Dutch score five against Bosnia in winning start to Nations League campaign

EINDHOVEN, Netherlands : The Netherlands endured some nervy moments but in the end proved too strong for Bosnia as they began their Nations League campaign with a 5-2 triumph at the Philips Stadion on Saturday.

Joshua Zirkzee scored on his first start for the Dutch to give the hosts a 13th-minute lead in their League A Group 3 encounter but they were caught by a swift counter-attack 14 minutes later that saw Ermedin Demirovic equalise.

Tijjani Reijnders restored the home side's lead on the stroke of halftime and Cody Gakpo made it 3-1 some 11 minutes into the second half.

Veteran Edin Dzeko pulled one back 17 minutes from fulltime to offer Bosnia hope of getting something out of the game but Dutch pinch hitter Wout Weghorst and Xavi Simons scored in the closing stages to wrap up the victory.

(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Toby Davis)