Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman acknowledged on Sunday that his team was fortunate not to face repercussions for numerous missed opportunities in their 2-1 victory against Poland at Euro 2024. Initially behind due to Adam Buksa's early header, the Dutch equalized in the 29th minute via Cody Gakpo. However, Gakpo, Memphis Depay, Denzel Dumfries, and Xavi Simons all failed to capitalize on promising chances, until substitute Wout Weghorst secured the winning goal in the 83rd minute.
Koeman remarked, "It could have been 4-1 for us after 60 minutes. We played excellently but couldn't convert our chances." He added, "It was risky for us, but we were lucky and managed to score a second goal... I believe the final outcome boosted our confidence today." The Dutch team entered the match with high spirits following 4-0 wins over both Canada and Iceland in their warm-up games. Koeman emphasized that he would not dwell too much on a single off-day in front of goal as they aim for the Netherlands' first major trophy since Euro 1888.
He further noted, "In our two friendly matches, we scored eight times. This time, we should have scored four times in an hour, which is a significant difference. If we had scored, you would say we are at the level of Germany." Koeman acknowledged that the performance was not perfect and that they should have scored earlier. He observed similarities with other teams who also dominated possession.
The Netherlands are set to confront title favorites France on Friday, followed by their final Group D match against Austria on June 25. Weghorst scored just two minutes after his introduction from the bench, with Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong and Borussia Dortmund's Donyell Malen also making notable contributions in their late appearances.
Koeman commented on the upcoming France match, "I haven't thought about the next lineup yet; it's strange to think about that now, as we've just finished this match." He explained their strategy, "We played for about an hour, then we tried with Donyell and Jeremie, who are fast and dynamic. We decided to bring in new players like Donyell and Jeremie." The Dutch had previously suffered two defeats to France in the qualifying rounds, including a 4-0 loss in Paris in March 2023.
Gakpo acknowledged, "The match against France will be completely different. France has more qualities than Poland, they play a different style, and the spaces will be different." He concluded, "Of course, we want to win that match as well; our focus is on beating them." Thousands of Netherlands fans gathered in northern Germany, turning Hamburg orange well before kick-off. Gakpo noted, "There were many fans, more than in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup. That's fantastic; they are here for us, and we can face tough times thanks to the supporters."
