Europe 1 with AFP 00:22, March 28, 2023

After a large defeat against the Blues (4-0), at the Stade de France last Friday, the Netherlands timidly bounced back against Gibraltar (3-0), thanks to a first achievement of Memphis Depay (23rd). Pushy, the Oranje finally won by three goals without convincing.

The Netherlands, recovering and lacking ideas three days after being slapped by the France, won 3-0 without shining against weak Gibraltar to sign their first success in qualifying for Euro 2024, Monday in Rotterdam. Still groggy after the humiliation of Paris (4-0), the men of coach Ronald Koeman were floundering against the players of Julio Ribas who spent the 90 minutes grouped in front of their goal.

The Oranje owed the opening of the score only to an error of appreciation of the goalkeeper Dayle Coleing who benefited Memphis Depay at the reception of a center of Denzel Dumfries (23rd). The Atletico Madrid striker, who missed his match on Friday in Saint-Denis, was thus somewhat forgotten the penalty missed at the end of the match against the Blues, even if the Kuip public expected more from his star striker, regularly whistled.

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Disappointing Netherlands

Facing the 200th nation in the FIFA rankings, the first period of the Oranje was unworthy of a contender for one of the two qualifying places in Group B coveted also by Greece and Ireland. It took the entry in Cody Gakpo (one of the five players sick and forfeited against the France) to give a little more going to the Dutch who doubled the bet in the 50th by Nathan Aké on a new serve from Dumfries. The exclusion of Liam Walker then allowed Virgil Van Dijk and his team-mates to benefit from more space. But the Gibraltarians, next opponents of the France in June on the Rock, continued to bow, only surprised in the 82nd minute by a new goal of Aké (82) on a distant strike.

The Netherlands, who will host the final phase of the League of Nations in mid-June (they will face Croatia in the semi-finals on the 14th), now have three months to regain their spirits. Ronald Koeman, furious after the poor performance of his players on Friday, probably did not expect to find himself facing such a project when he took over from Louis van Gaal last December, after the elimination in the quarter-finals of the World Cup against the world champions Argentina.