Netherlands thrash Greece 7-0 as Xavi’s side deliver Nations League masterclass

Netherlands produced a ruthless attacking display to beat Greece 7-0 in the UEFA Nations League on Friday, with all seven goals scored inside the opening 66 minutes at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam.

The emphatic victory strengthened the Dutch position at the top of Group B in the top tier, after both teams had started the match level on eight points. Each side had remained unbeaten in its opening four matches, making the meeting a direct contest for first place.

Netherlands made a devastating start. Crysencio Summerville opened the scoring in the sixth minute before Tijjani Reijnders struck twice in quick succession, in the 12th and 18th minutes, to give the hosts a commanding advantage.

Greece briefly appeared to have found a response when Foti Ioannidis put the ball in the net in the 24th minute. However, the goal was ruled out after a review by the video assistant referee, denying the visitors an opportunity to reduce the deficit.

Reijnders completed his hat-trick in the 33rd minute, adding Netherlands’ fourth goal and completing a remarkable first-half contribution. Jurrien Timber then made it 5-0 in the 40th minute, sending the hosts into the interval with a five-goal lead.

Netherlands continued in the same manner after the restart. Timber scored his second of the night and his team’s sixth in the 59th minute, while Donyell Malen added another two minutes later to complete the scoring at 7-0.

The result represented a dramatic change from the previous meeting between the sides in the current competition. That match, played in Greece on 1 October, ended 2-2 after the hosts took a two-goal lead before Netherlands fought back in the second half. Both teams collected a point on that occasion.

In Amsterdam, though, Netherlands controlled the contest from the opening stages and repeatedly exposed gaps in the Greek defence. Greece struggled to contain the speed and movement of the home attack, particularly the combinations involving Reijnders, Timber and Malen.

Xavi Hernandez’s side converted that dominance into a seven-goal advantage before Greece could establish any sustained pressure of its own, turning a closely matched group encounter into a one-sided result.