Scotland Unable to Hit Back: A Recap of their Loss Against the Netherlands

Scotland trailed to Tijjani Reijnders’ rasping first-half effort and were unable to hit back

Scotland’s winless run stretched to six games as their wastefulness in front of goal was compounded by a late collapse against the Netherlands in Amsterdam.

Steve Clarke’s side impressed for long spells against the Dutch, and spurned a succession of glorious chances, but were dealt a harsh lesson in ruthlessness at the elite level.

Trailing with 18 minutes left to Tijiani Reijnders’ fabulous first-half strike, the Scots then lost three cheap goals in the final stages to flip the narrative from an encouraging evening to a chastening night.

Gini Wijnaldum and Wout Weghorst headed in before Donyell Malen added a fourth for a Dutch side who were short of their best.

It means Scotland have now conceded 18 goals in six games, with just three friendly matches before they face hosts Germany in the opening game of Euro 2024.

Playing in their new Euros kit, a gallus Scotland looked the part for large parts of the contest.

Lawrence Shankland performed well on just his second start, as did Ryan Christie in his slightly deeper role. The Bournemouth midfielder thumped a header on goal with the game goalless, but Mark Flekken pushed it onto the bar.

Cody Gakpo was a threat at the other end, though. The Liverpool forward was inches away from slipping the offside trap, flung cute crosses into the box, and took a theatrical flop over Scott McTominay in search of a penalty. No card was shown for those dramatics.

Just when it seemed Scotland would go inside at the break level, Reijnders’ rocket changed the script. The visitors were too generous in allowing the AC Milan midfielder to take Gakpo’s lay-off and lash beyond Angus Gunn.

Could the goalkeeper have scrambled across sooner? One to debate.

Scotland heads did not drop, in what looked like a sign of maturity. They continued to spray the ball between them, even kindly affording their opponents – ranked sixth in the world – a turn with the ball themselves every now and then.

That’s often all the top sides need, though. Memphis Depay astutely let the ball roll across his body to unleash a shot on the swivel. Gunn dropped to his left to tip it away. Minutes later, he rose to push Gakpo’s scorcher over.

The Dutch could afford for such chances to go by. But Scotland don’t have that luxury.

McTominay dilly-dallied in getting a shot away. A McGinn effort had venom, but Flekken was on-hand. Christie got his angles wrong for a nearby header. Then Shankland’s moment seemed to have arrived.

Mats Wieffer wobbled with McTominay breathing down his neck and the Hearts captain was in. One-on-one with Flekken, it’s a scenario he would have dreamed of. In his version, though, the woodwork was not left rattling.

As the ball disappeared over the bar, Scotland’s hopes went with it.

Wijnaldum snuck in between Jack Hendry and John Souttar to nod beyond Gunn. At that point, 2-0 felt harsh.

Weghorst then capitalised on his former United team-mate McTominay’s mistimed jump to head in another, before Malen signed off the trouncing by sturdily staying on his feet to poke in a fourth.

Match stats

• Scotland have gone six games without a win in all competitions (D2 L4) for the first time since September 2008. They have also conceded more than twice in six straight games for the first time since April 1961 (run of seven).
• They have lost four of their last six (D2) – more than in their 21 beforehand (W15 D3 L3).
• Netherlands have won four consecutive games – and kept a clean sheet – for the first time since a run of four from March-June 2013.
• They have won 14 of their last 17 home internationals (D2 L1), also keeping a clean sheet in 10 of those.
• Tijjani Reijnders scored his first senior international goal with Netherlands’ first shot of the game
• Georginio Wijnaldum has scored in back-to-back internationals for the first time since November 2020.

Line-ups

Netherlands

Formation 4-3-3

23Flekken

21Frimpong2Geertruida4van Dijk5Aké

19Wieffer14Reijnders8Wijnaldum

7Simons10Depay11Gakpo

• 23Flekken
• 21FrimpongSubstituted for Dumfriesat 62’minutes
• 2 Death
• 4van Dijk
• 5Aké
• 19WiefferSubstituted forVeermanat 62’minutes
• 14Reijnders
• 8WijnaldumSubstituted forKoopmeinersat 82’minutes
• 7SimonsSubstituted forMalenat 77’minutes
• 10DepayBooked at 30minsSubstituted forWeghorstat 77’minutes
• 11GakpoSubstituted for Blindat 82’minutes

Substitutes

• 1Verbruggen
• 3rd Liege
• 6Schouten
• 9Weghorst
• 12Timber
• 13Bizot
• 15 from there
• 16Veerman
• 17Blind
• 18Paint
• 20Koopmeiners
• 22Dumfries

Scotland

Formation 3-4-2-1

1Gunn

15Porteous13Hendry6Tierney

22Patterson14Gilmour4McTominay3Robertson

7McGinn11Christie

18Shankland

• 1Gunn
• 15Porteous
• 13 Smart
• 6TierneySubstituted forSouttarat 68’minutes
• 22PattersonSubstituted for Ralstonat 74’minutes
• 14GilmourSubstituted forFergusonat 69’minutes
• 4McTominayBooked at 9mins
• 3Robertson
• 7McGinnBooked at 37minsSubstituted forMcLeanat 85’minutes
• 11ChristieSubstituted forS Armstrongat 74’minutes
• 18ShanklandSubstituted forAdamsat 68’minutes

Substitutes

• 2Ralston
• 5Cooper
• 9Dykes
• 10Adams
• 12Kelly
• 16Souttar
• 17S Armstrong
• 19Ferguson
• 20Taylor
• 21Clark
• 23McLean
• 24Gordon

Referee:Erik Lambrechts

Attendance:46,223

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2024-03-22 21:58:55
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