Netherlands 1-0 Belgium: Virgil van Dijk strike sees Louis van Gaal’s side top Group 4 and make Nations League Finals

The Netherlands have defeated Belgium 1-0 to win their Nations League group. Roberto Martinez’s side needed to win by three goals to earn a place in the semi-final at the expense of their opponents but they created few chances and the Netherlands looked comfortable throughout. Ad The game was played at a friendly-like pace in the opening 45 minutes but after the break things did improve as Belgium upped their intensity.

UEFA Nations League'It is a little bit boring' — De Bruyne on excess Wales games22/09/2022 AT 18:09 Kevin De Bruyne pulled the strings in midfield creating the best chance for Amadou Onana but it was tipped wide excellently by Remko Pasveer. However, the Netherlands broke the deadlock when Virgil van Dijk headed in from a corner late on in the game to seal three points. They nearly scored more but were denied by some Thibaut Cortious saves but Belgium then nearly rescued a draw when Dodi Lukebakio's bicycle kick cannoned off the woodwork with the last kick of the match.

TALKING POINT – CONFIDENT LOOKING DUTCH The team in orange have not lost since they crashed out of Euro 2020 with defeat to Czech Republic. Van Gaal has returned to the national team setup, his third spell in charge, and he has got them playing brilliantly. The truth is, tonight, in a slow paced game they rarely had to come out of a low gear.

But, they knock the ball around with such confidence and have some fantastic technical players in their side with bundles of pace and trickery in attack. Defensively, they look strong and Van Dijk commands the back three really well. There is a mix of youth and experience to the team – with a good draw in the World Cup facing Qatar, Senegla and Ecuador in Group A, perhaps they are ones to watch out