Wout Weghorst emerged from the bench to fire Holland to a late 2-1 victory over Poland at Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion.
The former Manchester United flop ensured his nation’s disjointed performance will be quickly forgotten as Ronald Koeman’s side kicked off Euro 2024 with a vital win.
Anything less than three points would have been considered a disappointment against a Poland side playing without their injured talisman, Robert Lewandowski. And Holland had to do it the hard way after falling behind to Adam Buksa’s early header.
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With Weghorst’s neat finish added to Cody Gakpo’s deflected first-half equaliser, Koeman’s side now have breathing room heading into their two remaining Group D matches against France and Austria.
It was a jubilant way to end the match for the crowds of football-mad supporters who painted the town orange before kick-off.
Koeman’s men matched their fans’ pre-match commotion by putting together a string of early opportunities.
Gakpo was the first to go close, firing a shot towards the near post inside two minutes, before Tijjani Reijnders spotted a gap and swept his attempt just wide.
Buoyed by a bouncing sea of orange, Holland’s confidence was evidenced by Memphis Depay’s eye-catching flicks and tricks.
But the sweatbanded attacker and his team-mates were soon humbled.
And for all the concern about Lewandowski’s absence, it was his replacement who put the Poles in front.
Attacking an inswinging corner from the left, Buksa executed the perfect glancing header which flew past Bart Verbruggen and cued bedlam behind the goal.
Thankfully for Holland, they had the necessary talent to claw their way back into the tie.
Virgil van Dijk’s volley forced a smart save from Wojciech Szczesny, and Depay lashed over from close range as the favourites looked for an immediate response.
With Koeman waiting patiently for one of his players to convert a chance, Liverpool star Gakpo finally answered the call.
A healthy slice of luck was nothing less than his positive performance deserved as he powered towards the box, pulled the trigger from just outside and opened Holland’s Euro 2024 account, partly thanks to a big deflection off Bartosz Salamon.
Gakpo could have had a second shortly before the interval, but his clumsy poked effort looped over the bar after Nathan Ake’s brilliant overlapping run.
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Holland were struggling to take full control of the game without midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Teun Koopmeiners, who have been ruled out of the Euros through injury.
Jakub Kiwior nearly punished them when he found space inside the box, but the Arsenal defender’s effort was easily saved.
The noise inside the Volksparkstadion went up several notches when Denzel Dumfries flashed a shot wide of the far post just after the hour mark.
And it was enough to burst the eardrums when Weghorst’s near-post finish hit the net.
Barely two minutes after coming on as a substitute, the towering frontman grasped the game’s deciding moment by skilfully turning in Ake’s cross.
The euphoric Dutch camp piled onto the pitch to celebrate before the players successfully saw out the final minutes.
