FREIBURG: Netherlands outclassed Hungary with a 4-0 victory in their winner-takes-all Nations League encounter on Saturday while record-setting Germany hammered Bosnia and Hercegovina 7-0.

Netherlands and Hungary went into the match tied on five points each and with the winner set to join Germany in ensuring their progress from Group A3 to the quarter-finals.

First-half penalties by Wout Weghorst and Cody Gakpo sent the Oranje on their way, before Denzel Dumfries and Teun Koopmeiners made the game safe in the second period.

“There are always things we can improve upon,” Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk told SBS6. “But in the end, we deserved to win.”

The match at the Johan Cruyff Arena was briefly interrupted in the seventh minute following a medical emergency on the Hungarian bench.

The referee stopped play for some 10 minutes while Hungary’s assistant coach Adam Szalai received treatment, shielded from view by huddled players and staff members, as well as a large white sheet.

Szalai, 36, was stretchered off to applause from spectators and players alike, the Hungarian FA later released a statement saying he was “conscious” and in a “stable condition” at an Amsterdam hospital.

Almost forgotten in the aftermath of the worrying incident was the handball by Tamas Nikitscher as the ball was crossed into the Hungarian box.

The referee consulted the touchline video monitor and promptly restarted play by pointing to the spot, allowing Weghorst to sweep the Netherlands in front.

Denes Dibusz was the busier of the two goalkeepers as the first period wore on and had to be alert to keep out efforts from Tijjani Reijnders and Donyell Malen.

In the 11th minute of added time, Dutch dominance told and Malen was clipped by Zsolt Nagy in the box.

Gakpo dispatched the resulting spot-kick, sending Dibusz the wrong way and Netherlands into a two-goal lead.

Right-back Dumfries sealed the Netherlands’ spot in the quarters as he latched onto Malen’s flick-on at the back post and fizzed a volley back into the far corner shortly after the hour.

Koopmeiners marked his first international match since 2022 by nodding in a fourth in the 86th minute.

Meanwhile in group A3 other fixture, two goals apiece for Florian Writz and Tim Kleindienst helped Germany to record a statement win and secure top spot in their group with a game to spare.

The Germans, who had already qualified for next year’s quarter-finals of the competition, are on 13 points.

“We have no injuries from the game and our counter-pressing was extraordinarily good,” said Germany coach Julian Nagel­smann after the biggest win for the team since he took over last year.

“And then to score seven goals against an opponent sitting so deep is something.

“We wanted to win possession and then quickly play the ball forward, be quick in transition and find those runs, something we did not do often enough at the Euros (in June). We did it well,” Nagelsmann added.

Germany, travelling to Budapest to face Hungary on Tuesday for their last group match, took the lead with in-form Jamal Musiala’s looping header after only 90 seconds.

The Bayern Munich attacking midfielder has now scored in his third consecutive game for club and country.

Everything seemed to be working seamlessly for the hosts and they doubled it with striker Kleindienst’s first Germany goal in the 23rd minute after he turned in Robert Andrich’s shot.

Kai Havertz twice came close in an explosive first half before getting on the scoresheet in the 37th after a quick one-two with Wirtz, who bagged Germany’s fourth goal five minutes after the restart with a dipping free kick that caught Bosnia goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj off guard.

With Bosnia’s defence in complete disarray and unable to handle their opponents’ speed, the hosts showed no signs of easing off and kept pouring forward.

Wirtz tapped in at the far post in the 57th for his second goal of the evening before substitute Leroy Sane made it half a dozen goals for Germany nine minutes later.

The Bosnians’ misery was complete in the 79th when Klein­dienst slid in to make it 7-0.

In Group B1, Georgia played out a 1-1 draw at home to Ukraine and stay two points ahead of the fourth-placed visitors.

The Czech Republic drew 0-0 in Albania and remain top of the group on eight points, one ahead of Georgia in second and their third-placed opponents.

Turkey stayed top of Group B4 with a 0-0 draw at home to Wales, while Iceland beat Montenegro 2-0.

Turkey were presented with a golden opportunity to grow their two-point lead over Wales but Kerem Akturkoglu sent his 89th-minute penalty wide.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2024