While the Dutch team may not be one of the favourites for this year’s European Championships, the Netherlands got off to a solid start on Sunday evening as the country beat Ukraine 3 - 2 in what turned out to be a tense and entertaining match.

Dutch team claims victory in nail-biting match against Ukraine

The game started strong for the Netherlands as the team faced off against Ukraine in the Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam - after 58 minutes Frank de Boer’s team was leading 2 - 0. But, as time passed, the Netherlands’ hold on the match appeared to slip and Ukraine fought back, scoring two goals in the 75th and 79th minutes. 

With time running out, the Dutch team was under pressure to reclaim their earlier lead, and luckily for the Netherlands, with only five minutes left on the clock, Denzel Dumfries headed in the winning goal. The player was awarded with the Heineken Star of the Match award.

Approximately 5,4 million people tuned in to watch the Netherlands’ first game in the Euros, and King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima were both there to witness the country’s victory. Dutch coach Frank de Boer was relieved by the win, saying his team had taken “the first step to the next phase,” but his players did say they were disappointed that it hadn’t been an easy win.

The Netherlands to face off against Austria on Thursday

Even before Sunday’s win, the Netherlands was widely expected to make it through to the next stage, as the country was sorted into Group C, along with Austria, North Macedonia, and, of course, Ukraine. 

The Netherlands currently has three points, but lies in second place in its pool behind Austria after the Austrian team beat North Macedonia 3 - 1 on Sunday afternoon. The Netherlands next game takes place on June 17 at 9pm where the Dutch team will face off against Austria and hopefully claim the top spot in its pool.