Weghorst wins it for the Netherlands! What we learned from their win over Poland | OneFootball

Wout Weghorst came off the bench to secure a late victory for the Netherlands against Poland in the opening game of Group D of Euro 2024.

Ronald Koeman’s side had fell behind to an Adam Buska header before Cody Gakpo’s deflected equaliser put them level and Weghorst won it.

Here are four things we learned from the game…

Netherlands lack finishers

Concerns ahead of the tournament about whether the Netherlands had enough clinical goalscorers in their squad proved to be valid against Poland. Their overall performance was very impressive, moving the ball quickly and efficiently and creating plenty of big opportunities to score, especially on the transition. The starting front three of Xavi Simons on the right, Memphis Depay down the middle and Cody Gakpo on the left were all dangerous, but were also all guilty of spurning big chances to score. This should have been a comfortable victory for the Netherlands but instead it took a late goal from substitute Weghorst to ensure they got what they deserved.

Weghorst makes the difference

Certain players seem to raise their game for international tournaments – and Weghorst is one of them. The big striker came off the bench to score another crucial goal for his country and win it late on, putting the Netherlands in a strong position to make it out of the group stages. Weghorst does not have the trickery, pace or skill the starting front three Koeman opted for, but offers something completely different up top and has a knack for coming up big for his country when it matters.

Ake shines again

Nathan Ake has become one of the best left-sided defenders in the world at Man City under Pep Guardiola and proved it on the international stage with a fine performance against Poland. He was terrific defensively, using his recovery pace to sniff out danger and deny Poland opportunities, and was proactive in his defending too – stealing the ball high up to set up Gakpo’s equaliser. His composure and passing ability was crucial in starting moves as well.

An uphill battle for Poland

Poland face a huge battle to get out of the group and a point would have felt like a positive for Michal Probierz and his side. They were second best to the Netherlands but battled hard and took their chance when it came through Buksa’s header from Piotr Zielinski’s whipped corner. Taking maximum points from their next game against Austria would still put them in with a chance to make it to the knock-out stages but they will need to improve on this performance. Getting their all-time scorer Robert Lewandowski, who was left on the bench due to injury, will help.

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