Euro 2020: Dumfries stars as Netherlands beat Ukraine 3-2 in dramatic thriller

Netherlands players celebrate after Denzel Dumfries of the Netherlands scored his side's third goal during the Euro 2020 soccer championship group C match between the Netherlands and Ukraine at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Sunday, June 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, Pool)

Denzel Dumfries scored a dramatic late winner as the Netherlands marked their long-awaited return to a major tournament with a 3-2 victory over Ukraine in a remarkable Euro 2020 game in Amsterdam. It was by far the most exciting of all the matches so far at Euro 2020. Wijnaldum and Weghorst both scored for Netherlands in the second half and were sailing serenely towards an easy win when Ukraine silenced the home side and crowd with two quick goals from Yarmolenko and Yaremchuk. Ukraine drew inspiration from the leveller and looked menacing wen Dumfries headed in a cross to restore Netherlands’ lead.

Although the first half remained goalless, it was filled with action as both sides tried to dominate the game. Netherlands had more shots on goal which included a bizarre miss from Dumfries at an open goal. The PSV Eindhoven full-back missed an open-header on goal. Both sides took the second half by storm, and it was Netherlands that broke the deadlock first. Captain Georginio Wijnaldum put the 1988 European champions ahead in the 52^nd minute. Dumfries’ low cross is palmed away by Ukrainian goalkeeper Buschan, who didn’t do well to clear his lines. The rebound fell to Wijnaldum, who curled it into the net to give Netherlands the lead.

Six minutes later, Netherlands doubled their lead. Dumfries marched down the right-hand side and into the Ukraine box. The ball fell to Weghorst after he bundled over a Ukrainian player, who took a shot which took a deflection off Dumfries and found the back of the net. Ukraine looked vulnerable, but a moment of magic turned their fortunes. In the 75^th minute Yarmalenko cut inside the right side of goal and sent a curler into the top corner. Ukraine found another gear and attacked with a lot more intent. Four minutes later, the visitors equalised. Malinovskyi’s free-kick from the left side of the goal was met by Yaremchuk, who planted his header from six yards out into the corner of the net to level the score. Netherlands players looked stunned and vexed at having lost their two-goal cushion.

The game looked set to head into a draw when Dumfries made up for his miss early on in the first half. The PSV Eindhoven full-back, headed in a cross from substitute Nathan Ake to complete a madcap second half sending the raucous crowd at the Johan Cruyff Arena wild. Frank de Boer's side got there in the end and the victory will provide a major lift to the Netherlands after what was their first game at a major competition in seven years. They will now hope to build on it on Thursday against Austria, who beat North Macedonia earlier in Bucharest in the same Group C.

After failing to qualify for Euro 2016 or the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the Netherlands were playing their first game at a major competition since beating hosts Brazil 3-0 to claim third place at the 2014 World Cup. They had not won a game at a Euro in almost exactly 13 years, since Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Robin van Persie netted in a 2-0 win over Romania at Euro 2008. The emergence of the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt has given supporters of the Oranje new hope for the future. Those supporters were in fine spirits ahead of the game, bedecked in orange as they filled the bars around the ground in the blazing sunshine, thoughts of the pandemic appearing far away.