to safety considerations.
Briefly, some boos are heard when the Dutch team enters the field, just after nine o’clock local time. A group of Dutch fans sit in a corner of the stadium – only striker Wout Weghorst applauds in their direction.
There are final instructions from assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff for Lutsharel Geertruida, Nathan Aké and Tijjani Reijnders. Arm around the shoulder, a quick chat. Hulshoff makes it clear how they should position themselves, how to line up in duels.
Last month, national coach Ronald Koeman surprised the Greeks in Eindhoven by starting with a different system, 3-4-3: three central defenders with two attacking backs on the sides, two central midfielders and three attackers. With success, the Dutch team won convincingly: 3-0. Greek national coach Gustavo Poyet now combats the Dutch team by ‘mirroring’: he uses a similar formation, with an extra central defender.
Illustrative of the tension in the Dutch team, defender Geertruida unnecessarily loses the ball to striker Fotis Ioannidis due to procrastination. He gets a yellow card for the foul he commits. The Feyenoord player then shoots the ball over the sideline in frustration – not such a smart move, it could have easily led to his second yellow card.
Compared to the lost home match against France last Friday, Koeman opts for a more offensive strategy. With two attackers, Steven Bergwijn and Xavi Simons, behind striker Wout Weghorst. The midfield block is now formed by Tijjani Reijnders and Mats Wieffer, instead of Joey Veerman and Marten de Roon – Koeman was not satisfied with the coordination between the two on Friday.
Too thin, too light
The duo of Reijnders and Wieffer functions well. They find the spaces, the passing is fine and Reijnders in particular exudes a kind of fearlessness. Offensively, on the other hand, it is too thin, too light. A heel kick from Simons on Denzel Dumfries completely fails. Simons’ actions are often too difficult, too risky. Weghorst works hard, but is stuck in the Greek block of defenders.
The Dutch team bite back a little more, after about twenty minutes, with two dangerous long-range shots from Reijnders. The Greeks offer little in return, typical of which is an unfortunate back pass from defender Panagiotis Retsos that goes over the back line.
Suddenly captain Virgil van Dijk lies on the ground in the Greeks’ penalty area, after a high cross from left back Quilindschy Hartman. Van Dijk is pulled back by Konstantinos Koulierakis: penalty. Weghorst demands the ball. He gets many green laser pointers pointed at his face when he docks. He shoots poorly, almost through the middle, goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos makes a simple stop.
The Greek bench flies up with joy, clenched fists and all, followed by the rest of the stadium. Finally the match really ignites.
Shortly before half-time, Bergwijn gets a huge opportunity after a clever diagonal through pass from Van Dijk, but the Ajax attacker shoots wide. Just after halftime he gets a second chance, when Konstantinos Mavropanos simply hands the ball over. But the goalkeeper makes a fantastic save on Bergwijn’s shot. Not much later, the Greeks were able to take the lead after a breakaway by Ioannidis, his shot ending up in the side netting.
Koeman switched to the classic 4-3-3 system at halftime, with which he wants to increase the pressure on the vulnerable Greeks. The unhappy Geertruida stays behind, in front of him comes attacker Donyell Malen. The Orange dictates with effect, offensively, which creates many dangerous situations.
Red-faced head
But Greece gets a little more grip after three substitutions, halfway through the second half. It remains tricky for the Dutch team, a goal can just happen, which could make European Championship qualification very difficult. Koeman gestures halfway through the second half, his hands moving violently downwards, his head red: he seems to want to say that they must regain calm.
It doesn’t stay quiet. A great heading opportunity for Ioannidis seven minutes before the end goes wide. The Greeks are going to attack on a va-banque basis. Orange falters. But from that oppression, the team suddenly comes out. Substitute Vangelis Pavlidis from AZ lightly pulls Dumfries’ shirt, after which the Dutch team receives another penalty. Although VAR still calls Spanish referee Alejandro Hernandez to the side to view the images, he stands by his decision.
Van Dijk shoots in impeccably, with all laser pointers aimed at him again. He celebrates coolly in the corner, with Dutch players arriving, who are pelted with plastic cups and other objects.
It is the apotheosis of an evening that gradually became more and more nervous – national coach Poyet is still sent off with a red card – but on which the Dutch team achieved a liberating victory in Koeman’s second period that had started so slowly.