Spain 2 – 2 Netherlands
The Netherlands came close to a thrilling victory but couldn’t hold on.
Spain took an early lead but failed to maintain the advantage for long. Playing on home turf with high energy, the Dutch seemed poised for a memorable win. However, the script changed in the final moments as Mikel Merino’s goal salvaged a draw for Spain.
On Thursday night in Rotterdam, the first leg of the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals ended in a 2-2 draw. The Netherlands played the closing minutes with ten men.
Nico Williams put Spain ahead, but Cody Gakpo equalized before halftime. In the second half, Tijjani Reijnders put the Dutch in front, only for substitute Merino to level the score deep into added time.
With this result, Spain remains unbeaten in 17 consecutive matches. Their last defeat was on March 22, 2023, in a friendly against Colombia in London, where they lost 1-0.
Match Summary
Spain started aggressively, putting early pressure on the Netherlands. In the second minute, Pedri’s low shot from the left was saved by Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. However, the hosts couldn’t hold out for long.
In the ninth minute, Lamine Yamal won the ball on the right and passed to Pedri inside the box. Pedri controlled it and quickly set up 22-year-old forward Nico Williams, who turned and fired a low shot into the net to give Spain the lead.
The Netherlands registered their first shot on target in the 28th minute—and it resulted in an equalizer. A failed clearance from the Spanish defense saw the ball land at Gakpo’s feet, and the 25-year-old Liverpool forward struck a right-footed shot past the keeper at the near post.
The Dutch nearly took the lead in the 36th minute, but Unai Simón made a brilliant save to deny Memphis Depay’s powerful shot.
Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsí was forced off with discomfort in the 41st minute, making way for 19-year-old Dean Huijsen. Interestingly, Huijsen was born in the Netherlands and played for their youth teams before switching to Spain.
Just a minute later, the Netherlands almost scored again. Tijjani Reijnders unleashed a thunderous strike from outside the box, only to see it graze the crossbar and go out.
Second-Half Drama
The Netherlands wasted no time after the break. Just 39 seconds into the second half, Reijnders found the net. Jeremie Frimpong burst into the box from the right and cut the ball back, setting up AC Milan midfielder Reijnders, who drilled a low shot past Simón.
The Dutch continued to push forward, creating another chance in the 60th minute. This time, Simón denied Gakpo’s shot.
The game remained end-to-end, with both teams pressing for goals. The turning point came in the 81st minute when Dutch defender Jorrel Hato, just 19 years old, received a red card for fouling Robin Le Normand.
Spain capitalized on their numerical advantage and piled on the pressure. Their efforts paid off in the second minute of added time. Nico Williams’ shot was parried by Verbruggen, but Mikel Merino, who had come on in the 84th minute, pounced on the rebound to score the equalizer.
The second leg will be played in Valencia, Spain, on Sunday.
