Flying full again Denzel Dumfries scored a late winner to earn the Netherlands a 3-2 victory over Ukraine in an exhilarating Group C opener on the European Championship on Sunday (June 13) after the Dutch had thrown away a two-goal lead. Dumfries rescued all three factors for the house group 5 minutes from time after Ukraine had fought their means again into the match on the Johan Cruyff Arena.
The Dutch had been 2-0 up with quarter-hour left, solely to permit their opponents two fast objectives and the possibility to share the factors earlier than Dumfries headed residence a dramatic winner to the delight of the house followers. Captain Georginio Wijnaldum and striker Wout Weghorst netted inside seven minutes early in the second half because the Dutch sought a profitable return to a significant match – after a seven-year absence – in entrance of 16,000 spectators.
Wijnaldum’s left-foot end in the 52nd minute opened the scoring earlier than Weghorst rapidly added a second. That put the Dutch in command however Ukraine ensured a nervy end when captain Andriy Yarmolenko pulled one again in the seventy fifth minute with an outstanding strike and Roman Yaremchuk equalised 4 minutes later.
It was arrange after one other robust run down the flank from the Dutch, whose proper wing again Dumfries was significantly harmful and deserved his large second on the finish. Dumfries was additionally the supplier of the second in the 59th minute though Ukraine complained he had fouled Rutland Malinovskyi in making an attempt to wrestle his means nearer to aim.
Weghorst reacted quickest to a poor clearance from Mykola Matviyenko for his second aim in as many video games as he repaid coach Frank de Boer’s religion in his hustling capacity up entrance. Yarmolenko introduced Ukraine again into the sport with a high-quality curling shot from outdoors the field after exchanging fast passes with Malinovskyi.
It was a primary aim in six matches on the finals for Ukraine and was adopted by an equally adept end as Yaremchuk headed residence Malinovskyi’s perfectly-weighted free kick. Parity lasted solely six minutes, nonetheless, as Dumfries headed residence Nathan Ake’s cross.
“I am relieved,” Wijnaldum mentioned. “Overall, we played a good game, but we gave them two chances in 10 minutes which were two goals. We need to learn that if we play such a match we need to finish it off well. We let them get back into the game and that needs to improve.”
