Netherlands hands Serbia a historic defeat under Xavi Hernandez

The Dutch national team won 2-1 against Serbia in the Nations League, giving head coach Xavi Hernandez his first victory with the Netherlands. The Serbian press described the defeat as historic, because it was the first time Serbia suffered three consecutive home defeats.

Serbian press condemns the defeat

‘Our boys offered good resistance against the opponent, but the “tulips” were better and deservedly took the three points from Belgrade’, wrote Alo!. The newspaper called the result ‘completely unnecessary’ and argued that the local players were completely demoralised. B92 noted that Serbia, after an equaliser from Luka Jovic, could not hold on for long and lost the match.

Telegraf emphasized the negative run, but praised the Eagles for a better impression than Greece. Informer wrote that Serbia could not capitalise on its chances and that the national team collapsed in the 30th minute. The media reactions underscored the historic dimension of the defeat.

Dutch victory and first win for Xavi Hernandez

Mexx Meerdink was the star for the Netherlands; he scored his first two goals, the first of which was a penalty. With that strike he put the 0-1 lead from the first half on the board. After the break Luka Jovic equalised and brought the score to 1-1.

In the second half the Netherlands again found the way to the net and secured the three points from Belgrade, according to B92. The team had more possession from the start and dictated the tempo, while Serbia relied mainly on quick transitions.

The match confirmed a historic pattern: Serbia suffered for the first time in its history a third consecutive defeat in its own stadium. The Eagles built their attacks patiently, while the Serbian side could not hold on for long, according to B92.