The Netherlands walked away from Kaunas with three points on Sunday, but it was far from routine. Ronald Koeman’s side edged out Lithuania 3-2 in a World Cup qualifier that swung back and forth and briefly threatened to turn into an upset.
Softfootball reported that Memphis Depay was again the headline act in the 11th minute; he latched onto Cody Gakpo’s cross and guided it home. That goal was his 51st international strike, taking him clear of Robin van Persie as the nation’s all-time top scorer. The visitors doubled their advantage soon after when Quinten Timber prodded in a loose ball for his first Oranje goal.
That should have been the cue for a comfortable evening. Instead, the Dutch defence switched off, and Lithuania pounced. Justas Lasickas carved the visitors open on the counter and set up Gvidas Gineitis, who calmly slotted in off the post. Moments later, Edvinas Girdvainis climbed highest at a free-kick to nod past Bart Verbruggen, and suddenly the scoreboard read 2-2 at halftime.
The restart brought more nerves for Koeman’s men, but Depay, full of intent all night, restored order on 64 minutes. Denzel Dumfries whipped in a cross from the right, and Depay powered his header down into the net as relief more than joy spread across the Dutch bench.
The Netherlands enjoyed the result and posted an image of their poster boy, Memphis Depay, and the scoreline on their official X account.
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Lithuania, ranked far below their visitors, never went away. They pressed late on, and the Netherlands had chances to kill the contest; Gakpo hit the bar, while Donyell Malen saw a finish ruled out for a foul, but in the end, the narrow lead was enough.
For the Dutch, the win keeps them perfect in Group G with ten points from four matches, though questions remain about their defensive lapses. As for Lithuania, spirited as they were, the road to their first-ever World Cup now looks a long one.
