Virgil Van Dijk and Andrew Robertson
Photo : X/@OnsOranje
The Netherlands served a harsh lesson in clinical finishing to Scotland on Friday night, cruising to a comfortable 4-0 victory in their international friendly held in Amsterdam. While Scotland showcased moments of promise, the Dutch ruthlessly capitalized on their chances to secure a convincing win.
The first half was a tight affair, with both teams struggling to carve out clear opportunities. Scotland, however, threatened early. A diving header from Ryan Christie forced a reflex save from Mark Flekken, the Dutch goalkeeper, who tipped the ball onto the crossbar. The woodwork came to Scotland’s rescue moments later as Lawrence Shankland, on just his second appearance for the national side, found himself one-on-one with Flekken but failed to convert.
The Dutch, despite a shaky start, took the lead just before halftime. A moment of brilliance from Tijjani Reijnders broke the deadlock. The midfielder unleashed a powerful strike from 25 meters out, leaving Scotland’s goalkeeper with no chance.
The second half saw the Dutch dominate proceedings. Georginio Wijnaldum doubled their lead in the 72nd minute with a well-directed header from a Cody Gakpo cross. Substitute Wout Weghorst further extended their advantage with another header in the 84th minute. The final nail in the coffin came just two minutes later, with Donyell Malen weaving through the Scottish defense to slot home the fourth goal.
Despite the scoreline, Scotland boss Steve Clarke can take some positives from the match. His side kept things tight in the first half and created good opportunities, but a lack of finishing proved costly. This friendly served as a valuable learning experience for the Scots as they prepare for their crucial opening match of the European Championship against Germany on June 14th.
For the Dutch, this victory serves as a confidence booster before their own Euro campaign. They displayed moments of fluidity in attack, with their clinical finishing proving the difference on the night. With a talented squad at their disposal, Louis van Gaal will be hopeful of a strong showing in the upcoming tournament.
