Wijnaldum and Weghorst both scored goals as the Netherlands easily defeated Scotland, who were unable to capitalize on their scoring opportunities.

Steve Clarke, at the Johan Cruyff Arena, did not prioritize attractive football, but instead focused on achieving a Scotland win after five games without one. However, the team’s streak of unsuccessful games has now extended to six, as their manager witnessed a humiliating fourth defeat. Their next game against Northern Ireland at Hampden Park on Tuesday holds hopes of breaking this ongoing losing streak.

Unfortunately, his team was wasteful while the Netherlands was efficient in their performance. Midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum scored a goal with a header in the 72nd minute and was followed by Tijjani Reijnders’s goal in the first half. Wout Weghorst and Donyell Malen also added goals, delivering a devastating blow to Scotland’s preparations for the European Championship.

Andy Robertson, the leader of the team, expressed his disbelief at the score of 4-0. He stated that it is unacceptable for his team to continue reverting to their previous habits against top opponents. Such a performance will not be sufficient in major tournaments, as it may be perceived as one-sided by others. It is crucial for them to improve significantly in those situations.

“If we happen to lose, we need to make sure our goal differential does not suffer. Our goal is not just to make it to tournaments, but to actively compete. Our performance against top teams cannot be like what we showed today. Although we can take away positives from the first 60-70 minutes, the final 20 minutes were not up to our standards.”

At first, Scotland dominated the game against their opponents. The Dutch are known for their skill and control of the ball, so it was unexpected to see them struggling to keep their position, especially with Robertson and Ryan Christie working together on the left side. However, Ronald Koeman’s team managed to defend against this attack. Yet, in this moment, we saw the clever strategic play that Clarke had hoped to achieve.

Scott McTominay, Jack Hendry and Billy Gilmour calmly built up attacking plays from the defense, and their team came close to scoring when the Brighton midfielder mishandled a long cross from the right. Ryan Christie leapt for the ball, but his header hit the crossbar after touching the fingertips of Mark Flekken. Lawrence Shankland was unable to make contact with the rebound.

The Dutch team was unable to prevent the players in blue from quickly moving the ball. Jeremie Frimpong’s mistake of not passing to a teammate while unmarked in the area was disappointing. Additionally, he struggled to control a pass from Memphis Depay, which would have given him a clear path to the goal.

Despite having a formidable squad consisting of Nathan Aké, Wijnaldum, Depay, Cody Gakpo, and led by Virgil van Dijk, Scottish dominance was seen in a subdued atmosphere, reminiscent of the color orange. However, the team did not perform at their best, as evidenced by Xavi Simons’ free-kick that went out of bounds.

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Yet any delight Clarke felt soured as Netherlands scored. First, Reijnders was given an acre outside Scotland’s area. Then, though his shot was blistering, Angus Gunn failed to elevate himself high enough and in went the opener at around the No 1’s shoulder height.

Clarke had a discussion during the break after the Scots were caught off guard, possibly considering subbing in Ché Adams for Shankland to improve their lackluster attack. However, he did not make the change but likely reminded them to be more aggressive in order to succeed in the second half and in future Euro tournaments. McTominay’s delay in the penalty area before taking a shot would have frustrated Clarke’s message, as the Netherlands were once again allowed to get away.

The corollary was the hosts’ confidence jagging upwards. A Depay swivel-and-shot needed a sharp Gunn save – to his right – following smart Dutch interplay prompting John McGinn to go direct, blazing at goal, then collecting from Flekken’s parry and crossing to Christie. His header was spooned wide and a Gilmour attempt was deflected seconds later but this proved a direly false auguring for the Scots.

Gakpo had the opportunity to increase the lead with a shot resulting from the Netherlands’ domination. This challenge tested Scotland’s ability to recover from being behind and under pressure. The momentum shifted when Mats Wieffer made an error, giving Shankland a chance to create an opportunity. However, his lofted shot was too high and hit the crossbar.

At the 68-minute mark, Clarke decided to make a change by making three substitutions. Shankland was replaced by Adams, while John Souttar came in for Kieran Tierney and Lewis Ferguson for Gilmour.

However, Wijnaldum ended up scoring, and Weghorst and Malen followed suit. The Borussia Dortmund player was able to easily maneuver past Scotland’s defense. Despite this, their overall performance was subpar.

Source: theguardian.com