Xavi keeps the Dutch unbeaten with Reijnders' goal in the 89th minute
At the Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki, Xavi Hernández preserved the unbeaten record of the Netherlands national team by conceding a goal from Reijnders in the 89th minute, which erased Greece's lead and left the score at 2-2 on a matchday that also saw Greece get close to victory before the final play.
Reijnders' goal in the 89th minute
The Dutch forward Reijnders struck with his right foot to equalise in the 89th minute, wiping out Greece's advantage and securing a 2-2 draw. The image of the goal was captured by AP Photo, with photographer Giannis Papanikos and journalist Sergio Escario covering the match.
The former City player prevents Greece's perfect run
The former Manchester City striker, now at Al-Qadsiah, took part in the defence that prevented Greece from achieving a series of consecutive wins. His presence in the Dutch backline helped ensure that the Greek national team did not reach the full set of victories that seemed within reach.
Greece had beaten Serbia (1-2) and Germany (0-1) under the guidance of Ivan Jovanovic, achieving a surprising run against the odds. After those wins, the Greek side sought to complete a 9/9 record before the Dutch responded.
In the 13th minute, Italian referee Marco Guida disallowed a potential goal from Tziolis for an offside position by Pavlidis, keeping the score at zero. Two minutes later, Tziolis left the field injured and was replaced by Masouras.
The absence of the Arsenal winger, a starter in the first five rounds of the Premier League, was news for Mikel Arteta, although it did not directly affect the course of the match.
Greece took the lead in the 23rd minute thanks to Ioannidis, who capitalised on a pass from Masouras to beat Dutch goalkeeper Verbruggen. Later, in first‑half stoppage time, Masouras turned a gift from Ruben van Bommel to extend the lead to 2-0.
After the break, Xavi Hernández brought on Gravenberch and Reijnders to strengthen the midfield, and Noa Lang as a left winger, aiming to regain possession and create chances.
In the 59th minute, Virgil Van Dijk reduced the deficit by heading a corner delivered by Veerman, bringing the Dutch side closer to the equaliser. However, the decisive goal came from Reijnders in the 89th minute.
The match was attended by approximately 26,000 spectators at the Toumba Stadium and was refereed by Italy's Marco Guida, who showed yellow cards to Tzolakis (67'), Lang (77') and Saliakas (77'). Despite the draw, Greece retains the lead of Group A2.