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| Wijnaldum and Depay both scored as the Netherlands beat France (AFP) |
ROTTERDAM
(NETHERLANDS) (AFP) - The
Netherlands had qualification for the Nations League semi-finals in their
sights on Friday after they beat France 2-0 to hand Didier Deschamps' side
their first defeat since winning the World Cup in the summer.
Georginio
Wijnaldum struck on the stroke of half-time and Memphis Depay chipped home a
cheeky stoppage-time penalty to bag a win in Rotterdam for Ronald Koeman's
revitalised side that leaves the impressive Dutch needing just a point against
relegated Germany on Monday to leapfrog France and make the semi-finals.
The Dutch
are a point behind leaders France, who only needed a draw themselves on Friday
to qualify for the knockout stage in their last match of the group.
Wijnaldum's
goal came practically at the midway point of a match dominated by the hosts,
who had the better of the play and chances against the lacklustre world
champions.
The closest
Deschamps' men came to scoring was a weak 10th-minute header from Antoine
Griezmann, who was otherwise anonymous alongside the equally invisible Kylian
Mbappe.
The Dutch
meanwhile peppered Hugo Lloris' goal from the off, with Wijnaldum forcing the
France keeper's first save with just a minute on the clock following an
impressive burst from star turn Depay.
The match
would have been done and dusted long before the final whistle had it not been
for Tottenham stopper Lloris, who engaged in an almost personal battle with the
Netherlands' vibrant front three of Depay, Ryan Babel and Steven Bergwijn.
Depay was
in particularly fine fettle, and the Lyon attacker was denied three times in
the space of three second-half minutes by Lloris to stop the Dutch adding to
their total.
First
Lloris pushed away Depay's stinging free-kick in the 73rd minute, then two
minutes later the Spurs man saved his bamboozled defenders with two smart saves
from the striker in a matter of seconds.
France
finally creaked into action not long after, but offered little going forward,
and with the match rolling into injury time Lloris once again saved his team's
blushes with a superb save from Frenkie De Jong's long-range strike following a
rapid breakaway.
However De
Jong, picked out by Deschamps on Thursday as one to watch for the Netherlands,
helped his side seal the points when he was bundled down in the area by Moussa
Sissoko with seconds left.
Depay
stepped up and capped a brilliant individual and team display by clipping a
panenka spot-kick over a despairing Lloris, announcing the return of the
Netherlands to the big stage after years in the doldrums.
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