Substitute Wout Weghorst scored a late winner just two minutes after coming on, as the Netherlands began their Euro 2024 campaign with a victory over Poland at Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion.
Hours before kick-off, a man was shot by police near where fans had been gathering in the city, but the game proceeded and provided an entertaining match.
Despite missing their all-time top scorer Robert Lewandowski, out with a thigh injury, Poland stunned the Dutch early on when Adam Buksa headed home.
The Netherlands dominated but missed several chances before Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo equalised with a deflected shot that beat Wojciech Szczesny.
The Dutch continued to create opportunities, and Gakpo should have scored his second before the break but sent Nathan Ake’s pullback over the bar from close range.
Ronald Koeman’s side maintained their dominance after the break, with Szczesny denying Denzel Dumfries, and exciting youngster Xavi Simons driving a shot wide after being set up by Gakpo.
Just as it seemed the match would end in a draw, Burnley striker Weghorst, introduced in the 81st minute, secured the win with a close-range finish moments after coming on.
This victory is significant for the Netherlands, who will face France next in Group D on Friday, while Poland will play against Austria the same day.
Dutch leave it late after missed chances
The Netherlands have not won the European Championship since 1988, when current boss Ronald Koeman was a player, but they are among the favorites to triumph in Germany.
Despite losing key playmaker Frenkie de Jong to an ankle injury just before the tournament, they boast a strong mix of youth and experience and had been in excellent form, with consecutive 4-0 friendly wins against Canada and Iceland.
Their confident and precise passing created numerous chances, and they should have been comfortably ahead before Buksa scored with one of Poland’s first opportunities.
Gakpo deservedly equalized, but the Dutch continued to struggle with finishing as several chances to take the lead went unconverted.
Koeman brought on former Manchester United loanee Weghorst as a late gamble, and it quickly paid off. The big striker demonstrated the movement and finishing ability his team had been lacking, securing three valuable points.
This was another instance of Weghorst’s late heroics, following his stoppage-time equalizer against Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
“Wout Weghorst was able to play and he has added value to the team. He has a different way of behaving and that is what we needed,” Koeman said.
“This should have been 4-1 in favour of us after one hour. We played very well but couldn’t finish opportunities.
“Cody Gakpo also played very well. He was dangerous and we should give him the ball more often.”
Poland beaten, but can play without Lewandowski
Poland faced a setback leading up to the tournament with the news that Lewandowski would not be fit to start the first game.
However, some Polish fans expressed interest in seeing how their team would perform without the Barcelona forward, and they will likely be generally encouraged by this display.
The late goal was a disappointing blow, but Buksa, who replaced Lewandowski, impressed by capitalizing on his opportunity with a near-post flick to score the opener.
That was Poland’s first shot on target, and they had chances to double their lead, which might have been taken if Lewandowski had been fit enough to come off the bench.
Lewandowski is expected to be available for Poland’s second game against Austria, but this performance against one of the pre-tournament favorites should provide encouragement.
Poland boss Michal Probierz said: “Lewandowski is coming back to strength and he will hopefully play against Austria. He is a very important player for us.
“Hopefully we will have more competition in this team. We are not giving up. We will do everything we can to qualify.”