Two penalties in the first half and two fine goals in the second propelled the Netherlands to a 4-0 victory over Hungary on Saturday, securing them a spot in the Nations League quarter-finals in March and ensuring a top two finish in Group A3.
Wout Weghorst and Cody Gakpo converted from the penalty spot, while Denzel Dumfries and returning player Teun Koopmeiners netted additional goals after the break.
The match, held at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, was paused after just seven minutes due to a concerning incident involving Hungary’s assistant coach Adam Szalai, who appeared to suffer a seizure on the bench. He was quickly attended to by staff and substitutes as he lay on the ground, visibly kicking his legs. This incident caused a 13-minute interruption while he received medical attention. The teams resumed play only after a discussion among players, with Hungary agreeing to continue despite facing an immediate penalty. A VAR review revealed that defender Tamas Nikitscher had handled the ball while attempting to clear a Gakpo cross right before the unexpected pause.
Weghorst slotted the ball in to put the Netherlands ahead, and they earned another penalty in stoppage time at the close of the first half when Donyell Malen was fouled by Zsolt Nagy. This time, Gakpo stepped up to take the penalty, and like Weghorst, he sent Denes Dibusz the wrong way. The Hungarian goalkeeper made several impressive saves in the first half to limit the score to just 2-0, notably flicking Tijjani Reijnders’ headed effort over the bar. However, in the 64th minute, there was nothing he could do as Dumfries volleyed a shot into the net from an angle after a half-clearance landed at his feet on the right side of the attack. The Dutch appeared much more cohesive with influential midfielder Frenkie de Jong returning to the team for the first time in 13 months following a lengthy ankle injury that had kept him out of the European Championship in Germany earlier this year. Koopmeiners also returned for the first time since a groin injury prior to Euro 2024 and marked his comeback with a superb header in the 85th minute. The Netherlands moved up to eight points in the standings, trailing Germany by five points, who are on 13 after their 7-0 thrashing of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Freiburg.
Hungary will not be able to surpass the Netherlands, even if both teams end up with equal points after their concluding matches on Tuesday, due to their direct encounters’ outcomes. Hungary’s football association reported that Szalai, who is 36 and a former Bundesliga forward, is currently recuperating in a hospital in Amsterdam.
