That concludes our commentary of the Nations League group A4 fixture between the Netherlands and Poland! We hope you’ve enjoyed it!
The Netherlands are back in action on Tuesday when they host Wales. Poland will look for a win in their next match on Tuesday against Belgium.
An absolutely superb match at De Kuip comes to a close with the Netherlands and Poland forced to share the spoils of a 2-2 draw. An entertaining but certainly not goal-laden first half was met by an absolute explosion after the restart, with Poland doubling their advantage through a Zielinski tap-in less than 180 seconds after the match’s resumption. A wild five minutes would ensue in which Klaassen and Dumfries both found the bottom corner to stun Skorupski but Van Gaal’s side were denied the flourishing touch despite a late penalty for a Cash handball. Depay was given the opportunity to win the match for his side but the woodwork denied the Oranje captain, who would go on to hit the post again just moments later.
90' + 7' FULL-TIME: THE NETHERLANDS 2-2 POLAND.
90' + 5' The fourth official indicates seven minutes will be added to the end of the match for stoppages.
90' + 3' DEPAY DENIED BY THE WOODWORK AGAIN! A Netherlands short corner is worked to De Jong in a central position. The midfielder looks up and arcs a cross to the far post, where it’s met by Weghorst. The physical striker heads it across the face of goal for his captain, whose lunging headed attempt is again denied by the post!
90' + 1' DEPAY MISSES THE PENALTY! IT REMAINS 2-2! INCREDIBLE! Skorupski dives the wrong way but the goalkeeper’s blushes are saved by the outside of the post - which denies the Netherlands captain a chance to gift his side a late lead!
M. Depay
Penalty Miss
90' + 1' Penalty Miss Memphis Depay
89' PENALTY TO THE NETHERLANDS! After a VAR review, the referee has come back onto the pitch and pointed to the spot for a Cash handball inside the penalty area during a late and frenetic Dutch attack. In his attempt to get in front of Depay, the Aston Villa player’s arm made contact with the ball - giving the hosts a chance to win the match at the death!
F. de Jong
Yellow Card
86' De Jong is shown a yellow card for having a little too much to say to the referee in the late stages.
S. Żurkowski
Yellow Card
86' Zurkowski is shown a yellow card by the match official for dissent.
86' Poland haven’t managed to score two or more goals against the Netherlands since a 2-2 draw in World Cup qualifying in 1992.
K. Glik
P. Frankowski
84' Glik comes in for Frankowski as Poland look to hold the draw and secure the point.
P. Zieliński
Yellow Card
83' A cynical tackle from Zielinski on Depay earns the Napoli midfielder a yellow card with seven minutes to go in the game.
81' Poland finally manage to step away from their own penalty area with the ball through Piatek, who gets as far as the centre-circle before he’s brought down by a combination of Koopmeiners and De Vrij.
79' De Jong steps up in midfield with impeccable timing to intercept a Zurkowski pass out of defence but the Dutch midfielder’s pass forward for Depay is a poor effort that fails to find his captain.
W. Weghorst
S. Bergwijn
77' Van Gaal is giving his side the opportunity to play route-one football should they need it in the final 12 minutes, with the imposing Weghorst coming on for Bergwijn.
75' The match hangs in the balance with 15 minutes left, with both sides settling in after a wild start to the second half. The hosts look more willing to open up in order to find the winning goal, while Poland seem happy with a very good point away from home.
73' Frankowski gets forward down the right flank and centres a pass for Krychowiak, whose first-time effort is gathered cleanly by Flekken.
71' Krychowiak sends a lovely ball over the head of De Vrij for Zielinski but Flekken's positive starting position takes him to the ball before the arrival of the Napoli midfielder.
69' CLOSE! Depay cuts in from the byline and lays a pass off for Blind, who looks to place his shot in the far corner. The effort sends Skorupski scrambling across his line but the ball rolls the wrong side of the post as the score remains level.
67' The Oranje substitutions have caused a bit of a reshuffle, with the introductions of Gakpo and Koopmeiners altering the formation slightly. Koopmeiners will drop back into midfield to play alongside De Jong in a pair, while Depay will also take a step away from goal to slot in behind a front two of Gakpo and Bergwijn.
T. Koopmeiners
S. Berghuis
65' Atalanta's Koopmeiners comes on for Berghuis as Van Gaal continues to make changes.
C. Gakpo
D. Klaassen
65' Gakpo comes on for Klaassen, whose goal sparked the Netherlands resurgence in this match.
J. Teze
J. Timber
64' Teze comes on for Timber with 25 minutes remaining in the match.
S. Bergwijn
Yellow Card
63' Bergwijn is deemed to be the guilty party for the Netherlands as he's also shown a yellow card.
Ł. Skorupski
Yellow Card
63' Dumfries catches the standing leg of Bereszynski unintentionally, which sparks a bit of a melee off the ball. Skorupski comes out of his goal to get involved and is shown a yellow card for his involvement.
61' The Netherlands have scored at least two goals in five of their last six matches including tonight, with a 1-1 friendly draw with Germany the only exception.
S. Berghuis
Yellow Card
59' Berghuis is shown a yellow card for getting involved in a tussle with Krychowiak.
S. Żurkowski
J. Góralski
58' Zurkowski comes on for Goralski two minutes before the hour.
56' A long VAR check proceeded Dumfries' strike, with the match officials checking Bergwijn's position in the lead-up to the goal. It had appeared on first glance as though the Tottenham forward was in an offside position but after replays from various angles - it appears he was able to hold his line.
M. Depay
Assist
54' Depay finally finds his touch with a lovely tipped pass for Dumfries, which is the assist.
D. Dumfries
Goal
54' THE NETHERLANDS HAVE LEVELLED THE SCORE! 2-2! Ake’s launched pass over the top of the Poland defence finds Bergwijn, who turns his back to goal to volley a pass across the face of the 18-yard box. Depay manages to tap it on once more to the charging Dumfries, who dispatches his low shot into the bottom corner!
53' The match has absolutely burst into life since the restart, with both sides finding the back of the net in a matter of minutes. Despite still being behind, the goal should give Van Gaal’s side the confidence they need to continue testing Skorupski.
D. Klaassen
Goal
51' KLAASSEN PULLS ONE BACK! 2-1! Blind puts a simple cross into the penalty area from the left but the Poland defence is unable to clear it. The delivery falls kindly to the foot of Klaassen, who scuffs it past Skorupski!
P. Zieliński
Goal
49' POLAND DOUBLE THEIR ADVANTAGE! 2-0! A lovely chip into the Netherlands half for Frankowski by Piatek catches the entire Oranje defence off guard and out of position. The winger barrels towards goal - drawing Flekken off his line - before squaring an unselfish pass to Zielinski for the tap-in!
P. Frankowski
Assist
49' Frankowski's unselfish pass is the assist for Poland's second goal!
48' A Netherlands corner is worked short by Depay to Berghuis, who puts it into the penalty area where it’s immediately repelled by Goralski - who wins a free-kick at the same time.
46' The Netherlands get the match restarted from the kick-off!
The Netherlands will need to make changes at the top-end of the pitch if they wish to get back in the match. Gakpo could provide a bit more dynamism going forward while the physically imposing Weghorst could do well in occupying the Poland centre-backs. Poland will look to keep their shape and continue to stifle their opponents, with the veteran Glik and Klich in midfield able to add a bit more steel.
The first half at De Kuip comes to a close with the hosts behind by a single goal, despite controlling the majority of the match. Van Gaal’s side had no problems making their way to Poland’s 18-yard box but a combination of a lack of variety and poor finishing has condemned the Netherlands to a scoreless first period. Michniewicz’s side - to their credit - have defended with organisation and determination - using their full-backs well to get up the pitch in order to relieve their defence. Cash’s goal was a well-taken strike after a lovely switch of play, which exploited the narrowness of the Oranje’s three-man defence.
45' + 1' HALF-TIME: THE NETHERLANDS 0-1 POLAND.
44' The fourth official indicates one minute will be added to the end of the half for stoppages.
42' With less than five minutes left in the half, the hosts look desperate to pull themselves back level after Cash’s 18th-minute strike. Van Gaal can be pleased with how his side have progressed the ball but Skorupski has not been tested nearly enough.
40' Blind puts a header back across the face of goal after meeting Berghuis’ cross from the right but Dumfries is unable to get the ball out from under his feet and turn it towards goal from six yards out as Poland once again escape unscathed.
38' Timber gets to the edge of the 18-yard box as the Netherlands continue to commit men forward but his shot is another disappointing effort that goes high and wide of Skorupski’s goal.
36' Dumfries’ powerful pass forward looks to split the two Poland centre-backs but Berghuis is unable to control the ball as it rolls through the penalty area and behind for a goal-kick.
34' Timber hooks a cross into the penalty area looking for the run of De Jong but Skorupski calmly steps off his line and claims the ball in the air commandingly.
32' Poland have failed to beat the Netherlands in their last 10 international meetings, with a 2-0 win in 1979 the last time the Eagles beat the Oranje.
30' Depay bursts out of his own half on a counter-attack but again his pass forward leaves his team-mates wanting, as Bergwijn is unable to track back faster than Bednarek in order to win the ball back and keep the move going.
28' The Netherlands have had the better of the play in the opening 30 minutes but a lack of link-up play in the final-third of the pitch has frustrated Van Gaal's side. They've had no problems getting to the edge of Poland's 18-yard box but Skorupski has had precious little to do.
26' Depay wires a first-time shot at goal after Bergwijn’s square pass played the forward in space but the captain’s hit is saved easily by Skorupski, who doesn't have to move very far to make the catch.
24' Depay drops out of the Poland 18-yard box in order to facilitate the Netherlands attack but his pass down the left flank for Blind is a poorly hit effort that Blind gives up on almost immediately - ending the host’s attack.
22' Berghuis again cuts inside from the right and hits a low left-footed effort towards the goalkeeper. This time, Skorupski has trouble dealing with the strike but Blind’s follow-up effort is sent high above the crossbar.
J. Bednarek
Yellow Card
20' Bergwijn goes down after a heavy challenge from Bednarek - which forces the referee to produce a yellow card.
N. Zalewski
Assist
18' Zalewski's switch of play put Cash in a position to trouble the Netherlands defence and as a result it will be credited as the assist.
M. Cash
Goal
18' A FIRST INTERNATIONAL GOAL FOR CASH! 1-0! The Aston Villa full-back scores his first goal for Poland in his sixth appearance after receiving a switch of play just outside the Netherlands penalty area and driving forward to fire a low shot that evades both Blind and Flekken!
17' A bouncing ball inside the 18-yard box following the Netherlands free-kick invites Bergwijn to try his luck but the Tottenham forward leans back before striking his volley - sending the effort above the crossbar.
G. Krychowiak
Yellow Card
16' A poor challenge from Krychowiak sees the Poland captain shown a yellow card just 16 minutes into the match after a leaping tackle with studs showing. It's a deserved booking - which keeps him out of his nation's next match.
15' Berghuis receives a pass from Dumfries and turns into space before taking a touch and firing a left-footed curler that just misses the inside of the far corner!
13' Dropping deep looking to start a move, Depay receives a pass from De Vrij and wraps his foot around the ball, spraying it out to the right flank for Dumfries. The wing-back is on to it in a promising position but an awkward bounce takes it away from the foot of the Inter player and out for a Poland throw.
11' Cash charges ahead on Poland’s first foray forward to a roar of applause but the combination of Ake and Blind converge to force the Aston Villa full-back backward 20 yards from goal.
9' The hosts have been in control in the first 10 minutes, dominating the flow of the game and ensuring that all 10 of Poland’s outfield players have spent most of their time camped in their own half. It looks likely that the visitors will find most of their joy on the counter.
7' KLAASSEN GOES WIDE! Timber’s pass into midfield is met by a deft flick by Bergwijn, who gets the ball to Depay. The captain turns and fires a pass inside for the onrushing Klasseen but the Ajax player drags his effort wide of the far post.
5' Berghuis swings a cross to the far post after cutting inside from the right wing but Blind is unable to meet the delivery as it rolls behind for a goal-kick.
3' Zielinski launches an early free-kick towards the Netherlands penalty area but a weak header from Bednarek 18 yards from goal gives Flekken ample time to gather the ball.
1' Poland get the match underway from the kick-off!
Poland make nine alterations from their 6-1 loss at the hands of Belgium on Wednesday. Skorupski gets the nod in goal ahead of Bartlomiej Dragowski while Cash, Kiwior and Bereszynski replace Puchacz, Glik and Gumny. Goralski is preferred to Zurkowski in midfield alongside captain Krychowiak while Frankowski and Zalewski start on the wings instead of Kaminski and Szymanski. The final switch is at striker where the lack of Robert Lewandowski’s presence provides a start for Fiorentina’s Piatek.
The Netherlands make nine changes to the XI that beat Wales 2-1 on Wednesday, with only Flekken and De Vrij keeping their places in the side. Ake and TImber replace De Ligt and Teze in defence, while Blind and Dumfries are in for Malacia and Hateboer at wing-back. The trio of De Jong, Klaassen and Berghuis get the nod in midfield ahead of Schouten, Koopmeiners and Gakpo while in attack, Depay and Bergwijn form a partnership - displacing Gakpo and Lang.
POLAND SUBS: Kamil Glik, Szymon Zurkowski, Karol Linetty, Sebastian Szymanski, Mateusz Klich, Tymoteusz Puchacz, Mateusz Wieteska, Karol Swiderski, Przemyslaw Placheta, Konrad Michalak, Wojciech Szczesny, Kamil Grabara.
POLAND XI (4-4-2): Lukasz Skorupski; Matthew Cash, Jan Bednarek, Jakub Kiwior, Bartosz Bereszynski; Przemyslaw Frankowski, Jacek Goralski, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Nicola Zalewski; Piotr Zielinski, Krzysztof Piatek.
NETHERLANDS SUBS: Kjell Scherpen, Guus Til, Jasper Cillessen, Hans Hateboer, Teun Koopmeiners, Cody Gakpo, Tyrell Malacia, Jordan Teze, Wout Weghorst, Jerdy Schouten, Matthijs De Ligt, Bruno Martins Indi.
NETHERLANDS XI (3-5-2): Mark Flekken; Nathan Ake, Stefan De Vrij, Jurrien Timber; Daley Blind, Frenkie De Jong, Davy Klaassen, Steven Berghuis, Denzel Dumfries; Memphis Depay, Steven Bergwijn.
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, let’s take a look at how the two sides are lining up - starting with our hosts!
Czeslaw Michniewicz’s first Nations League campaign as coach of Poland got off to a good start with a come-from-behind victory over Wales on the opening day but a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Belgium have left the Eagles third in the group.
Sitting first in the group after wins against Belgium and Wales, Louis Van Gaal’s Netherlands have had absolutely no problems scoring goals; netting six times in their opening pair of games. The Oranje are coming together nicely with one eye on the World Cup and could go as many as five points above their nearest rivals in the group after tonight.
Hello and welcome to our LIVE commentary of the Nations League group A4 fixture between the Netherlands and Poland!
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