Euro 2020 Group C: The Netherlands silenced Europe with stellar performances

Netherland's midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum (Photo by KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Netherland's midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum (Photo by KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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The Netherlands
The Netherlands celebrates (Photo by Marcel ter Bals/BSR Agency/Getty Images) /

Group C’s Top Team – The Netherlands

The Dutch came, they saw, and they conquered everything in their wake. With Frank de Boer at the helm plus a shakey run ahead of the tournament gave many the impression this Euro 2020 would be an experience building event for the Dutch – we were very wrong.

Three straight victories by scoring two goals or more. Despite being without both first-choice centre-backs for the opening game against Ukraine and still playing with a formation consisting of three CBs, they managed to only concede two goals.

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To date and at the time of writing this, before Group E and Group F completed their group campaign, Holland is the best-attacking team with eight goals scored during the group stages.

Group C’s Best Moment

Euro 2020 Matchday – Netherlands 3-2 Ukraine – the most entertaining encounter of the group and for the tournament up until the next matchday, Matchday 2, where Germany humbled Portugal 4-2.

The clash saw a rollercoaster of events take place. When the Dutch took a two-goal lead just before the break, we thought then and there, this fixture has been decided. But much to our surprise Andriy Yarmolenko was on hand to give a little hope to those in blue and yellow.

The best Ukrainian at this year’s Euros scored the first and the equaliser by the other fellow that was on top of his game, Roman Yaremchuk. A draw would have been the perfect result for Zbirna – but Holland weren’t having it.

One of Euro 2020’s debutants and another player who is in The Top Flight’s Group C best XI made sure the Netherlands took all three points in the last five minutes of the game.

The last goal of the game by Denzel Dumfries, which completed the five-goal thriller, took the wind out of their opponent’s sail.

The other top moment – saying goodbye to a long-serving Macedonian, Goran Pandev. The player capped off 122 appearances when he took the pitch against the Dutch on the final Matchday for Group C and has hung up his boots.