The Netherlands overcame a one-goal deficit to win 2-1 against Poland in their UEFA European Championship Group D opener. Cody Gakpo and reserve Vout Weghorst were accurate for the "tulips", who lead the flow before the match between Austria and France on Monday at 10 p.m. Bulgarian time, BTA reports.
Bulgarian Ludogorets (Razgrad) midfielder Jakub Piotrovski appeared in the game in the 78th minute for Poland. A day earlier, his teammate Kwadwo Dua scored to give Switzerland a win against Hungary.
The Dutch pressed in the first quarter of an hour, but it was Poland who struck first. Piotr Jelinski crossed from a corner kick and Adam Buksa outran two of the "tulips" before heading the ball into Bart Verbrüggen's net – 0:1. It was the seventh goal for the Polish striker for the national team.
Memphis Depay missed the mark soon after, but the Netherlands equalized in the 29th minute. Nathan Ake fed Cody Gakpo in front of the box and the Liverpool forward fired, the ball deflecting off a Polish defender and past Wojciech Szczesny's dive to make it 1-1.
Poland pressed early in the second half and had an opportunity to restore their lead after an hour of play. Jakub Kivior received the ball in the penalty area and fired into the bottom right corner, but Verbrüggen, the youngest goalkeeper to start a European finals since 1964, saved the shot.
Wout Weghorst scored two minutes after coming on. In the 83rd, Ake provided his second assist after delivering a low pass from the left wing, and Weghorst beat a defender to send a powerful shot into the near corner – 2:1.
Poland created the next clean sheet in the 90th minute and it was made by Piotrowski himself. The Ludogorets midfielder broke down the left wing and passed in front of goal for Karol Shwiderski, whose shot was blocked by the Netherlands keeper. The ball returned to Piotrowski's feet, but he was already almost on the off-line and failed to score from a very narrow angle.