Spain escapes defeat to Netherlands in the 90+3 minute

Nico Williams shined with 1 goal and 1 assist.

At De Kuip Stadium, Spain did not hesitate to push up their attack after the opening whistle and only needed 9 minutes to score the opening goal. Starting from Hato's clumsy handling, Lamine Yamal took the ball and passed it to Pedri. The midfielder currently playing for Barcelona created for Nico Williams to rush in and finish close to the goal, defeating goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.

After conceding the goal, the Netherlands fought back strongly. The home team's attacking efforts were rewarded with an equalizer after a moment of brilliance from Cody Gakpo. In the 28th minute, the Liverpool striker received the ball from Justin Kluivert, before unleashing a powerful shot into the near corner, bringing the match back to the starting line.

Right at the beginning of the second half, the Netherlands continued to attack on the right wing and took the lead for the first time in the 46th minute. After a cross from Jeremie Frimpong, Tijjani Reijnders made a tricky connection, giving Unai Simon no chance to block.

When they had the advantage, the Netherlands proactively retreated to preserve their advantage. However, coach Ronald Koeman's plan fell apart after Hato's red card in the 82nd minute. Spain took advantage of their man advantage to put pressure and equalize in the 90+3rd minute of stoppage time. After Nico's shot was blocked, Mikel Merino was there at the right time to score the rebound against the home team.

The second leg between Spain and the Netherlands takes place at 2:45 a.m. on March 24 at Mestalla Stadium.