Tijjani Reijnders delivered a stunning first-half hat-trick as the Netherlands overwhelmed Greece with a 7-0 victory on Friday, virtually securing their spot in the Nations League quarter-finals.
The match, held in Amsterdam, began with Crysencio Summerville taking advantage of a defensive error to open the scoring for the Dutch. Shortly after, Reijnders, the former Manchester City midfielder, doubled the lead, setting the tone for a dominant performance.
Reijnders didn’t stop there, adding a close-range goal before sealing his hat-trick in the 33rd minute by narrowly finishing at the far post. The Dutch team’s momentum continued as Jurrien Timber converted a precise cross from Donyell Malen to extend the advantage to 5-0 just before halftime.
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Timber, who plays for Arsenal, further contributed to the lopsided scoreline by netting his second goal on the hour mark. Malen wrapped up the emphatic victory with a sharp first-time finish, leaving the Greek side unrecognizable compared to their previous encounters.
“The first half was amazing, so I have to congratulate the players. But it’s just one game. We need to continue like this, but this is the way,” commented Netherlands coach Xavi Hernandez in a post-match interview with UEFA.
Greece had approached the fixture unbeaten in Group A2, having earned four points off Germany and previously holding a two-goal lead against the Netherlands in أكتوبر. However, Reijnders’ intervention salvaged a 2-2 draw then, a far cry from their current form.
Reflecting on the defeat, Greek winger Christos Tzolis admitted, “There’s not much to say about today. We had a very bad start; we conceded every chance the opponent had. I think the first half was the worst performance of the national team.”