The Netherlands secured top spot in Group F with a 3-0 victory over Tunisia on Saturday, setting up a last-32 showdown with Morocco. The win was sealed by a record-equalling 12th own goal of the tournament, scored by Ellyes Skhiri, and further strikes from Brian Brobbey and Jan Paul van Hecke.
Match summary and key moments
The Netherlands took the lead in the 11th minute when Skhiri deflected a cross from Denzel Dumfries into his own net, matching the tournament record for own goals set in Qatar four years ago. Brobbey doubled the lead shortly after, heading home from a free-kick delivered by Virgil van Dijk. Van Hecke added a third in the second half with a header from a corner.
Tunisia had an early chance to take the lead when Ismaël Gharbi missed a golden opportunity inside the Dutch area, but they failed to capitalise. The Netherlands controlled much of the game, despite a brief spell of pressure from Tunisia after the break.
Manager comments and team news
Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman expressed caution about the upcoming match against Morocco. "At some point we got too comfortable but it won't happen in the next match," he said. "It will be a big game with a lot of quality and we know them very well because many of their squad members play in the Eredivisie."
Koeman defended Frenkie de Jong after the midfielder faced media criticism for his comments following the win over Sweden. De Jong started and played a key role in the midfield. The Netherlands were missing Tottenham's Micky van de Ven and Crysencio Summerville due to yellow card accumulation.
Tunisia coach Hervé Renard, who took over after the team's 5-1 loss to Sweden, admitted his side was not good enough. "We weren't good enough," he said.
Group standings and implications
The win ensured the Netherlands finished top of Group F, ahead of Japan, who drew with Sweden. The Dutch will now face Morocco in the last 32, avoiding a meeting with Brazil. The match is set to take place in Monterrey, Mexico, requiring a journey of over 1,000 miles from the Netherlands' base in Kansas.
Tunisia, meanwhile, head home with a goal difference of minus 10 after heavy defeats to Sweden and Japan.
