Nations League: Xavi's Netherlands hold firm in Greece

Under the lights of the Athens Olympic Stadium, Xavi's Netherlands narrowly avoided defeat on 01/10/2026, after being two goals down early in the first half. Despite a disastrous start, they responded in the second period thanks to Virgil van Dijk in the 59th minute and Tijjani Reijnders in the 89th minute, securing the draw.

A shocking first half

Greece quickly imposed its game, opening the scoring in the 23rd minute thanks to Fotis Ioannidis, who struck with his right foot after a cross from Giorgos Masouras. Before the break, the Greeks doubled the lead in the 45th minute (+1) when Masouras capitalised on a Dutch defensive error to score.

The Dutch response

At the restart, Xavi made three substitutions, bringing on Tijjani Reijnders, Noa Lang and Ryan Gravenberch. The first breakthrough came in the 59th minute, when Virgil van Dijk headed a cross from Joey Veerman, narrowing the gap.

The match remained tight, Denzel Dumfries seeing his goal in the 64th minute ruled out after a VAR check. Finally, in the 89th minute, Reijnders turned a fine volley on a poorly cleared ball, equalising the score and sealing the crucial point.

The final score, 2‑2, reflects a mixed performance: the Oranje displayed defensive frailties but managed to bounce back thanks to their experience. Referee Marco Guida officiated the match, while the Dutch substitutions brought fresh energy in the second period.

This result keeps the Netherlands alive in the group, but Xavi made it clear that there is still work to be done to regain the consistency shown against Germany and Serbia.