Orange Lionesses remain clear due to a big win in Kosovo

The Orange Lionesses have retained their perfect status in the European Championship qualification. The team of national coach Sarina Wiegman qualified clear on Friday for the European final tournament of 2022 in England and match number nine also ended with a big victory. On a visit to Kosovo, the Netherlands won 0-5, partly due to three goals from Katja Snoeijs.

Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema started on the bench on Tuesday evening. Wiegman indicated that the attacker was not fit enough to play the entire match. Miedema was missing against Estonia on Friday due to family circumstances and then rejoined the selection. At the point of the attack, she was replaced by Lineth Beerensteyn from Bayern Munich. Sari van Veenendaal still suffered too much from a hip injury and was replaced under the bar by Lize Kop. The visitors were the parent from the first whistle and we had to wait for the 0-1.

It took eleven minutes before the Orange Lionesses just let it go for the first time this evening. After good preparatory work by Lieke Martens, Danielle van de Donk was able to play. From the edge of the penalty area she shot the opening goal against the ropes. Even after the 0-1 it remained one-way traffic. Kosovo had already escaped the 0-2 a few times when Snoeijs was given a great opportunity by Van de Donk. With her second international goal, she brought the margin to two. Just a few minutes later, Martens signed for the 0-3. It was Stefanie van der Gragt who shot a free kick hard on goal, after which the Kosovar keeper was unable to handle the ball properly. Martens was there from the rebound like the chickens to score.

The Netherlands sat on roses and went into the dressing room with an even better feeling because Snoeijs took care of the 0-4 immediately after half time. On a pass from Lynn Wilms, the attacker of Girondins de Bordeaux was able to score completely detached. In the second company, the Orange got chances for more, but the final score was only set at 0-6 just before time. Substitute Miedema signed with her seventieth international goal for the fifth goal of the evening, Snoeijs made her third of the evening a minute later. Because of the defeat, Kosovo has been eliminated for the European Championship. The last group match in the Netherlands will follow on December 1, at home against Kosovo.