Wout Weghorst’s pivotal 12th goal on international turf propelled the Netherlands to a win against Poland in their Group D inaugural match.
Coming off the bench, Weghorst played a crucial role in turning the game around after Adam Buksa had initially put Poland ahead.
Poland gained early momentum, striking first in the 16th minute as Buksa connected with Piotr Zielinski’s cross, marking the third time the Dutch squad conceded from a corner in as many goals—contrasting sharply with the previous 83 goals they let in.
Even with ace striker Robert Lewandowski sidelined, he would have nodded approvingly at his team’s robust start, as they eyed their first triumph over the Netherlands since 1980.
Gakpo leveled the score for the Netherlands after his shot, redirected by Bartosz Salamon, sailed over a stranded Wojciech Szczesny.
Both teams vigorously pursued the winning edge, positioning themselves for vital points before France clashed with Austria in Dusseldorf.
Weghorst re-emerged heroically in the dying moments, marking his seventh goal in his recent 11 games for the national side by capitalizing on Nathan Ake’s precise assist.
Data Debrief: Weghorst’s timeliness keeps the Dutch ahead in their history with Poland
Gakpo’s goal advanced his tally to ten for his country, marked by scoring in his fourth consecutive group game at major tournaments, joining Ronaldo and Morata as the only Europeans to achieve this feat in the 21st century.
Following this match, Poland’s drought extends to 13 encounters without a win against the Dutch across all formats (D5 L8) since their euphoric 2-0 victory during the EURO 1980 qualifiers.
