Poland 1-2 Netherlands - Euro 2024: Weghorst puts Dutch ahead (2024)

Thank you for joining us today to see the Netherlands make a winning start to Euro 2024.

Until next time...

De Ligt and Szczesny previously played together at Juventus, and they caught up with one another after today's game.

The Dutch boss has bemoaned his team's finishing in his press conference, insisting they should have been out of sight long before Weghorst's late winner.

'This should have been 4-1 in favour of us after one hour, we played very well but couldn't finish opportunities,' he said.

'The Polish squad were nearly able to find the net themselves but we were lucky and scored a second goal.

'We have good qualities, the team performed well. After 60 minutes we should have been able to score more.'

Some strong performances today, mixed in with some displays that players would rather forget.

Here's how Mail Sport rated the players from both teams.

Let's say it was a day of mixed emotions for this one Dutch fan.

Tomorrow will see France get their campaign underway when they take on Austria.

All four Group D teams will then be back in action on Friday, with Poland facing Austria at 5pm, followed by a mouthwatering clash between the Netherlands and France at 8.

Gakpo was very lively in the first half in particular, and scored the goal to bring his side level.

He picks up the player of the match award for his efforts.

Poland took the lead and were holding on for a point for most of the match, so to lose at the end will be tough to take for Poland and their fans.

They must bounce back when they face Austria later this week.

Gakpo scored today but also squandered some chances alongside his team-mates.

He admits the Netherlands need to be more clinical as the tournament goes on, and pays credit to Poland for being a 'tough opponent'.

No sighters needed for Weghorst today as he fired home the only chance he got.

Poland certainly played their part in this contest, and almost held on for a draw.

The giant striker needed less than three minutes to make his mark.

It's all over! The Netherlands have made a winning start.

As the rain comes down, Zalewski has one more shot. Verbruggen makes a meal of an effort straight at him as he palms the ball up in the air then clutches the rebound.

Another tester for Verbruggen as Moder shoots from distance, but this save is more comfortable.

Poland haven't given up hope yet.

We are into five minutes of added time.

A hearts in mouth moment for the Dutch as Verbruggen has to pull off a sharp stop to deny Swiderksi.

Poland so nearly snatched an equaliser there.

Netherlands also make a change - Van De Ven on for Ake.

Final substitution for Poland as Bereszynski comes on for Salamon.

To make matters worse for Poland, Salamon went down injured after that goal with Weghorst catching him on his follow through.

That looked a painful one.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man! Wout Weghorst may have just won this game for the Netherlands!

Ake bursts forward and slips the ball into Weghorst who fires the ball home with his weaker left foot.

The super sub has done it.

A last throw of the dice from the Netherlands as Frimpong and Weghorst replace Gakpo and Depay.

Another change for Poland as captain Zielinski goes off. He hands the armband to Szczesny, and on comes Piotrowski.

Netherlands are dominating possession but the tempo has slowed and that suits Poland.

Will either side find a winner here?

Another chance goes begging for the Netherlands.

De Vrij is free from a corner, and from eight yards out he should do better, but his effort goes over the bar.

Dumfries has been a big attackiong threat and he is again here as he firest the ball across goal, but Szczesny gets his legs in the way to block the ball away.

It's just not happening for Depay so far today.

This time he picks the bakk up in the box, but loses control and the ball then pings off him and behind for a goal kick.

So intricate from the Netherlands around the edge of the box and Malen finds Dumfries.

The full back rifles an effort towards goal but it's always curling away from the target.

Koeman may have sensed a slight shift in momentum and he acts by making a double substitution.

Veerman and Simons are replaced by Wijnaldum and Malen.

Poland having a good couple of minutes here.

Ake has to come across quickly to cut out a ball over the top, and then Poland come again, with Zalewski firing over from the edge of the box.

Poland are still having their moments.

It's a fine cross to the back post and they have a free man. Verbruggen is equal to the shot but that was a warning sign for the Netherlands.

Double substitution for Poland as Swiderski and Slisz come on for Urbanski and Romanczuk.

Reijnders slips a lovely through ball to Gakpo and it's 2 v 2.

Gakpo holds onto the ball and then feeds Simons but his shot goes well wide. What a waste.

Simons takes a stray elbow to the throat and needs treatment.

He should be fine to continue.

More changes on the way for Poland.

You can see why as Netherlands have looked far sharper in the early goings in this second half.

Depay shows his frustration as he has a go from fully 35 yards out.

It goes miles wide.

Netherlands go straight back on the front foot and Dumfries heads Gakpo's cross back across goal, but Szczesny palms the ball out of the danger zone.

One change for Poland at the break. Moder on for Szymanski.

The Netherlands start the second half.

Ian Herbert in Hamburg...

1-1 at HT in Hamburg, With better attacking options, Netherlands would have had Poland out of sight.

Cody Gakpo the only who looks like a finisher. A lot of fancy stuff from Memphis Depay but not much else

The game is evenly poised, and Probierz and Koeman could soon turn to their benches.

One Dutch fan got a nasty shock earlier, but he didn't follow the golden rule - always watch the ball!

Depay has squandered a number of chances and needs to be more clinical if the Netherlands are going to win this.

What a start to the tournament we've had. The goals have been flying in!

There goes the half time whistle.

The Netherlands should be ahead but Poland are hanging on in there.

Depay will wonder how he hasn't scored in the first half.

He races onto a ball over the top and gets his shot away but it dribbles agonisingly wide.

Reijnders tries his luck from 25 yards and porbably wishes he hadn't bothered.

His shot goes miles over the bar.

One minute added time to be played.

Gakpo should score, it's as simple as that.

Netherlands work the ball brilliantly into the box and Ake squares it to Gakpo who is just six yards out. He just has to tap it home but flicks the ball over the bar.

Huge chance.

Slight lull in play as we enter the closing stages of what has been a very entertaining half of football.

Neat play down the right hand side from the Dutch presents Dumfries with a crossing opportunity.

He doesn't quite execute his cross well enough and Salamon gets across to make an important clearance.

Ian Herbert in Hamburg...

It’s appropriate that Cody Gakpo should be the one to break the Dutch deadlock and equalise with that deflected shot.

He’s been by far the best and the busiest of Netherlands’ attacking players.

A contrast to Memphis Depay, who’s all showboating – rolling the ball under his studs and trying to beat players twice over but getting the Dutch nowhere.

Back come Poland and Verbruggen has to get down sharply to his left to palm away a fierce effort.

The Netherlands have clearly been the better team, but Poland remain dangerous on the counter.

It's been coming, and the Netherlands are level!

Gakpo drives forward to the edge of the box and lets fly.

The ball deflects off Salamon and leaves Szczesny with no chance.

Gakpo has looked very lively down the left and he cuts inside onto his favoured right foot to get a shot off.

The angle closes for him, though, and he drags his effort wide.

Surely it's just a matter of time for the Netherlands to level this game up?

This time it's Reijnders who breaks free and he should shoot with his left, but decides to square it and the ball is blocked behind for a corner.

The corner comes to nothing.

The Netherlands are knocking on the door.

Depay gets some space in the box again, but his cross is overhit and goes across the face of goal.

Big chance for Depay.

The ball drops to him at the end of the area and he has to hit the target, but he leans back and fires his effort over.

The Netherlands are so nearly level.

Van Dijk connects sweetly with a volley from a corner and Szczesny has to be alert to get down and tip the ball away to safety.

Good response from the Netherlands to going behind.

Against the run of play, Poland are ahead!

It's very simple as Buksa finds space from a corner and flicks the ball home.

Reijnders is the first player into the book for a late challenge.

Veerman complains and gets booked himself. Not great for the Netherlands to have two of their midfielders shown yellow cards so early on.

Xavi Simons has had a fine season at RB Leipzig and he tries his luck from the right hand corner of the box.

Szczsny has it covered as the ball goes comfortably wide of the target.

Better from Poland as Buksa gets in behind and cuts the ball back for Zielinski.

His shot from the edge of the box is blocked away, before the flag belatedly goes up against Buksa.

Slick passing from the Netherlands once more and the ball is squared to Reijnders on the edge of the box.

He's under a little pressure but will be disappointed to miss the target as his shot goes a yard or two wide.

Salamon breaks up the play well but then tries an efort on goal from all of 60 yards.

It dribbles through to the goalkeeper and draws ironic cheers from the crowd. Probably should have passed it.

Backs against the wall stuff for Poland in these opening stages.

Van Dijk clips a lovely ball to the right flank for Dumfries, and he delivers a testing cross that Gakpo gets his head to, but the Liverpool forward can't direct it towards goal.

Netherlands look sharp early on as Gakpo and Depay combine, but the former's touch just gets away from him inside the area.

Poland chasing shadows in these first few minutes.

Netherlands dominating possession in the early stages as Schouten produces a lovely turn to find a bit of space.

The ball then finds Gakpo at the back post and he cuts inside before forcing Szczesny to make a sharp stop at his near post.

Poland get the game going.

Poland in white and the Netherlands in dark blue. Shame - always love the traditional orange shirts, but you can't have everything.

The anthems are done and dusted. It's almost time for kick-off.

The teams take to the pitch and it's time for the national anthems.

Ian Herbert in Hamburg...

This is a city and a stadium which holds so much for the Dutch, whose semi-final win over West Germany here in 1988 was in many was more significant and poignant than beating Russia in the final that year.

Memories of the German of occupation of the Netherlands during the war were still fresh and Koeman, who had scored the equalizing penalty before Marco van Basten slid home the winner,stood in front of the Dutch fans at the end and pretended to wipe his backside with the German shirt he’d swapped with Olaf Thon.

‘Revenge’, declared the Dutch paper De Telegraaf the next day.

Poland: Szczesny, Bednarek, Salamon, Kiwior, Frankowski, Zielinski, Romanczuk, Zalewski, Urbanski, Szymanski, Buksa

Netherlands: Verbruggen, Dumfries, De Vrij, Van Dijk, Ake, Schouten, Reijnders, Veerman, Simons, Gakpo, Depay

The countdown to kick-off is well and truly on with just 15 minutes to go until we get underway.

It's been a lovely morning in Hamburg but the clouds are just starting to gather ominously now.

Few are predicting Poland to get a positive result today, but their manager Michal Probierz appears in a relaxed mood ahead of kick-off.

Ronald Koeman is back in charge of the Netherlands after previously managing them between 2018 and 2020.

Can his team make a winning start today?

Poland fans will not want to be outdone by their Dutch counterparts and are making plenty of noise in Hamburg today.

The players will be taking to the pitch very shortly to begin their warm-ups.

The Netherlands have suffered a couple of injury blows over the past week, with Frenkie de Jong and Teun Koopmeiners pulling out of the squad.

Joshua Zirkzee recived his call-up to replace Koopmeiners while he was at Disney World in Florida, while Ian Maatsen returned from a holiday in Mykonos with his girlfriend to play for his country.

Not having their talisman up front is a major blow for Poland.

He has been seen walking around the pitch in Hamburg. Could he possibly come off the bench later on?

Robert Lewandowski was a major doubt heading into today's game after picking up an injury in Poland's final warm-up friendly.

It has now been confirmed he does NOT start today, but he is on the bench.

Virgil van Dijk captains the side, with Premier League stars Nathan Ake and Cody Gakpo also getting starts.

Memphis Depay will lead the line for the Netherlands.

Just over an hour until kick-off at the wonderful Volksparkstadion.

We should have both starting XIs in very soon for the first of three matches today.

It will not all be a sea of orange in Hamburg today, with Poland also set to be well supported for their opening match of the tournament.

Excitement is building ahead of today's 2pm kick-off, and the Dutch fans have been getting into the party mood as the 1988 winners look to make a winning start.

Some concerning news to bring you as we begin our coverage.

German police have shot an axeman in the last hour near a fan zone in Hamburg during a Dutch supporters march.

The police statement says the axeman threatened officers with an 'incendiary device'.

We will bring you more news on this story as we get it.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of this afternoon's opening Group D clash between Poland and the Netherlands.

Who will make the perfect start to their Euro 2024 campaign?