Soccer Football - International Friendly - Netherlands v Scotland - Johan Cruijff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands - March 22, 2024 Netherlands' Wout Weghorst scores their third goal REUTERS/Piroschka Van De Wouw
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -The Netherlands shrugged off a slow start to go on and register an emphatic 4-0 victory over Scotland in their friendly international at the Johan Cruyff Arena on Friday, finishing strongly in a morale-boosting triumph.
Tijjani Reijnders blasted home from outside the box in the 40th minute to set the Dutch on their way to a fourth successive win.
But they had to cling onto their lead, with Scotland twice hitting the woodwork, before 33-year-old Georginio Wijnaldum doubled the tally in the 72nd minute with a header from close range.
Substitutes Wout Weghorst and Donyell Malen added two more in the last six minutes as the home team finished strongly.
Both countries were using the game to prepare for this June’s European Championship where the Dutch compete in Group D while Scotland feature in the opening game against hosts Germany.
The Scots had the game’s first chance, in the 18th minute, when Ryan Christie ghosted late into the Dutch box, throwing himself at a cross from Billy Gilmour and powering a header at goal that home keeper Mark Flekken got a strong hand to and was able to deflect onto the crossbar.
There were also opportunities for Scott McTominay and Gilmour early in the second half, both denied by blocks from the Dutch defence, while Christie sent a header wide in the 51st minute as John McGinn found him unmarked in front of goal.
Scotland should have been level in the 61st minute when a defensive slip saw Lawrence Shankland steal away possession but, with only the goalkeeper to beat, he missed the target as he hit the crossbar instead.
At the other end Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn made a one handed save to deny the injury-prone Memphis Depay, on his return to the Dutch side for the first time since last March.
But Gunn had no answer to Wijnaldum’s header and the late efforts from Weghorst and Malen.
Weghorst rose well to head home in the 84th minute and Malen was on the mark just two minutes later as the Dutch sprung to life in the closing stages and might have won by an even bigger margin.
But captain Virgil van Dijk was critical of the performance.
"We need to be more clinical in possession. There are a lot of things we need to do better if we want to do well at the Euros."
Euro 2024 preparations for both countries continue on Tuesday with the Netherlands taking on Germany in Frankfurt while Scotland will be home to Northern Ireland at Hampden Park.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
