The match at Euroborg Stadium (Netherlands) had a huge difference in level, the "Orange Storm" ranked 6th on the FIFA rankings while their opponents were only ranked 169th.
Not only was the team superior in terms of skill, coach Ronald Koeman also fielded his strongest lineup, making the match a goal feast for the home team.
Depay's early-game double made him the Netherlands' joint top scorer, alongside Van Persie (Photo: Getty).
In the 9th minute, the Netherlands showed their dominance with Depay's accurate penalty kick. Not long after, this player doubled the gap with a "cannon shot" from the edge of the penalty area, raising the score to 2-0.
The goal helped him equal Robin van Persie's record for most goals scored for the Netherlands. Both scored 50 goals in 102 appearances.
In the 20th minute, Van Dijk scored to give the Netherlands a huge 3-0 advantage, ending the first half. After the break, coach Koeman's team seemed to not give up the intention of scoring more goals.
In the 45 minutes of the second half, the "Orange Storm" scored 4 more goals against Malta. Of which, Malen scored a double, the remaining goals were scored by Xavi Simons and Lang. Trailing by 7 goals without a reply, Malta had no hope of getting any points in this match.
In the 90+2 minute, Van De Ven poured cold water on the away team's head when he scored the winning goal 8-0 for the home team.
Captain Van Dijk celebrates his goal to make it 3-0 (Photo: Getty).
The result puts the Netherlands firmly at the top of Group G, where they are considered favourites alongside Poland and Lithuania. Koeman's side remain unbeaten with two consecutive wins, having previously beaten Finland 2-0.
Although the 62-year-old strategist has had an inconsistent record since returning to coach with 16 wins in 30 matches (winning 3 of the last 9 matches), the overwhelming performance against Malta showed the strength and ambition of the Netherlands in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The Orange team will enter the preparation phase for the away match to Poland on September 5, this match can be considered the most tense confrontation of Group G.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/depay-lap-ky-luc-ha-lan-thang-8-0-o-vong-loai-world-cup-2026-20250611063929484.htm
Comment (0)