Caitlin Dillon
The third match of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 got underway at Al Thumama Stadium, as Senegal went head to head with The Netherlands for the first time in history in a competitive encounter, which ended 2-0 after two late goals.
The second Group A match of the tournament was a difficult one to predict, as the Dutch were unbeaten against African opposition at the World Cup, while until tonight Senegal had never lost an opening game in the tournamnent.
After a shaky start, The Netherlands advanced and should have taken the lead after just three minutes after Edouard Mendy was caught out off his line, but Steven Bergwijn was unable to receive a low Cody Gakpo cross into the area.
The first shot of the match came nine minutes in, as Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr sent a left-footed shot sailing over the crossbar.
After 16 minutes of playing time, Daley Blind leapt to receive a Gakpo cross, heading it just wide before a ball inside from Bergwijn found Steven Berghuis who squared it for Frenkie De Jong, who took too long to make something of it.
By half time, neither goalkeeper had been tested, and the second half began as the first had ended, with no changes on either side.
In the 50th minute, Denzel Dumfries won a corner for The Netherlands, but the ball was sent into the penalty area from Edouard Mendy to comfortably claim. Just three minutes later, another corner resulted in contact with a leaping Virgil Van Dijk, who sent the ball over the bar, before Senegal right-back Youssef Sabaly claimed possession and attempted a shot 10 yards outside the area, only to be blocked by Nathan Ake.
Around 20 minutes into the second half, Krepin Diatta had a shot on goal for Senegal, forcing Andres Noppert to make his first save of the match.
The next fifteen minutes passed with very little in the way of chances for either side, until in the 84th minute saw a brilliantly timed run from Gakpo allow the 23 year old to connect with a De Jong cross and street a header past Mendy from six yards out.
Just four minutes later, Noppert prevented the Senegalese from equalising when a Papa Gueye shot seemed to be heading for the bottom corner.
Eight minutes of added time were announced, allowing just enough time for substitute Davy Klassen to capitalise on an error from Mendy to double his side’s lead with the last kick of the match.