Greece 0-1 Netherlands: Virgil van Dijk scores late penalty as Ronald Koeman’s side squeeze to win in Athens

The Netherlands looked to have stumbled again in their quest to qualify for Euro 2024, but captain Virgil van Dijk came to their rescue as his late penalty earned a scrappy 1-0 win over Greece in Athens.

In a low-key affair where clear-cut chances were at a premium, Ronald Koeman’s Oranje controlled much of the game’s proceedings, but could not break down the resolute home defence.

The game’s chief highlight – until the dramatic denouement – had been a missed penalty just shy of the half-hour mark; Wout Weghorst, the ex-Manchester United striker, struck his spot-kick tamely to Odysseas Vlachodimos’ left, giving the Greek goalkeeper an easy save to keep the scoreline unharmed.

Greece, managed by former Chelsea midfielder Gus Poyet, switched between a back five and back four, looking to get their talisman Kostas Tsimikas, the Liverpool left-back, high and wide to create crossing opportunities for Fotis Ioannidis and other box-crashers to attack.

Giorgos Masouras, the Greek right-winger, had scored five goals in seven Euro 2024 qualifiers before this game, but couldn’t get into the encounter, marshalled well by the experienced Nathan Ake.

AC Milan midfielder Tijani Reijnders saw three strikes from range all come close to the target; the second – a dipping effort – scooped clear by Vlachodimos, and Steven Bergwijn also forced a save from the Nottingham Forest shot-stopper as the Dutch’s profligacy proved their downfall.

Xavi Simons missed a gilt-edged opportunity on 53 minutes as he side-footed wide after working a yard of space in a congested Greek penalty area, as the game threatened to fizzle out.

That was until Vangelis Pavlidis, the AZ Alkmaar striker sent on by Poyet in search of a winner, instead felled Denzel Dumfries in the last minute, and the referee Alejandro Hernandez pointed to the spot after a long VAR deliberation.

Van Dijk stepped up to avenge Weghorst’s earlier miss from 12 yards, sending Vlachodimos the wrong way, and sparing the Dutch’s blushes as they took control of their qualification destiny.

Ronald Koeman will take his seat on the Dutch plane home this evening and breathe a huge sigh of relief.

His side, despite dominating possession and ultimately winning this game, were hugely sub-par.

Their patterns of play were off, their passes went awry, and they lacked that cutting edge in front of goal that would have seen them beaten by a better side.

They looked open in midfield, with Mats Wieffer and Reijnders often overrun and outnumbered in the engine room, and they lacked any real dynamism in the attacking third, with Bergwijn, Xavi Simons, and Weghorst struggling to link up efficiently.

Brian Brobbey gave them another dimension in behind with his arrival, and Donyell Malen added some thrust down the left after his half-time introduction changed the Netherlands’ back-three tact to more of a front-footed 4-2-3-1 approach.

A lucky win from a poor performance.

The goalkeeper is bitterly unfortunate to come out on the losing side of this encounter.

Largely untested, he was alive to the occasional danger posed on his goal by a Reijnders long shot, and he was equal to Bergwijn’s early second-half drive.

Most importantly, he saved a crucial penalty from Weghorst in the first half, but was sent the wrong way by a cool Van Dijk in the dying embers to spoil his clean sheet, and perhaps, Greece’s qualifying hopes.

Greece: Vlachodimos 7, Rota 6, Mavropanos 6, Retsos 6, Koulierakis 6, Baksetas 6, Kourbelis 6, Mantalos 6, Masouras 5, Ioannidis 6, Tsimikas 6. Subs: Fountas 6, Bouchalakis 6, Siopis 6, Giakoumakis 6, Pavlidis 5.

Netherlands: Verbruggen 6, Geertruida 5, Van Dijk 6, Ake 6, Dumfries 6, Wieffer 5, Reijnders 6, Hartman 6, Simons 6, Weghorst 5, Bergwijn 6. Subs: Malen 6, Brobbey 6, Veerman 6, van de Ven 6, de Roon 6.

21′: GOOD SAVE Reijnders has another go from range, getting a dipping effort on target this time, but Vlachodimos parries away.

26′: PENALTY! The Dutch have a spot kick, as the referee points to the spot. Hartman hoists in the second ball, and van Dijk is having his shirt pulled by the young Koulierakis at the far post! // SAVED! Wout Weghorst takes centre stage, but his penalty is poorly placed as Vlachodimos gets down to it to keep it out!

44′: CLOSE! The closest chance of the game so far, as van Dijk’s pumped ball bounces nicely for the advancing Bergwijn, who sneaks behind Rota, but his swiped effort is wide of the target,

47′: CLOSE! Bergwijn darts infield and through the middle of the Greek defence, unleashing a powerful strike that is well saved by Vlachodimos.

89′: PENALTY! Holland have a chance to win it right at the death, as Dumfries goes down under the clumsy challenge of Pavlidis. // GOAL! Van Dijk – of all people – scores! He sends Vlachodimos the wrong way to give Holland a late lead.

• The Netherlands made it nine wins from their last 11 matches with Greece with this evening’s victory. They have only lost once in those 11 games.