The Netherlands started their European Championships campaign with a 3-2 win over Ukraine earlier tonight.
Goals from Gini Wijnaldum, Wout Weghorst and Denzel Dumfries sealed a thrilling victory for the Dutch in their opening game and here at Anytime Football, we look at the three major talking points from tonight’s contest.
Wijnaldum and Depay could be the bargains of the summer
Wijnaldum scored the opening goal of the game for the Dutch with an intuitive run from the deep. He had a reasonably good game in midfield, and Paris Saint-Germain signing him on a free transfer this summer could be a wise move.
Meanwhile, Memphis Depay was excellent despite not getting on the score sheet. The former Lyon ace is a free agent, and it will be interesting to see where he ends up.
Depay and Wijnaldum will be crucial to Holland’s chances of doing well in Euros this summer.
Defensive vulnerabilities
Despite taking a 2-0 lead, the Dutch were never really in a secure position. They were extremely vulnerable at the back, and Ukraine managed to get back into the game with two goals.
On another day, the Netherlands could have easily dropped points here. They will have to tighten up at the back if they want to do well in the competition.
The absence of Matthijs De Ligt and Virgil van Dijk due to injuries has weakened the Dutch massively.
Fearless Ukraine could surprise teams
Andriy Shevchenko’s Ukraine went into the game as underdogs, but they were fearless in their approach, and they could have easily taken something from tonight’s game. They could make life difficult for a lot of teams if they continue to play high intensity attacking football.
