Finland 0-2 Netherlands: Depay and Dumfries ensure winning start in World Cup qualifiers
The Netherlands are three points behind Poland at the top of Group G in World Cup qualification with a game in hand, after beating Finland.
The Netherlands got their 2026 World Cup qualification campaign off to a winning start as Memphis Depay and Denzel Dumfries scored in a 2-0 away win over Finland.
Having taken part in the Nations League quarter-finals during the March international break, Ronald Koeman's Oranje entered Saturday's match with little margin for error, knowing their main Group G rivals Poland had already won two games.
But a strong start ensured they moved to within three points of the summit with a game in hand.
Lukas Hradecky – who became the sixth player to win 100 caps for Finland – was given no chance as Depay capitalised on some sloppy Finland play to find the bottom-right corner with a first-time finish after just six minutes.
Hradecky then made a stunning save to keep out a header from recent Liverpool signing Jeremie Frimpong, though he was beaten again in the 23rd minute as Dumfries finished from Cody Gakpo's hanging cross.
The Oranje went in search of more goals after the break as AC Milan's Tijjani Reijnders – who is expected to join Manchester City next week – steered a low effort wide, while Hradecky made another sharp stop to scramble Depay's deflected effort to safety.
Frenkie de Jong also scuffed wide late on as Finland avoided further damage, though the defeat dropped them to four points from their first three games of the campaign.
Data Debrief: Dumfries into double figures, Depay chasing history
The Netherlands were in cruise control from the off in Helsinki, racking up 17 shots to Finland's five, and 2.06 expected goals (xG) to the hosts' 0.2.
Opening scorer Depay is hunting for a place in the record books, with Saturday's goal his 48th in an Oranje shirt.
He is only two away from equalling the Netherlands' all-time record, held by Robin van Persie.
Dumfries, meanwhile, is already out on his own among defenders in the 21st century, having scored his 10th goal for the Netherlands. He was previously level with Virgil van Dijk on nine goals.