The Netherlands U21s secured a dramatic late entry into the Euro 2027 Under-21 play-offs. Michael Reiziger's side beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-0 on Monday and were handed a lifeline as Norway failed to win their simultaneous match, clinching second place in Group A.
The game at De Vijverberg in Doetinchem was goalless for over an hour. Substitute Aymen Sliti finally broke the deadlock in the 70th minute. Striker Lequincio Zeefuik added a second nine minutes later before fellow substitute Devin Haen netted twice in the final six minutes to seal the comprehensive victory.
Group Drama
Victory alone was not enough. The Dutch needed a favour from the parallel match between Norway and Israel. When former PSV player Tay Abed scored a penalty for Israel, hope seemed to fade. But Norway's Tobias Moi equalised in the 81st minute, a result that confirmed the Netherlands' progression. "With this score, the Dutch U21s can start preparing for the play-offs," was the immediate reaction online.
Reiziger's second-half substitutions proved decisive. Sliti and Haen came off the bench to score three goals between them. The Bosnian goalkeeper Siljevic made nine saves to keep his team in contention for long periods, but could not withstand the late Dutch onslaught. A Bosnian goal was disallowed for offside in the 61st minute.
The play-off draw, featuring the eight best runners-up, will be held this Friday. The Netherlands will face a two-legged tie against another group runner-up. The nation last qualified for the U21 European Championship in 2019. The senior Oranje side remains unbeaten in their last five matches, having beaten Serbia 2-1 last Friday.
The U21 players now return to their clubs to await the play-off draw. The exact dates and opponent for the key November double-header will be confirmed later this week.
Further reading: AD Sport
