UEFA Nations League: Memphis Depay stars as Netherlands thrashes Belgium in Nations League faceoff

Steven Bergwijn in the 40th minute, Memphis Depay in the 51st and 65th minute and Denzel Dumfries in the 61st minute were the goalscorers for the Netherlands. In contrast, Michy Batshuayi, in the third minute of the extended time, was the only player to score for the Belgian side.

Belgium started the match with strength, but the departure of Romelu Lukaku due to an injury in the 27th minute swung the moment in favour of their Dutch opponents. Steven Bergwijn opened the scoring for the Netherlands in the 40th minute of the first half with an unstoppable shot past the Belgian goalkeeper Simon Mignolet from a distance of 25 meters. The first half ended with a 1-0 lead for the Dutch side.

The Netherlands took complete control of the match in the second half. Memphis Depay doubled the lead for the Netherlands with a brilliant shot after receiving a pass from Steven Berghuis. Denzel Dumfries further increased the lead for the Dutch side with a close-range tap after a shot stopped by Simon Mignolet rebounded to Daley Blind, who passed it to the 26-year-old Dutch defender. The goal-fest continued as Memphis Depay scored his second goal of the match just four minutes later. The Belgian side secured a consolation goal in the extended time on an effort by Michy Batshuayi.

It was a memorable game for the Netherlands as they defeated Belgium for the first time since 1997.

Denmark Beat Defending Champions France

Denmark won against defending champions France 2-1 in a UEFA Nations League match at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France, on June 4.

France started strongly but failed to score in the first half. Karim Benzema opened the scoring for the French side in the 51st minute. It was an unlucky start to the Nations League for France as star striker Kylian Mbappé also had to leave at half-time due to an injury. 

Andreas Cornelius replaced Kasper Dolberg as a substitute, and his entry proved to be a boon for the Danish side. The 29-year-old Danish striker scored in the 68th minute to level the score, and then he struck again in the 88th minute to seal the victory for Denmark.

Austria sink Croatia 3-0 in a UEFA Nations League win

Austria defeated Croatia 3-0 in a UEFA Nations League match at Gradski vrt Stadium in Osijek, Croatia, on June 4.

Ralf Rangnick got a perfect start to his tenure as the new coach for Austria as they completely dominated the game to win their first 2022 UEFA Nations League match.

Marko Arnautovic in the 41st minute, Michael Gregoritsch in the 54th minute and Marcel Sabitzer in the 57th minute scored to help Austria move to the top of League A Group A chart.

Marko Arnautovic made a solo run and opened the scoring for Austria with a shot into the bottom right corner of the net from the outer edge of the box. Substitute Michael Gregoritsch added another goal in the 54th minute to double the lead for Austria with a one-touch strike. Just three minutes later, Marcel Sabitzer went on the offensive and made it 3-0.

Croatia suffered their first defeat since Euro 2020 finals to Austria, which has failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.