Scotland Crumbles in Late Dutch Demolition at Euro 2024 Prep

In what was supposed to be an ideal preparation for their opening Euro 2024 match against Germany, Scotland suffered a demoralizing 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Amsterdam. The scoreline fails to tell the full story of a night where Steve Clarke’s side missed chance after chance before conceding three goals in the final 18 minutes.

For 70 minutes, Scotland silenced the World Cup quarter-finalists in front of a 51,000-strong crowd at the Johan Cruyff ArenA. They came agonizingly close to taking the lead in the 17th minute when Ryan Christie’s flying header was brilliantly tipped onto the crossbar by Dutch keeper Mark Flekken.

The Dutch took the lead against the run of play in the 40th minute through a stunning long-range strike from AC Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders. While a quality strike, question marks remained over Angus Gunn’s positioning in the Scotland goal.

Scotland continued to create chances in the second half, with John McGinn and Christie going close. However, the best opportunity fell to Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland in the 62nd minute. Played through by Scott McTominay, Shankland inexplicably hit the crossbar with the goal at his mercy.

The Dutch took ruthless advantage of Scotland’s profligacy, with Georginio Wijnaldum heading them into a 2-0 lead in the 73rd minute. Substitute Wout Weghorst added a third from a corner before Donyell Malen rounded off the scoring late on.

The result extended Scotland’s winless run to six games, during which they have shipped 18 goals while failing to convert numerous chances. As they prepare to face Northern Ireland on Tuesday, Clarke’s side must rediscover their cutting edge in front of goal.

While the scoreline was undoubtedly harsh, the lack of a clinical striker was evident for the Scots. In contrast, the Dutch were ruthless in taking their chances when they came.

As Scotland look ahead to their Euro 2024 opener against Germany on June 14th, this defeat serves as a sobering reminder of the levels they must reach to compete against Europe’s elite. If they are to enjoy a successful tournament, they simply cannot afford to squander opportunities as they did in Amsterdam.