September 27, 2026 – Mexx Meerdink scored his first two international goals to secure a hard-fought 2-1 victory for the Netherlands against Serbia in Belgrade on Sunday, delivering Xavi Hernandez his maiden win as head coach in a gritty and demanding encounter.
The decisive breakthrough came midway through the second half, rewarding a period of sustained Dutch dominance. It followed a tense opening 45 minutes in which Meerdink had opened the scoring from the penalty spot. The victory provides a vital three points for the Oranje in their UEFA Nations League campaign, following an encouraging yet probing start to Xavi’s tenure that included a 1-1 draw against Germany in Amsterdam earlier in the week.
Despite the positive outcome, the evening was not without its complications. The Dutch suffered a significant early blow in the 17th minute when talismanic forward Cody Gakpo was forced off the pitch following a heavy and uncompromising challenge from Saša Lukić inside the penalty area. Gakpo, who had been heavily involved in the early attacking phases, was replaced by Ruben van Bommel, prompting an early tactical adjustment from the technical staff.
Reflecting on his first week in charge of competitive international fixtures, Xavi admitted he was satisfied with the final outcome and the application of his squad, while candidly acknowledging that substantial room for improvement remains as the team adapts to his tactical philosophy.
"I feel happy that we got three points, but we need to play better, especially in the first half," Xavi remarked in his post-match assessment. "The second half we dominated more and attacked the spaces more effectively. It’s important to get the three points, but the most important thing is that we are generating lots of chances to score and the players feel comfortable with the structure that we have."
A Stodgy First Half and Early Drama
The contest began with the Netherlands asserting control over possession, though the opening 45 minutes proved largely stodgy and devoid of free-flowing rhythm. While the Oranje dictated the tempo, they struggled to consistently find a clinical cutting edge against a well-organized Serbian defensive block.
Meerdink had his first sniff of goal in the 15th minute, just moments before the pivotal injury incident involving Gakpo, but the young striker was unable to connect cleanly with a dangerous cross delivered into the box. Moments later, a patient, multi-phase build-up involving intricate midfield passing culminated in Ryan Gravenberch working half a yard of space before dragging his low shot wide of the target.
The deadlock was eventually broken when Crysencio Summerville used his explosive pace to dart into the penalty area, drawing a desperate foul from the Serbian defense. Meerdink stepped up with admirable composure to convert the resulting penalty kick, slotting the ball past the goalkeeper to give the visitors the lead.
Armed with a slender advantage, the Dutch defense looked largely comfortable in protecting their clean sheet as the first half drew to a close. They nearly doubled their tally just before the interval when Joey Veerman delivered an inswinging corner directly toward the goal frame. Serbia goalkeeper Vanja Milinković-Savić was forced to use every inch of his towering 2.02-meter frame to fingertip the goal-bound delivery over the crossbar, preserving the single-goal deficit for the hosts.
Serbia Fights Back After the Break
Any hopes the Netherlands had of a comfortable second half were instantly dashed right at the restart. Serbia emerged from the dressing room with renewed attacking intent, immediately pouring bodies forward into the Dutch penalty area.
Oranje goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was called into action instantly, producing two sharp, reflex saves to deny the initial wave of attacks. However, the Dutch defensive line failed to decisively clear their lines amid the scramble. The loose ball fell invitingly to half-time substitute Luka Jović, who reacted quickest to sweep a clinical finish past Verbruggen from close range, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance and leveling the scoreline at 1-1.
The setback temporarily shifted the momentum, but the Netherlands quickly responded by channeling their attacks through the right flank, where Denzel Dumfries began to exert significant influence over the match.
Dumfries’s relentless overlapping runs continually stretched the Serbian defense. First, the right-back picked out Van Bommel with a precise delivery, only for the substitute’s resulting effort to crash agonizingly against the outside of the post. Shortly after, Dumfries conjured an even better cross from the byline, finding Tijjani Reijnders arriving in space, but the midfielder directed his header narrowly over the crossbar.
Meerdink Secures the Points
The decisive moment of the match arrived in the 69th minute. Freshly introduced substitute Guus Til spotted a gap in the Serbian defense and fed a clever pass into the path of Meerdink. The AZ striker demonstrated excellent physical strength to hold off the close attentions of his marker before steering a composed, low shot into the far corner of the net for his second international goal, restoring the Dutch lead at 2-1.
As the clock wound down, Serbia pushed desperately for a second equalizer, with Jović remaining their most potent attacking outlet. The former Real Madrid forward twice flashed headers narrowly wide of the target as the home crowd rallied behind their team.
The Netherlands had opportunities to put the result beyond all doubt during late transitional phases. Van Bommel found himself clean through on a breakaway following a sweeping counter-attack, but his tame final effort lacked the power and placement required to truly test Milinković-Savić in the Serbian goal.
Despite the nervy final exchanges, Xavi’s side successfully managed the remainder of the match to secure the victory. The Netherlands will now turn their attention to their next fixture in the Nations League campaign, where they are scheduled to face Greece—who previously defeated Serbia 2-1 in their opening match—away in Thessaloniki on Thursday evening.
