Mathc report: North Macedonia 0-3 Netherlands
Group C: Gini Wijnaldum scored his second and third goals of the tournament as the Netherlands triumphed over a North Macedonia side with whom the great Goran Pandev took his curtain call.
Match recap: It was a fairly straightforward win for the Netherlands, with Gini Wijnaldum bagging a second half brace after Memphis Depay had put them ahead in the first half. North Macedonia did create plenty of chances, having two goals chalked off for offside as well as smashing one against the woodwork. Having qualified as minnows from the bottom tier of the Nations League, they have done themselves proud and can exit this tournament with their heads held high.
Roll up! Roll up! Join Barney Ronay and Jonathan Liew for a special, free pre-game preview of the Euro 2020 final at 1pm on Friday 9 July, exclusively available to Guardian subscribers. In this interactive livestream chat, we’ll be discussing the highlights of the tournament and - crucially - who will walk away with the trophy in the final.
Elsewhere in Group C: It has finished Ukraine 0-1 Austria in Bucharest, which means Austria have finished second with four points. Whether or not Ukraine have done enough to earn a spot in the last 16 as one of the best third placed finishers with their haul of three points remains to be seen.
Full time: North Macedonia 0-3 Netherlands
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeep! It’s all over at the Johan Cruyff ArenA where the Dutch have run out comfortable 3-0 winners, to make it three victories on the spin in Group C and top the group.
90+3 min: North Macedonia get forward again but their final ball into the Dutch penalty area lets them down.
90+1 min: A brilliant long delivery from North Macedonia goalkeeper Dimitrievski picks out Elmas at the opposite end of the pitch. He cuts inside, shoots from a tight angle and wins his side a corner. From that, they win a free-kick to the left of the Dutch penalty area. The Netherlands clear.
90 min: Quincy Promes slaloms down the inside left but overhits his cross towards Wout Weghorst.
88 min: Mathias De Ligt brings a smart save out of Dimitrievski, who flings himself low to his right, with a dipping shot from distance. I think it was going narrowly wide but the goalkeeper couldn’t take any chances.
87 min: Berghuis cuts in from the right and tries to pick out Wijnaldum on the edge of the penalty area. His pass is intercepted. North Macedonia break down the field and Boban Nikolov, just on as a substitute, fires wide from a tight angle.
84 min: Kostadinov gallops into Berghuis with a late challenge, upending him and sending him to the ground. Yellow card.
81 min: “Barry, may I be the 1096th person to point out that Dumfries’ chance on 31 mins was indeed a action replay of his chance on 29 mins,” writes Luke Harrison. “To be fair, I was able to rewind to check and it caught out the ITV commentator too.”
Ha-ha! Well, at least I wasn’t technically wrong.
79 min: Netherlands substitution: Cody Gakpo on for Frenkie De Jong.
75 min: Berghuis has a shot blocked after a clearance came his way in the North Macedonia penalty area.
72 min: Oh no! North Macedonia have another goal chalked off for offside. Darko Churlinov runs on to a wonderful Enis Bardhi through ball from deep and fires low past Stekelenburg, only to have his effort ruled out by the referee’s assistant.
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70 min: Wout Weghorst almost scored with his first touch of the ball, running on to a nicely weighted Frenkie De Jong pass and scraping paint off the cross-bar with his rising effort.
68 min: North Macedonia double-substitution: Ferhan Hasani and Tihomir Kostadinov on for Aleksander Trajkowski and Goran Pandev. So long, Goran.
66 min: Ezgjan Alioski gets booked for a foul on Steven Berghuis. A double substitution from the Netherlands: Wout Weghorst and Quincy Promes on for Memphis Depay and Donyell Malen.
64 min: They may be 3-0 down with 25 minutes left to play, but North Macedonia haven’t disgraced themselves in any way, shape or form in this game. The gulf in class is obvious, but the Dutch haven’t had it all their own way despite what the scoreline might have you believe.
63 min: De Ligt outjumps Pandev in the penalty area to get his head to a cross from the right. The ball takes a touch off Churlinov on its way wide. Goal kick for the Netherlands.
61 min: Another run through the centre and Wijnaldum shoots over the bar under pressure from Musliu as he galloped on to a pull-back from Depay.
60 min: That’s three in this tournament for Wijnaldum so far, making him - I think - joint top-scorer.
GOAL! North Macedonia 0-3 Netherlands (Wijnaldum 58)
Wijnaldum scores again! The new PSG signing scores on the follow-up after Memphis Depay had a shot saaved by DImitrievski, who could only parry the low shot into the path of Wijnaldum. Donyell Malen played his part too, setting up Depay with a lovely ball around the corner in the penalty area.
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57 min: North Macedonia substitution: Darko Churlinov on for Ivan Trickovski.
54 min: North Macedonia win a free0kick on the edge of the Netherlands penalty area for a Patrick van Aanholt foul on Pandev. It’s a little right of centre, about one yard outside the box. Enis Bardhi hits the target, but Stekelenburg saves comfortably. Corner for North Macedonia.
53 min: A minute or so prior to that goal, North Macedonia defender Visar Musliu was booked for a foul on Memphis Depay on the halfway line, taking down the Dutchman as he tried to escape and latch on to a ball from deep.
GOAL! North Macedonia 0-2 Netherlands (Wijnaldum 51)
The Netherlands double their lead. Gini Wijnaldum taps home from six or seven yards out, connecting with a Depay pass from the left after making a marauading run from deep.
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49 min: From a Dutch corner, Mathias De Ligt meets the ball with a firm header. Ivan Trickovski somehow keeps it out, saving on the line with his shoulder. Brilliant defending.
48 min: Ezgjan Alioski sends a tempting cross wafting across the Dutch penalty area on the volley. Trickovski slips as he stretches to meet it at the far post.
47 min: A low, hard Trajkovski cross into the Dutch penalty are is cut out as North Macedonia launch their first attack of note in the second half.
Second half: North Macedonia 0-1 Netherlands
46 min: The Netherlands get the second half under way, having made two changes in personnel. Steven Berghuis and Jurrien Timber are on for Denzel Dumfries and Stefan de Vrij.
Elsewhere in Group C: Christoph Baumgartner has scored the only goal of the game so far to put Austria ahead against Ukraine in the battle for second place. Daniel Harris has the latest on that one ...
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Half-time: North Macedonia 0-1 Netherlands
Peep! A largely open and enjoyable first half draws to a close with the hosts leading courtesy of a rather contentious Memphis Depay goal. Both sides have had chances, with North Macedonia having what they thought to be an early opener ruled out for offside. A subsequent effort from Aleksander Trajkowski smashed off the upright from distance. The Netherlands could have hadded to their tally, with Denzel Dumfries twice going close after Depay had opened the scoring.
45+1 min: Ryan Gravenbach goes down in the North Macedonia penalty area and the crowd appeal for a penalty. None is forthcoming and replays show the winger merely lost his balance as he tried to turn.
45 min: Dimtrievski to the rescue again. In full sweeper-keeper mode, he rushes off his line to clear a ball over the top from Frenkie De Jong before Depay can get to it and steer it goalwards.
42 min: Depay dances around Darko Veldivski out on the left flank, cuts inside and pulls the ball back from the byline into a crowded North Macedonia penalty area. Their goalkeeper Dimtrievski sticks out a leg and pokes it clear.
41 min: Another corner for North Macedonia. Musliu leaps highest and gets a flick on the ball with his head but sends it fizzing wide. He should have scored! Another good chance goes begging for North Macedonia.
39 min: Pandev and Trickovski combine beautifully down the right flank and win a corner for their side. The Netherlands struggle to clear the ball but Enis Bardhi eventually shoots wide from distance.
37 min: Denzel Dumfries robs the ball from Trajkowski 30 yards from the North Macedonia goal but the winger does well to recover and concede a corner with a well-timed tackle. From that one, the Netherlands win another, but Malen is penalised for clambering over his marker in his efforts to win the ball at the far post.
35 min: Gravenberch attempts to cross the ball to the far post, where Wijnaldum had made a run. He overhits his delivery and curls the ball wide.
33 min: In for Wout Weghorst, Malen is absolutely tormenting the North Macedonia defence. He provided the assist for Depay for the goal from the right at the end of a textbook counter-attack and has since slipped the ball into the path of Dumfries on two occasions.
31 min: Dumfries is denied again, in what could have been mistaken for an action replay of his previous effort. His runs from deep are as devastating as they are perfectly timed.
29 min: Denzel Dumfries is denied by North Macedonia goalkeeper Stoke Dimitrievski, who rushes off his line to save with his feet as the right wing-back ran on to a pass from deep with the goal gaping.
VAR check: The Romanian match official has consulted his Video Assistant Ref to see if the goal should be disallowed for what looked like a Daley Blind foul on Goran Pandev in the build-up. It looked a studs-up, ball-winning challenge on the edge of the Dutch penalty area to me, but the goal stands.
GOAL! North Macedonia 0-1 Netherlands (Depay 24)
The Netherlands lead! Memphis Depay sweeps the ball home from about 10 yards out to wrap up a counter-attacking move down the field, converting a crossd from Malen.
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23 min: North Macedonia are more than holding their own against the Netherlands here, having had a goal disallowed for a marginal offside and hit the woodwork. Ah, hold on ...
21 min: North Macedonia attack on the break with Elif Elmas on the ball. The attack breaks down, Enis Bardhi wins the ball back and passes to Pandev, who flicks the ball into the path of Aleksander Trajkovski. From distance, he smashes the ball off the foot of the right upright.
19 min: Gini Wijnaldum tries to stand the ball up for Malen at the far post, but it’s headed clear. A susbequent Gravenbach shot on the follow-up is blocked.
18 min: Netherlands corner. North Macedonia right-back Stefan Ristovski is booked for dissent before the ball comes in. When it does arrive in the penalty area, Pandev defends well.
16 min: De Jong loses possession in midfield and North Macedonia break forward. Arijani Ademi looks to have been brought down on the edge of the Dutch penalty area but no free-kick is forthcoming.
14 min: The Netherlands are in the ascendency having survived an early scare. Malen flicks a backheel towards Frenkie De Jong in the North Macedonia penalty area but the midfielder is unable to get a shot off before being relieved of possession.
12 min: Memphis Depay runs on to a ball from deep down the inside right and sends a cross-shot across the face of goal.
12 min: Seriously tight. We’re talking a toe-nail there.
10 min: North Macedonia have a goal disallowed. Trickovski ran into space and on to a through ball from Pandev before slotting the ball past Maarten Stekelenberg but it turns out he’d strayed offside. That too was tight.
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9 min: Visar Musliu does well to cut out an attempted cross from Malen to Depay. Malen may have been offside but it was tight.
7 min: Trickovski fouls Frenkie De Jong on the edge of the Dutch penalty area, bringing an end to a period of sustained pressure from North Macedonia.
5 min: The Netherlands attack through the centre, with Gini Wijnaldum arrowing the ball low along the deck from midfield. Memphis tries to flick the ball into the path of Donyell Malen, but doesn’t make firm enough contact with it. North Macedonia clear.
3 min: North Macedonia get forward, with Ivan Trickovski on the ball. He tries to pick out Aleksander Trajkovsiki in the Dutch penalty area but his delivery is intercepted and cleared.
2 min: Ryan Gravenberch unleashes the first shot in anger for the Netherlands on his first start or his country. It’s high and wide of the North Macedonia goal.
North Macedonia v Netherlands is go ...
1 min: Goran Pandev gets the ball rolling in Amsterdam, his team playing in white shirts, shorts and socks with red trim. The players of the Netherlands wear black shirts, shorts and socks with orange trim.
Not long now: There are 15,000 fans present in the Johan Cruyff Arena to welcome both sides out on to the pitch. Goran Pandev leads North Macedonia, while Gini Wijnaldum skippers the Dutch. The two teams line up either side of Istvan Kovacs and his team of match officials and stand proud for the national anthems. Kick-off is less than five minutes away.
Some pre-match listening
Look how excited this young man gets when he hears the theme music of our Euro 2020 Football Weekly ... er, Daily podcast. You can find out why by listening to our most recent episode, then subscribe for free in all the usual podcast places.
We've been listening to @guardian_sport football daily over the course of the euros and our son has started going crazy when the intro music starts. I assume it's because he loves @maxrushden and @bglendenning pic.twitter.com/yivp06OxyU
— Richard Watson (@GingerbreadFred) June 21, 2021
Those teams: Igor Angelovski makes just two changes to the North Macedonia side that started against Ukraine on Thursday. Ivan Trickowski comes in on the left wing for his first start of the tournament. Aleksander Trajkowski starts in midfield, having been dropped to the bench after their first game.
Frank De Boer also makes two changes. Donyell Malen is in for Wout Weghorst up front, while Ryan Gravenberch replaces Marten De Roon in midfield, as expected.
North Macedonia v Netherlands line-ups
North Macedonia (4-2-3-1): Dimitrievski; Ristovski, Velkovski, Musliu, Alioski; Ademi, Bardhi; Trajkovski, Elmas, Trickovski; Pandev.
Netherlands (3-5-2): Stekelenburg; Dumfries, De Vrij, De Ligt, Blind, Van Aanholt; De Jong, Wijnaldum, Gravenberch; Depay, Malen.
Today’s match officials
- Referee: István Kovács (Romania)
- Assistant referees: Vasile Florin Marinescu and Ovidiu Artene (Romania)
- Fourth official: Georgi Kabakov (Bulgaria)
- Video Assistant Referee: Marco Di Bello (Italy)
Goran Pandev: Not for the first time, Macedonia’s star player ends his international career, on the occasion of his 122nd cap. One suspects his team-mates will do everything in their power to send him on his way with another goal under his belt.
“I can only say one big thank you, above all to Goran Pandev, the best football player in the history of North Macedonia,” said his manager Igor Angelovski, who may also be overseeing his final game for his country. “I am happy to have worked with such a great captain and person. We will give everything against the Netherlands. I don’t like talking about the future because until my last day, I will work as hard as I can.”
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Early team news
Both managers are likely to shuffle their packs for what is ostensibly a dead rubber, with Netherlands manager Frank De Boer likely to make wholesale changes. It would be a huge surprise to see Marten de Roon start for the Netherlands, as he is just one booking away from being suspended for the Round of 16. Ajax holding midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, 19, could start in his place.
Group C: North Macedonia v Netherlands
The Amsterdam Arena is the venue for a match between hosts who have already guaranteed their progress to the last 16 and visitors who can’t qualify for the next round, whatever the outcome this evening.
Having lost both their opening games, North Macedonia will be hoping to go out with a bang rather than a whimper, while the Netherlands have guaranteed themselves top spot in the group and a Round of 16 match against an as yet unidentified third placed qualifier. Kick-off in Amsterdam is at 5pm (BST) but stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
