That’s all for now though, goodbye!
Netherlands climb to third in Group G, while Latvia remain pointless in fifth.
Goals from Berghuis and Luuk de Jong give the Netherlands a dominant 2-0 victory. This was a completely one-sided game throughout, despite the hosts squandering a plethora of chances. After Klaassen and Depay had both wasted big opportunities, the Netherlands finally took the lead when Berghuis curled in a brilliant strike from just outside the box. They had to wait until the 70th minute to seal the game, but it finally arrived when Luuk de Jong powered Depay’s corner in at the near post. Latvia rallied late on and hit the post through Ciganiks, but in truth, a 2-0 defeat flattered the visitors, as the hosts secured a much-needed three points.
90′ + 3′ FULL TIME: Netherlands 2-0 Latvia
90′ Two minutes of stoppage time are added.
89′ Depay comes off for Bergwijn after a tough day in front of goal.
R. Krollis
J. Ikaunieks
88′ Ikaunieks is replaced by Krollis in attack.
D. Blind
Yellow Card
87′ Blind is shown a yellow card after tugging on Solovjovs’ shirt.
A. Solovjovs
A. Cigaņiks
85′ Ciganiks departs with Solovjovs taking his spot.
85′ Latvia hit the post! The visitors continue to rally late on, as Ciganiks connects with a cross at the back post, before issuing a fierce volley that Krul instinctively deflects against the post!
84′ De Jong goes close! The midfielder rampages into the box, before skewing a low effort across goal and inches wide from 12 yards!
C. Stengs
S. Berghuis
84′ Berghuis is replaced by Stengs in attack.
83′ Depay’s 10th shot of the game is parried away by Ozols comfortably – it’s just not his day!
81′ Chance for Latvia! The visitors almost find a way back into the game, as Savalnieks rushes away on the counter-attack, before darting past Wijndal inside the box and curling a deft effort narrowly wide of the far post from 12 yards!
D. van de Beek
G. Wijnaldum
79′ Van de Beek takes Wijnaldum’s spot in midfield.
R. Babel
L. de Jong
79′ Luuk de Jong is swapped out for Babel.
R. Gravenberch
D. Klaassen
79′ Klaassen departs for Gravenberch in midfield.
R. Savaļnieks
V. Kamešs
79′ Kamess is replaced by Savaļnieks in attack for Latvia.
77′ Brilliant run from Depay! The attacker slaloms past two challenges on the edge of the box, allowing him plenty of space to shoot from 20 yards, but his powerful effort is straight at Ozols!
75′ Netherlands have amassed a mighty 29 shots and they’ll be wondering how they only have two goals to show for it so far.
73′ Klaassen goes close again! Almost three for the hosts as Klaasen pounces on a loose ball inside the area, before drilling a shot against Cernomordijs from close range!
71′ Well, that should finally wrap it up for the Netherlands! They’ve completely dominated this game, but it’s taken until the 70th minute to make it safe.
M. Depay
Assist
69′ Depay put plenty of pace on that delivery and it allowed Luuk de Jong to steer a powerful header past Ozols.
L. de Jong
Goal
69′ LUUK DE JONG! 2-0! Luuk de Jong seals it for the hosts, by rising at the near post to power Depay’s corner into the ground and beyond Ozols from close range!
66′ De Ligt’s glancing header flashes well wide from Frenkie de Jong’s corner.
64′ The second half has picked up right where the first period left off. Netherlands have been in total command and have created plenty of openings without scoring.
62′ Wijnaldum has a shot from eight yards blocked behind, before Luuk de Jong heads the resulting corner well over from close range.
60′ Ozols calmly dives to his left to tip Depay’s bobbling 25-yard effort around the post.
58′ Superb challenge from Wijndal! Kamess bursts clean through on goal, but Wijndal recovers to catch up with the attacker before sliding in to poke it away! Without that intervention, Kamess would have been one-on-one!
56′ Latvia survive a goalline scramble! De Ligt heads a corner across goal and it’s parried into danger by Ozols! A crowd of players cluster inside the six-yard box to try and bundle it in, but Latvia defend bravely to block all shots at goal and eventually clear.
54′ Depay wastefully hammers a free-kick straight into the wall from 25 yards.
L. de Jong
Yellow Card
52′ De Jong is booked after protesting Karklins’ foul on Wijnaldum too aggressively.
K. Kārkliņš
Yellow Card
52′ Karklins is booked after a dangerous lunge on Wijnaldum. The Latvian midfielder went with a stamping motion there and he’s lucky not to be sent off.
51′ Wijndal volleys high and wide from 20 yards after Tarasovs headed a corner clear.
50′ Luuk de Jong latches onto Wijnaldum’s pass deep inside the six-yard box, but he can’t engineer the space to shoot and his shot’s blocked away for a corner.
48′ The hosts begin the second period with a long spell of pressurising possession as they search to quickly put this game out of reach.
V. Gutkovskis
R. Uldriķis
46′ In the second substitution, Uldrikis is replaced by Gutkovskis up top.
K. Kārkliņš
A. Zjuzins
46′ Latvia make two changes at the break: the first change sees Zjuzins make way for Karklins in midfield.
46′ Netherlands get the second half underway.
Latvia barely made it out of their own half in the opening 45 minutes, but they’ll be buoyed by their defensive effort. Nevertheless, if they’re to pull off an upset they’ll need to be more adventurous in the second half.
Berghuis’ brilliant strike gives the Netherlands a 1-0 lead going into the break after dominating proceedings. The hosts took 15 shots in that half and it’s been surprising that they only hold a one goal advantage. After squandering numerous opportunities, they finally broke the deadlock when Berghuis bent in a super effort from 20 yards. But with Luuk de Jong and Klaassen both hitting the bar from point-blank range, they’ll be feeling that they should be three up by now.
45′ + 1′ HALF TIME: Netherlands 1-0 Latvia
44′ Frenkie de Jong skews a lot shot well wide from 25 yards.
42′ Depay has been everywhere in this half: he’s produced six shots to go with two key passes and Latvia have looked unable to cope with him!
40′ Luuk de Jong hits the bar! Berghuis swings it into the six-yard box, where Luuk de Jong manages to beat Tarasovs to the ball only to steer his header against the bar! The hosts have squandered some huge opportunities in this half!
38′ Latvia look a little rattled by this long spell of pressure – they need to try and just restrict the Netherlands until half time and then reground for the second half.
36′ Big chance for Depay! Depay and Wijndal play a clever one-two inside the box, allowing the former to get through on goal at an angle, however Depay’s curling effort from eight yards drifts agonisingly wide of the far post!
J. Ikaunieks
Yellow Card
34′ Ikaunieks trips Frenkie de Jong to earn himself a yellow card.
D. Klaassen
Assist
32′ It was a simple pass from Klaassen into Berghuis and he surely never expected the attacker to finish so brilliantly from outside the box!
S. Berghuis
Goal
32′ BERGHUIS! 1-0! Netherlands make the breakthrough as Klaassen slips a pass into Berghuis on the edge of the box and the attacker cuts inside before bending a brilliant 20-yard strike beyond Ozols and into the far top corner!
30′ The Netherlands will be wondering how they’re not ahead! They’ve created chance after chance, but wasteful finishing mixed in with misfortune has cost them so far.
28′ Klaassen hits the bar! Dumfries lays it off to Berghuis, who hooks in an inviting cross towards Klaassen who powers a header against the bar from close range! That should really have been a goal there.
27′ The hosts have already had 10 shots inside the opening 30 minutes (including six from inside the box) but they haven’t been able to convert.
25′ Berghuis nods Wijndal’s delivery back across goal and it looks like Klaassen will be there to head it in, but Cernomordijs gets there in front to hack it clear.
24′ Frenkie de Jong’s corner is nodded clear at the back post by Cernomordijs.
22′ The Netherlands are throwing everything at Latvia right now and it looks unlikely that the visitors will be able to hold out much longer.
20′ Chance for Klaassen! Latvia struggle to clear Wijndal’s low cross and it eventually bounces to Klaassen, who can’t direct his header on target from close range!
18′ Berghuis scoops a cross just over Luuk de Jong as Latvia continue to frustrate the hosts.
16′ Chance for Berghuis! Depay cuts inside and draws in the defence, before laying it off to Berghuis who bends a first-time effort from 20 yards narrowly wide of the far post!
14′ Netherlands are looking threatening going forward, but they still look vulnerable defensively when Latvia break.
12′ Depay cuts inside and rifles a powerful effort from the edge of the box that flicks off Fjodorovs and into the grateful arms of Ozols.
10′ Depay slaloms into the box before drilling in a low cross that Ozols does well to gather.
9′ Depay curls a 25 yard effort harmlessly over the bar.
8′ Off the line by Tarasovs! Wijnaldum stands up a dangerous cross to the back post where Luuk de Jong plants a header over the goalkeeper and towards the far corner, only for Tarasovs to acrobatically hook it away from danger!
6′ Brilliant block by De Ligt! Latvia race away on the break, as Kamess scurries to the byline before cutting it back to Ikaunieks who has a shot blocked away from close range by De Ligt!
5′ Wijnaldum charges into the area at an angle, but he’s muscled off the ball by Tarasovs.
3′ Kamess trips Depay out near the left touchline, presenting the hosts with a promising free kick. They elect to play it short though and the eventual cross is easily cleared.
1′ Latvia get the first half underway.
The players are emerging from the tunnel and kick off is just seconds away!
Netherlands manager Frank de Boer, has only won two of his seven games since his appointment and he’ll be under intense pressure to win today.
Latvia also make three switches to their side: Steinbors is replaced in goal by Ozols, while Oss and Savalnieks make way for Frodorovs and Tarasovs in defence.
Netherlands make three changes to the team that lost to Turkey: De Roon, Tete and Malen all make way for Klaassen, Dumfries and Luuk de Jong.
SUBS: Marcis Oss, Kriss Karklins, Vitalijs Maksimenko, Krisjanis Zviedris, Aleksandrs Solovjovs, Davis Ikaunieks, Vladislavs Gutkovskis, Roberts Savalnieks, Raimonds Krollis, Alvis Jaunzems, Eduards Emsis, Pavels Steinbors.
LATVIA (4-4-2): Roberts Ozols; Vladislavs Fjodorovs, Antonijs Cernomordijs, Igors Tarasovs, Raivis Andris Jurkovskis; Vladimirs Kamess, Arturs Zjuzins, Kristers Tobers, Andrejs Ciganiks; Janis Ikaunieks, Roberts Uldrikis.
SUBS: Maarten Stekelenburg, Calvin Stengs, Kenny Tete, Ryan Gravenberch, Marten de Roon, Donyell Malen, Joel Veltman, Steven Bergwijn, Marco Bizot, Ryan Babel, Patrick van Aanholt, Donny van de Beek.
NETHERLANDS (4-2-3-1): Tim Krul; Denzel Dumfries, Matthijs de Ligt, Daley Blind, Owen Wijndal; Davy Klaassen, Frenkie de Jong; Steven Berghuis, Georginio Wijnaldum, Memphis Depay; Luuk de Jong.
Group G is only one game old for both these teams, but with the Netherlands crashing to a 4-2 defeat against Turkey, and Latvia losing 2-1 to Montenegro, they’ll each be desperate for a lift today.
Hello and welcome to this European World Cup Qualifier between Netherlands and Latvia.
S. Bergwijn
M. Depay