The Netherlands secured a comfortabel 4-0 victory over minnows Malta in their FIFA World Coup Qualifiers campaign, displaying full dominance from the begining till the end of the match.
Cody Gakpo and Memphis Depay were the stars of the game, playing really well and at the same time helped the team maintain strength. Softfootball reported earlier in their match preview that Depay was expected to add to goal tally against Malta, and he didn’t disappoint.
The Netherlands took charge of the game right from the start. Their heightened pressure in their attack helped them score a goal at the 12th minute. Cody Gakpo, who was fouled for the penalty, was entrusted with the spot-kick and calmly converted in the bottom-right corner
The team shared the moment on its official X handle to celebrate Gakpo’s composed finish in style. What the opening goal below:
The Dutch didn’t give up despite Malta’s defensive setup, creating numerous chances through Gakpo and Denzel Dumfries.
However, Malta couldn’t keep the ball and ended up with numerous fouls resulting in Pepe and Camenzuli getting yellow cards before the halftime. The Netherlands went into the break leading 1–0 after a dominant first 45 minutes.
The Dutch kept playing strongly after the halftime. Gakpo scored another penalty in the 49th minute, making it two goals for him. The Netherlands continued to push harder and Reijnders scored a third goal in the 57th minute after Gakpo gave a great pass.
Malta made a lot changes by bringing on new players but that gave little to no help because Netherlands continued to attack and the opponents defence continued to grow weak. They also got more yellow cards and couldn’t attack back.
Memphis Depay who came on as a substitute scored the last goal in stoppage time. Denzel Dumfries helped him with a sharp pass in the 90+3 minute and Depay made got them to the final 4-0, pure evidence of how good the Netherlands played under Ronaldo Koeman.
The Netherlands national team also shared the final score on their official X handle, celebrating the dominant 4–0 win.
The Netherlands played a good game, showcasing their creativity and depth till the match ended. This win helps Netherlands in their qualification group but Malta still needs to work harder for their first win.
