Jong the Oranje saves itself with a Norway draw and reaches Euro play‑offs

The Netherlands U21 have, thanks to a late draw by Norway U21 against Israel U21, still secured second place in the qualification group and will therefore play the play‑offs for next year’s Under‑21 European Championship in November.

Late goals deliver 4-0 victory

Michael Reizieger’s side was under pressure for a long time against the peers from Bosnia & Herzegovina, but two late strikes eventually made it 4-0. In the first half it remained 0-0, despite chances from Dave Kwakman, Ernest Poku, Lequincio Zeefuik and Thijmen Blokzijl. After the break, substitute Aymen Sliti broke the silence with a shot into the short corner, after which Zeefuik doubled the lead following a cross from Elijah Dijkstra. Devin Haen finished off with two goals, bringing the final score to 4-0.

Norway draw guarantees play‑offs

The crucial news came from Scandinavia: Norway U21 drew with Israel U21 in the 83rd minute, which gave the Netherlands U21 a virtual second place. Without that result, a win over Bosnia & Herzegovina would not have been enough, because an Israel win against Norway could have undermined the Netherlands’ qualification. The draw therefore provided the necessary points and confirmed the place in the play‑offs.

The victory came after a difficult start to the qualification campaign, in which the Dutch talents first struggled to beat Slovenia U21. The second place in the group entitles the team to take part in the play‑offs, where the squad must play two matches in November to secure a ticket for the European Championship.

On Friday 9 October, Reiziger’s team will discover which country they must defeat in the play‑offs, after the opponent is revealed following two matches.

After securing the play‑offs, captain Givairo Read emphasized the confidence within the squad: “We know what we can do,” said the young striker.