Online Reporter
THE Netherlands sealed their 2026 World Cup football finals berth on Monday night with a dominant 4-0 victory against Lithuania in Amsterdam.
The Oranje — three-time finalists in 1974, 1978, and 2010 — will participate in their 12th World Cup after finishing top of Group G ahead of Poland, who won 3-2 in Malta, and will have to go through the play-offs next March to reach the tournament in North America.
With a very advantageous goal difference of +13 compared to Poland at the start of the match, the Dutch could even have afforded a defeat.
But Ronald Koeman’s men entertained the 50 000 spectators at the Johan Cruyff Arena with their high tempo play, too fast for the Lithuanians, who were constantly pinned back in their own half.
Despite a compact opposing defence, Koeman’s men found the breakthrough after 15 minutes through Tijani Reijnders, perfectly set up by Frenkie De Jong.
The score was 1-0 at half-time despite the overwhelming home dominance thanks to a remarkable performance from Lithuanian goalkeeper Edvinas Gertmonas.
Shortly before the hour, however, Gertmonas was powerless to prevent Cody Gakpo from making it 2-0 from a penalty for handball.
Two minutes later when Xavi Simons fired home from close range to make it 3-0.
Doneyll Malen sealed the victory another two minutes later and Koeman brought on five substitutes.
Luciano Valente made his Oranje debut for the final ten minutes with a huge cheer going up from the Amsterdam crowd as the 22-year-old Feyenoord attacking midfielder took to the field.
Germany thrash Slovakia to sail through
GERMANY swept past Slovakia and into the World Cup finals as Leroy Sane struck twice and Nick Woltemade scored for the third straight match in a thumping 6-0 win in Leipzig on Monday night.
The win put Germany through atop Group A and into next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Slovakia finished second and will go into a play-off.
Germany have laboured past underdog opponents in this campaign but were 4-0 up at half-time and humming in Leipzig.
Woltemade continued his golden run with the opening goal. Serge Gnabry added the second.
Under pressure Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz sparked to life late in the first-half, laying on two goals for Sane in five minutes.
Ridle Baku and debutant Assan Ouedraogo scored in the second half.
Germany’s win also guarantees the four-time World Cup winners a high seeding that should protect them from an early clash with another of the tournament’s big guns. The nature of Germany’s fifth straight victory puts a glowing finish on a solid but unimpressive qualifying campaign.
Germany have been efficient but rarely impressive and needed to avoid defeat on Monday to top their group and qualify directly. — AFP Sport.
