Netherlands Beat Ireland 2-1 in Euro 2024 Qualifying
Wout Weghorst helped the Netherlands stay on track for Euro 2024 by scoring the winning goal when he came in as a substitute in their 2-1 victory over the Republic of Ireland on Sunday. Ronald Koeman’s team had a tough start as Ireland took the lead in Dublin with Adam Idah’s penalty in their Group B match. However, Cody Gakpo from Liverpool equalized with a penalty shortly after, and Weghorst secured the victory with his goal in the second half.
Wout Weghorst, who is currently on loan at Hoffenheim in Germany from his Premier League club Burnley, made a significant impact when he was brought in at halftime, a decision that turned out to be a brilliant move by Koeman. Despite having scored in the previous win against Greece on Thursday, Weghorst didn’t show any signs of disappointment about starting the game on the bench at the Aviva Stadium.
The Netherlands secured their third victory in four Group B matches, which propelled them to second place in the standings. They now trail leaders France by six points but have a game in hand.
The top two teams in the group will earn a spot in the next year’s European Championship in Germany, and Ronald Koeman’s team is in a strong position to control their fate. They currently hold a game in hand over Greece, who are in third place and level on points with the Dutch. Additionally, the Netherlands are six points ahead of Ireland in the standings.
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On the other hand, Ireland, under the leadership of Stephen Kenny, have suffered defeats in four out of their five matches and appear unlikely to qualify for the Euros. This adds to their disappointment following unsuccessful qualification attempts for the previous European Championship and the last year’s World Cup, making it another challenging qualification campaign for the Irish.
Ireland’s loss to France earlier in the week had left them in a challenging position within the group, and fans were yearning for a repeat of their memorable victory over the Netherlands in their last competitive encounter, which occurred 22 years ago.
With an urgent need for a strong beginning to apply pressure on the Netherlands, the Republic got just that within the first four minutes. Virgil van Dijk was penalized for a handball while trying to clear James McClean’s corner. Despite complaints from the Liverpool captain, referee Irfan Peljto disregarded his protests, and Norwich striker Idah confidently converted from the penalty spot.
Virgil van Dijk found himself in yet another controversial moment, as he had recently been sent off for a foul on Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and subsequently received an extended suspension for his heated reaction to the decision.
However, Van Dijk’s blushes were spared by his Liverpool teammate, Gakpo, in the 19th minute of the match. The Irish goalkeeper, Gavin Bazunu, tripped Dutch defender Denzel Dumfries, and Gakpo remained composed to successfully convert the penalty, marking his second goal in his last two games.
With a solid advantage after that goal, Koeman’s team took the lead in the 56th minute, thanks to Weghorst. Frenkie De Jong delivered a well-placed lofted pass to Dumfries, and when Dumfries sent the ball across the goal, Weghorst, a former Manchester United loanee, was in the perfect position to calmly slot it home.
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