The Netherlands secured their first victory under new head coach Xavi Hernández with a 2-1 win over Serbia in Belgrade on Sunday, as Mexx Meerdink scored twice to give the Dutch a valuable three points in UEFA Nations League Group A2.
Meerdink opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 30th minute before Serbia’s Luka Jović levelled shortly after half-time. The young Dutch forward then struck again in the 69th minute to settle an entertaining contest at the Rajko Mitić Stadium.
The victory lifted the Netherlands to four points from their opening two matches, while Serbia remain without a point after successive defeats.
Meerdink makes his mark
The Netherlands arrived in Belgrade looking for their first win of the Xavi era after opening the Nations League with a 1-1 draw against Germany.
Xavi made changes to his side, but the Netherlands maintained a strong attacking threat, with Crysencio Summerville causing problems for the Serbian defence.
The breakthrough came in the 30th minute.
Summerville was brought down inside the penalty area, giving the Netherlands a chance from the spot. Meerdink stepped up and calmly converted, putting the visitors 1-0 ahead.
For Meerdink, the goal was another important step in an impressive early international career. The AZ striker was making only his second appearance for the Netherlands, yet he would ultimately become the decisive figure in the match.
Jović brings Serbia level
Serbia responded almost immediately after the restart.
Jović equalised in the 46th minute, capitalising on a series of rebounds inside the Dutch penalty area to make it 1-1. The goal gave the home side renewed energy and briefly shifted the momentum towards Serbia.
The equaliser was exactly what Serbia needed after losing their opening Group A2 fixture 2-1 to Greece.
With the match level, the hosts pushed forward in search of a second goal, while the Netherlands attempted to regain control.
Meerdink strikes again
The decisive moment arrived in the 69th minute.
Meerdink found the net for the second time, restoring the Netherlands’ lead and completing his first international brace. His two goals ultimately proved enough to secure Xavi’s first victory as Netherlands manager.
Serbia continued to search for another equaliser, but the Netherlands held on to claim a 2-1 victory.
The result was particularly important for Xavi, who had begun his tenure with the 1-1 draw against Germany three days earlier. The former Barcelona midfielder therefore now has four points from his first two competitive matches as Netherlands coach.
Gakpo injury adds concern for Dutch
The Netherlands’ victory came with an injury concern, however.
Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo was forced off in the 17th minute and was replaced by Ruben van Bommel. Gakpo had been involved in the Netherlands’ opening Nations League match against Germany but was unable to continue after the early incident in Belgrade.
The extent of the injury was not immediately clear after the match, leaving the Netherlands with a fitness question ahead of their next fixture against Greece.
That could be significant because Greece have made an excellent start to the campaign and currently lead Group A2.
Netherlands move second
After two rounds of matches, Greece sit top of Group A2 with six points from two victories.
The Netherlands are second on four points, Germany have one point, while Serbia remain bottom without a point.
The Netherlands’ next challenge will be particularly demanding: they travel to Greece, who followed their opening victory over Serbia by defeating Germany 1-0 in Augsburg.
Serbia, meanwhile, face Germany in Munich as they attempt to get their Nations League campaign back on track. UEFA’s schedule lists the fixture for October 1.
A significant result for Xavi
The 2-1 victory represents an encouraging early result for Xavi as he begins his tenure with the Dutch national team.
The Netherlands did not have everything their own way in Belgrade. Serbia recovered from a first-half deficit, levelled within a minute of the second-half restart and threatened to turn the game around.
But Meerdink’s second goal proved decisive.
For Serbia, the defeat leaves them facing an uphill battle in Group A2 after two consecutive losses. For the Netherlands, four points from two games provides a platform from which Xavi can continue building his team.
Most importantly, the night belonged to Meerdink. The 23-year-old AZ striker scored twice on only his second appearance for his country, transforming what had been a closely contested match into Xavi’s first victory as Netherlands coach.
