Poland vs Netherlands: An 85-minute goal from super sub-Wout Weghorst completed the comeback as Netherlands began their Euro 2024 journey with a narrow 2-1 win over Poland on Sunday. The Eagles without their captain and star striker Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring early in the 15th minute by Adam Buksa. However, the lead was short with Netherlands equalizing through Cody Gakpo in the 30 minutes. With both the teams missing a lot of chances, Wout Weghorst who came in the 81st minute, found the breakthrough in the 85th as the Netherlands bagged all the the points.
Wout Weghorst to rescue of Netherlands
Wout Weghorst made a dramatic impact for the Netherlands, scoring just two minutes after coming on as a substitute to secure a 2-1 victory against Poland in their Euro 2024 Group D opener in Hamburg. Despite a tough stint at Manchester United, where he scored only two goals in 31 appearances, Weghorst proved his worth by netting the winner shortly after replacing Memphis Depay in the 82nd minute.
Coach Ronald Koeman’s gamble paid off as Weghorst latched onto Nathan Ake’s pass and coolly slotted it past Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny from ten yards out.
No Lewandowski in Poland vs Netherlands
Poland, missing their star striker Robert Lewandowski due to injury, were the underdogs but managed to take an early lead. Adam Buksa, Lewandowski’s replacement, headed home from a Piotr Zielinski corner in the 16th minute, catching Denzel Dumfries off guard at the near post.
Resilient Dutch Army
The Dutch, however, fought back. Virgil van Dijk forced a great save from Szczęsny before Cody Gakpo equalized with a deflected shot in the 29th minute. Gakpo had another golden opportunity to score just before halftime but shot over the bar from close range. Both teams created and missed several chances in the second half, setting the stage for Koeman’s decisive substitution as Weghorst’s late goal gave the Netherlands a perfect start to their Euro 2024 campaign.
