ENGLISH
Netherlands Secure Decisive Victory in Ta’Qali
Ta’Qali, Malta – In a match dominated by possession and ball control, the Netherlands decisively defeated Malta at the Ta’Qali National Stadium. The game, part of the World Cup qualifying stage, saw the Dutch take the initiative from the start.
Cody Gakpo opened the scoring early, converting a penalty in the 12th minute. The Maltese team tried to respond but encountered a solid and organized defense. The first half was characterized by physical play, with several yellow cards shown to the home team.
In the second half, the Netherlands continued their onslaught. Gakpo again, from the penalty spot, extended the lead in the 48th minute, leaving little room for maneuver for Malta. Shortly after, in the 57th minute, Tijjani Reijnders scored, further consolidating the Dutch team’s dominance. The match was interrupted by several yellow cards, including some for players from both teams.
In the final minutes, Memphis Depay sealed the victory with a goal in the 90th minute, assisted by Denzel Dumfries. The match ended with a clear victory for the Netherlands, who dominated possession with 63% compared to Malta’s 37%. The Dutch took 20 shots (8 on target, 7 off target) compared to Malta’s 7 (0 on target, 3 off target), demonstrating their offensive superiority. The visitors earned 6 corners and committed 6 fouls, while the home side committed 15 fouls, receiving 5 yellow cards, compared to the visitors’ 2.
Substitutions netherlands: at minute 67 J. Frimpong came in and D. Malen went out., at minute 67 F. de Jong came in and J. Kluivert went out., at minute 67 W. Weghorst came in and M. Depay went out., at minute 85 C. Gakpo came in and X. Simons went out., at minute 85 M. van de Ven came in and Q. Hartman went out.
Substitutions malta: at minute 72 J. Mbong came in and A. Overend went out., at minute 73 A. Satariano came in and Y. Yankam went out., at minute 84 T. Teuma came in and K. Reid went out., at minute 84 Y. Chouaref came in and J. Jones went out., at minute 87 I. Cardona came in and B. Tuma went out.
The teams lined up as follows:
Malta
Titulares:
Netherlands
Titulares:
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