September 26, (THEWILL) – Virgil van Dijk’s second-half header gave the Netherlands a 1-0 victory over Belgium on Sunday, securing their spot in the Nations League Finals.
After defeating Poland on Thursday, the Oranje needed only to avoid suffering a crushing loss to their neighbours at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam to take first place in Group A4.
The hosts earned all three points, however, when the mercurial Liverpool defender Van Dijk found the back of the net in the 73rd minute, giving Belgium little chance to achieve such a result.
In the waning minutes of the fixture, Courtois performed brilliantly to stop Davy Klaassen and Bergwijn, while Belgium’s substitute Dodi Lukebakio nearly scored with a magnificent overhead kick just before the final whistle.
With the victory, the Netherlands finished first in their group with 16 points, followed by Roberto Martinez’s Red Devils in second place with 10 points.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
