After missing the 2018 World Cup, Netherlands got its Qatar campaign off to the perfect start by outlasting Senegal in a 2–0 victory
Despite losing Sadio Mané for the entire tournament due to injury, Senegal appeared to have the edge in much of the match, holding the Dutch to without a shot on goal for 80-plus minutes. But the Oranje were clinical, scoring on its first shot on target in the 84th minute thanks to a header from reigning Dutch Footballer of the Year Cody Gakpo before Davy Klaassen added a second in the 99th minute.
For the Dutch, the win was their 16th straight victory, and it puts them in excellent position to top the group with Ecuador and Qatar up next. But it wasn’t easy, and the Netherlands took a bend-but-don’t-break approach against Senegal’s attack.
Senegal nearly got off to a dream start in the first minute, taking advantage of a Matthijs de Ligt defensive mishap to have a clear chance at goal, but Boulaye Dia’s shot was blocked just in the knick of time.
The two sides traded attacking runs, but Senegal winger Ismaïla Sarr proved to be the most dangerous player in the first 10 minutes. In the ninth minute, the Watford forward stepped up to an open chance from the edge of the penalty area and curled it just over the crossbar.
In the 17th minute, Daley Blind had a dangerous chance for the Dutch when he latched onto a looping cross from Gakpo, but Blind’s header went just wide.
Just two minutes later, the Netherlands had its best chance yet with a lightning-fast counterattack that eventually ended at the feet of Frenkie de Jong thanks to a perfectly placed pass by Steven Berghuis. But de Jong hesitated, trying to work around a couple of defenders instead of shooting, and lost the chance.
Youssouf Sabaly had a chance for Senegal in the 33rd minute from distance, but Dutch keeper Andries Noppert didn’t have any trouble with Senegal’s first shot on target.
After a picture-perfect counterattack, Berghuis gave Senegal a scare in the 40th minute with a rocket of a shot from the edge of the area. The chance ended up just over the bar but it appeared to deflect off a Senegal defender, although a corner wasn’t awarded
After halftime, Virgil van Dijk nearly gave the Oranje the lead in the 53rd minute. The Liverpool defender rose to meet a corner from Gakpo and sent it just over the crossbar.
Dia put together a solid chance for Senegal in the 65th minute, sending a sharp, one-time effort towards goal that forced Noppert into action with a quick save.
Kouyate, one’s of Senegal’s most experienced players, needed to be stretchered off in the 72nd minute with an apparent hamstring injury, which only added to the team’s injury woes.
The Dutch took the lead with their first shot on target, which came in the 84th minute courtesy of Gakpo. After de Jong sent a long cross into the box, Gakpo raced to meet it, rising above his defender to head in the chance for the 1–0 lead.
Then, in the last minute of extra time, Klaassen doubled the Netherlands’ lead after he latched onto a rebound following a save on Depay’s shot on goal.
The Dutch will now take on Ecuador, who sealed a 2–0 win over host Qatar, as both sit atop the Group A table on three points. Meanwhile, Senegal will face Qatar in the second group game.
Here were the lineups for both teams:
Full World Cup squads:
Senegal
GOALKEEPERS: Seny Dieng (Queens Park Rangers), Alfred Gomis (Rennes), Édouard Mendy (Chelsea)
DEFENDERS: Fodé Ballo-Touré (AC Milan), Pape Abou Cissé (Olympiacos), Abdou Diallo (Leipzig), Ismail Jakobs (Monaco), Kalidou Koulibaly (Chelsea), Formose Mendy (Amiens), Moussa N'Diaye (Anderlecht), Youssouf Sabaly (Real Betis)
MIDFIELDERS: Pathé Ciss (Rayo Vallecano), Krepin Diatta (Monaco), Idrissa Gueye (Everton), Pape Gueye (Marseille), Cheikhou Kouyaté (Nottingham Forest), Mamadou Loum (Reading), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester), Moustapha Name (Pafos), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham)
FORWARDS: Boulaye Dia (Salernitana), Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor), Bamba Dieng (Marseille), Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal), Iliman Ndiaye (Sheffield United), Ismaïla Sarr (Watford)
COACH: Aliou Cissé
Netherlands
GOALKEEPERS: Justin Bijlow (Feyenoord), Andries Noppert (Heerenveen), Remko Pasveer (Ajax)
DEFENDERS: Nathan Aké (Manchester City), Daley Blind (Ajax) Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Denzel Dumfries (Inter Milan), Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen), Matthijs de Ligt (Bayern Munich), Tyrell Malacia (Manchester United), Jurriën Timber (Ajax), Stefan de Vrij (Inter Milan)
MIDFIELDERS: Steven Berghuis (Ajax), Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona), Davy Klaassen (Ajax), Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta), Marten de Roon (Atalanta), Xavi Simons (PSV Eindhoven), Kenneth Taylor (Ajax)
FORWARDS: Steven Bergwijn (Ajax), Memphis Depay (Barcelona), Cody Gakpo (PSV), Vincent Janssen (Antwerp), Luuk de Jong (PSV), Noa Lang (Club Brugge), Wout Weghorst (Beşiktaş)
