The Netherlands routed Greece 7-0 in a statement Nations League victory to stay unbeaten under new coach Xavi, while Jürgen Klopp’s Germany cruised to a 3-1 win over Serbia on Friday.
That now sets up a decider between the two big-name coaches for first place in their group.
Tijjani Reijnders scored a hat trick and Jurrien Timber had two goals in a rampant win for the Netherlands, which was 5-0 up by halftime and equaled the biggest win in the eight-year history of the Nations League.
“The first half was amazing, so I have to congratulate the players. But it’s just one game,” Xavi said. “We need to continue like this, but this is the way. The players are training so hard. I’m very proud of them.”
Beaming and holding up three fingers, Reijnders celebrated a hat trick which came off a series of slick team moves to tear apart the Greek defense in Amsterdam.
Crysencio Summerville got the Netherlands started with a sixth-minute opener before Reijnders scored three in the space of 21 minutes, Timber added two more and Donyell Malen a seventh.
The Netherlands joins England, Germany and Finland as the fourth team to win a Nations League game by seven goals. England’s 7-0 win over Croatia came just last month.
Germany is three points behind Group A2 leader the Netherlands before they play on Monday in Berlin.
The top two in the group advance to the quarterfinals, with head-to-head record as the tiebreaker. The Netherlands, Germany and Greece are all able to qualify. Serbia is last after losing all of its five games.
Rain and near-empty stadium in Serbia
Goals from Florian Wirtz and debutant Brajan Gruda lifted Germany to its second win in five games with Klopp as coach after a slow start to his tenure. “We probably should have scored more, but there is no reason to be critical tonight,” Klopp said.
In driving rain, Germany was ahead after just three minutes when Serbia defender Srdjan Babic turned Germany forward Kai Havertz’s header into his own goal.
It was 2-0 soon after when Wirtz flicked a rebound over goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, who had parried a shot from Havertz.
Klopp’s experimental squad, with Freiburg winger Derry Scherhant but no place for Barcelona’s Karim Adeyemi, added a third when Leipzig’s Gruda dribbled through the center of the Serbian defense to score Germany’s third.
Babic canceled out his earlier own goal by scoring for Serbia on a rebound, but chances of a comeback were ended when Vanja Dragojevic was sent off for a reckless tackle on Joshua Kimmich’s ankle. Serbia finished with nine players after a late red for Andrija Zivkovic after arguing with the referee.
The 50,000-capacity Rajko Mitic stadium was almost empty because Serbia was supported by only 5,000 accompanied children and teenagers. That’s because UEFA was punishing the Serbian soccer federation for fans’ offensive behavior in the previous rounds.
Swiss promotion bid on track
Switzerland is playing in the second tier of the Nations League for the first time, but its bid to rejoin Europe’s elite stayed on course in a 0-0 draw with Slovenia, its closest rival in Group B1. Scotland won against North Macedonia 2-1.
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By JAMES ELLINGWORTH
AP Sports Writer
