Hungary’s loss confirms Netherlands as League A winner

Second-half goals from Wout Weghorst and Memphis Depay earn the Oranje victory in Budapest to see them into League A finals

Hungary’s hopes of reaching the UEFA Nations League finals came to an end as the Netherlands secured a 2-1 victory in Budapest.

Match recap

In a match that was evenly poised throughout, the Netherlands took the lead just before the hour mark when Wout Weghorst headed in from close range. Memphis Depay doubled the Oranje’s advantage with a superb individual effort just minutes later.

Hungary pulled a goal back through Andras Schafer in the 77th minute, but it was not enough to prevent the visitors from claiming all three points.

Netherlands top Group A4

The victory means that the Netherlands finish top of Group A4, while Hungary finish third. The Oranje will now progress to the League A finals, which will be held in June 2023.

Hungary, meanwhile, will remain in League B for the next edition of the Nations League.

Post-match reaction

“We are very happy with this victory,” said Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal. “We knew that it would be a difficult match, but we showed great character and determination to come away with all three points.”

“We are now looking forward to the finals in June,” added Van Gaal. “We know that it will be a tough competition, but we are confident that we can do well.”

Hungary disappointed but proud

“We are disappointed with the result, but we can be proud of our performance,” said Hungary coach Marco Rossi. “We played well against a very good team, and we showed that we can compete at this level.”

“We will now focus on our next match, which is a friendly against Greece on Tuesday,” added Rossi. “We want to finish the year on a high note.”