Surprise in one of the most striking duels of the League of Nations. The selection of Netherlands tonight overwhelmed the Belgium (1-4) on the first day of the international competition, in a classic won by the Louis van Gaal with goals from Steven Bergwijn, Dumfries y doblete de Memphis.
The Dutch team is placed first in the A4 groupafter the victory also this Friday of Poland over Wales by 2-1.
The “Oranje” was superior from start to finish in a match in which the defense of the “Red Devils” failed and their stars did not shine: Kevin De Bruyne He had warned that he was coming off a very busy season, Romelu Lukaku He was withdrawn with discomfort after 25 minutes and Eden Hazard he only played the first half, leaving no image to remember.
those of Robert Martinez They offered little resistance against their neighbors to the north in the 128th edition of the “Derby of the Flat Countries”, where the visitors groped the rival more and more insistently until the can was opened after 40 minutes. It was thanks to a low shot from Tottenham winger Steven Bergwijn that went in to the right of Simon Mignolet’s goal, starting in the absence of Thibaut Courtois.
After the break, and with Hazard replaced by Dries Merteens, Memphis put the Netherlands second on the scoreboard in the 49th minute, taking advantage of the counterattack started with a lost ball by Boyata in midfield that the Barcelona striker received on the run and turned into a goal
The third was signed in the 61st by Denzel Dumfries, who only had to push a ball that was served to him by Daley Blind after a rejection of a shot by Steven Berghuis. And less than four minutes later came the fourth and final and second of the night for Memphis, who shot Mignolet assisted by Blind.
The Belgians, who in the last stretch of the game saw how the Spanish referee José María Sánchez Martínez annulled a goal for offside after reviewing it on video. The goal of honor came in 89, thanks to Batshuayi.
Louis van Gaal, who has announced that he suffers from prostate cancer and will give his place on the “Oranje” bench to Ronald Koeman after the World Cup in Qatar, forcefully started the League of Nations, a prelude to the world championship to be held next November.
Belgium, which continues to dream of its golden generation giving it a title, will have the opportunity to make up for the defeat at the King Baudouin stadium in Brussels next Wednesday against Poland, while the team formerly known as the Netherlands will face the country as a visitor. from Wales.
