Memphis Depay scored a stellar hat-trick as Netherlands cruised to a 6-1 win over Turkey to go top of Group G on Tuesday.
Barcelona forward Memphis Depay was the standout performer as the Netherlands thrashed 10-man Turkey to go top of Group G. The win gives Louis van Gaal’s side a major boost in their efforts to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Davy Klaassen put the Dutch ahead in the very first minute before a Memphis Depay double put Louis Van Gaal’s side 3-0 up on the night. Any faint hopes Turkey may have had evaporated when Caglar Soyuncu was ejected before halftime.
The Leicester City star’s ejection opened the doors to the Turkish backline, allowing the Netherlands to inflict further misery on their guests. Depay completed his hat-trick in the second half before substitutes Guus Til and Donyell Malen rounded off the scoring for the home side.
It was Louis van Gaal’s best result since taking over as the national team boss and hands his side the initiative going into the final run of the World Cup qualifiers. Whether they can now drive home their advantage remains to be seen,
Memphis Depay has scored his first career hat-trick for the Netherlands.
Tearing apart 10-man Turkey.? pic.twitter.com/M3O7V39o9F
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 7, 2021
We take a look at how the Dutch players fared on the night.
Justin Bijlow: 7/10
The Duch shot-stopper did not have much to do all night and had a decent outing. He did well to deny Cengiz Under in the 54th minute after the Turkish winger found himself in a good position. Could do little about his consolation in stoppage time.
Denzel Dumfries: 8/10
Another solid outing for the Inter Milan star who appears to be going from strength to strength. Was a constant menace down the flank and caused Turkey numerous problems.
Stefan de Vrij: 8/10
Solid at the back and showed why he was picked ahead of the prodigious Mathijs de Ligt. Former a formidable partnership alongside Virgil van Dijk giving Turkey barely a sniff at goal.
Virgil van Dijk: 9/10
A solid defensive display by arguably the best defender on the planet. Admittedly had little to do on the night but shackled Buruk Yilmaz when needed. Clear to see why he is a pivotal player for the Dutch side.
Proud captain today, great performance all round. What a great atmosphere too! Now time to head back to Liverpool and prepare for a tough couple of weeks ahead ? pic.twitter.com/mCy3paPdul
— Virgil van Dijk (@VirgilvDijk) September 7, 2021
Daley Blind: 7/10
Perhaps the least impressive of the Dutch backline, Blind did his job well and even made an exquisite through ball for Memphis Depay. His lack of pace was visible was however apparent.
Georginio Wijnaldum: 6/10
Not the Paris Saint-Germain star’s finest performance. Got himself into the referee’s book for a poor challenge on Hakan Calhanoglu that now suspends him for the game against Latvia. Taken off in the second half.
Frenkie De Jong: 7/10
Passed well but lacked his creative spark. Dominated the ball and was taken off at the break.
Davy Klaassen: 9/10
A fine performance by the midfielder who scored in the very first minute on the night. The Ajax Amsterdam star assisted Depay before winning the penalty for Netherlands’s third. A scintillating performance.
Davy Klaassen has scored twice in his last three games for the Netherlands:
⚽ vs Norway
❌ vs Montenegro
⚽ vs Turkey.He scored just once in his previous eight appearances before last Wednesday. ? pic.twitter.com/rPNv1wbHeR
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 7, 2021
Steven Berghuis: 8/10
An excellent performance by the Dutch winger who had flattered to impress in recent games. Played a key role in his side’s opener and was a constant threat going forward.
Memphis Depay: 10/10
A truly scintillating performance by the Barcelona man. Depay’s hat-trick was the first of his international career and set the Netherlands up for a crushing win. The standout layer on the night with three goals and an assist.
Steven Bergwijn: 6/10
The Tottenham Hotspur star started in the place of the injured Gakpo. While his pace did cause Turkey issues, it was not enough to make a telling difference. The leats impressive of the Dutch front three.
SUBSTITUTES
Donyell Malen: 8/10
An excellent performance off the bench for the Borussia Dortmund man. Wrapped up the scoreline on the night with a well-taken finish.
Guus Til: 8/10
Another excellent cameo off the bench. He di not just find the back of the net but also created three excellent chances for his team to score.
Ryan Gravenberch: N/A
Not enough time for the youngster to make an impact.
Devyne Rensch: N/A
Made his senior debut for the Oranje but had little time to do much.
Teun Koopmeiners: 7/10
An excellent performance by Koopmeiners who also grabbed himself an assist for Til’s late goal. Was dominant in midfield and even made a number of key passes and interceptions.
