Sport

Netherlands draws 2-2 against Greece after poor first half

The Dutch national team drew 2-2 against Greece in Thessaloniki on Thursday after a disappointing first half. Coach Xavi Hernández took responsibility for the weak start.

2 October 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

AI-generatedWritten by an AI system, editorially responsible — how we work

Archive photo: Netherlands draws 2-2 against Greece after poor first half — Archive photoPhoto: elisfkc3 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

During the Nations League match in Thessaloniki, the Dutch national team narrowly escaped their first defeat under coach Xavi Hernández on Thursday. After a poor first half, the Netherlands found themselves 2-0 down, but the team managed to come back in the second half and equalized at 2-2.

Coach Xavi Hernández blamed himself for the weak first half and acknowledged that he should have better prepared the team. At halftime, he decided to make three substitutions, which resulted in improved build-up play and the chance to secure the draw.

According to Virgil van Dijk, the first half was 'unacceptable' and he could not explain the disappointing performance of the team. This has raised concerns about starting lineups in previous internationals, as the Netherlands has often struggled to find their rhythm at the beginning of matches.

Statistics show that since 2023, the Netherlands frequently goes into halftime trailing. This was also the case in recent matches against Greece and Germany, where the Netherlands did not start at full strength.

The Dutch approach, characterized by a first half filled with vulnerabilities, stands in contrast to the positive turnaround seen in the second half. Several players indicated that they needed to raise their level in the second half, which ultimately led to the equalizer.

The draw presents an additional challenge for the Netherlands to examine the quality of their play, amidst upcoming international commitments.

This item was written by an AI system on the basis of the headlines and short teasers of the independently operating newsrooms named below. We disclose this under Art. 50(4), second subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act). Before publication we check origin and verifiability — anything that appears in only one place is not published — as well as language, substance and legally sensitive content. No separate substantive review of each individual item by a natural person takes place; we therefore do not rely on the exemption in Art. 50(4), second subparagraph, of the AI Act. Editorial responsibility for this publication rests with the person named in the imprint (§ 18 Abs. 2 MStV). Please report errors to [email protected] — we will correct or remove the item. Full reports are available from the sources listed.