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The Netherlands maintained their 100% record in the competition as a second-half brace from Georginio Wijnaldum ensured the top spot in UEFA Euro 2020 Group C for Oranje. Memphis Depay also got on the scoresheet before bagging the assists for both of Wijnaldum's goals.
North Macedonia were unlucky to have a goal ruled out for offside by the slimmest of margins and also hit the woodwork within the next 10 minutes. Their luck didn't improve in the second half as they had yet another goal ruled out for offside.
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Goran Pandev played his last game for North Macedonia. He helped Ivan Trichkovski with a great through ball in the ninth minute but his well-taken shot past Maarten Stekelenburg was ruled out for offside.
They also hit the woodwork with Aleksandar Trajkovski's effort but lost steam when Depay scored on the counter-attack. Barcelona's latest signing put the Netherlands in the driver's seat at the Amsterdam Arena.
After the opening goal, it was almost a one-way traffic and the visiting side just could not find their feet. Wijnaldum gave the Netherlands a great start after the break as he found the back of the net six minutes into the second half.
Thanks to Depay's strong run, all the new Paris Saint-Germain star had to do was score from six yards out. The duo found space behind the defense yet again and Wijnaldum was able to score from inside the box again. Depay's initial shot was saved by Stole Dimitrievski but it fell kindly for Wijnaldum, who made no mistake in putting the ball into an empty net.
Pandev was given a guard of honor when he was substituted off in the 69th minute. Just three minutes later, North Macedonia had another goal ruled out on account of offside.
As the Netherlands make it three wins in a row, here we take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 Lady luck was not on North Macedonia's side tonight
North Macedonia started the game brightly and almost took a shock lead against the group leaders. The visiting side continued their positive start and took a shot at goal, with Aleksandar Trajkovski's long-range strike bouncing off the inside of the post to safety. They were denied yet again by VAR in the 72nd minute, as Darko Churlinov's goal was chalked off by the assistant referee.
The team was playing for pride, having been ruled out of the qualification race with two back-to-back losses. They did not allow the Dutch team to dominate them, at least in the early stages, and were unlucky to have been denied two clear goalscoring chances.
#4 Memphis Depay takes centre stage for the Netherlands
Memphis Depay, the man in form for the Netherlands after drawing a blank in the opening game of the tournament, has been involved in four goals for Oranje. He scored the opening goal against North Macedonia in the 24th minute, finishing off a great counter-attacking move.
That goal helped ease some pressure on the Netherlands defenders, who had been beaten twice within the first 20 minutes of the game and were saved only by an offside call and the woodwork.
The player recently signed a deal with Barcelona and announced his confirmation with a goal and two assists to confirm the Netherlands place in the round of 16.
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#3 Netherlands overtake Italy as the top-scoring side in the group stage
The Netherlands concluded their group stage campaign with a solid 3-0 win over North Macedonia in front of their home fans. Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum were the two goalscorers tonight as they took their tally for the campaign to eight goals, more than any other team so far.
The Netherlands struggled a bit in their opening fixture but managed to find the back of the net three times against Ukraine. Their 2-0 win over Austria was an easy affair and in this game, after a few close calls in the early stages, they managed to display their full strength.
It was just the third time that the Netherlands had secured a clean sweep in the group stages after the 2000 and 2008 campaigns.
#2 Goran Pandev's magnificent career with North Macedonia comes to an end
Goran Pandev, North Macedonia's legendary captain, retired from international football after 20 years of service to the national team. Though the player was unable to help his side to a win here, he will go down as the greatest player in their history.
He made his debut for North Macedonia in 2001 but Euro 2020 was the first major tournament at which he was able to represent the Lynxes. The former Inter Milan player hung up his boots after 123 games for his country with 38 goals.
The Netherlands also marked his final appearance with a class gesture and presented him with a special jersey, commemorating his career.
#1 Netherlands make history with 100% record in the group stage
The Netherlands finished their Group C campaign with a perfect record and also finished as the top scorers among the 24 teams participating in the competition.
Like Italy, they were also not considered strong favorites to lift the title but have impressed with their strong performances in the tournament so far. With a 100% record in the competition, they became the first side to have won all the group stage fixtures in three different editions.
The Netherlands have been dependent on players like Memphis Depay and Wijnaldum in games so far. They have a very talented squad at the moment and could be the team to watch in the knockout stages of the competition.
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