Netherlands 4-0 Scotland: Steve Clarke’s side suffer Dutch thrashing after a late collapse in Amsterdam

A match against the Netherlands in the Johan Cruijff ArenA should have been the ideal preparation for the opening match of the 2024 European Championship against Germany. If this is the fate that awaits Scotland in Munich on June 14, it could be a long old age.

The last time the Scots made such a run in their last six games was a barren spell between October 2007 and September 2008.

The result did not tell the full story of an evening in which Steve Clarke’s side created – and missed – chance after chance for 70 minutes.

The roof of the 53,000-seat arena closed and collapsed completely in the final 18 minutes as a much-changed team scored three goals. The six-match winless streak produced 18 goals but failed to score nearly as many as they should. That must change against Northern Ireland on Tuesday

They have been winless on Dutch soil since 1959 and have failed to win on their last eight visits. Poor defending was only half of the sobering defeat for the Scots.

Scotland conceded three goals in the last 18 minutes and suffered a heavy friendly defeat

Steve Clarke’s side are now winless in their last six games as Euro 2024 fast approaches

Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland had a chance to impress from the start and had a glorious chance to equalize on 62 minutes. The Dutch team put their big chance against the crossbar and took ruthless advantage towards the end of the match, when they could have scored five or six. The final score was a harsh, painful reminder of the level Clarke’s team must reach in Germany.

When the home team scored with the first shot on target after forty minutes, it felt undeserved.

An undeniably stunning strike from AC Milan midfielder Tilkan Reijnders will also reopen the debate over Steve Clarke’s best goal option when the Scots face Germany in the opening match of Euro 2024.

As the ball ended up in the roof of the net, the Norwich keeper struggled to get across his goal in time. To give the Norwich goalkeeper his comeuppance, he produced a brilliant stop from Memphis Depay early in the second half that he had no right to. He eventually staked his claim.

The loss of a goal was an embarrassment for the Scottish side, who spent most of the first half silencing the World Cup quarter-finalists in front of 51,000 spectators under the closed roof of the Johan Cruyff ArenA.

After 17 minutes they came within inches of the lead. It took some excellent ball movement from Dutch goalkeeper Mark Fleken to push Ryan Christie’s flying header onto the crossbar after the Bournemouth striker met a tempting cross from Brighton’s Billy Gilmour. The ball bounced towards Shankland and you half expected the striker to justify his selection with a poacher’s strike. The ball slipped away from him and the first real chance of the match was wasted.

Given how soft McTominay’s caution seemed, Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo was lucky to escape a yellow card for a blatant dive in an attempt to win a penalty after the half-hour. At times happy with the card, the Belgian referee Erik Lambrechts refused to accept it, and rightly so.

With the next move of the match, McTominay sent Christie free to the left. John McGinn met the ball at the near post but shot over the bar. Again encouraging from Scotland.

There was no indication, no sign that a Dutch goal was coming. Gunn was yet to make a save as the Scottish press let them down for the first time in the half.

The ball fell to Reijnders 25 meters from the goal and he had time and space to reach the goal. While no one could deny the quality of the attack, it was difficult to change the feeling that Angus Gunn should have done slightly better. Harsh perhaps. But the ball was at a good height for a save.

Give the Norwich keeper that much. He brilliantly prevented things from getting much worse five minutes after the restart. The last time these countries met before the 2020 European Championship, Memphis Depay scored both goals in a 2-2 draw in Faro.

The Atletico Madrid striker looked like he’d done it again as he handed Jack Hendry the slip in the area and smashed a low strike towards the bottom corner of the net. Gunn threw himself low to the left and made a brilliant save, and – when necessary – made up for a very decent Dutch goal.

For a friendly match we had a very decent match ahead of us. The lack of Depay quality as a striker in Scotland has at times cost them.

John McGinn’s rasping left-foot strike almost caught Flokken by surprise at his near post. As the Brentford keeper pushed the ball out, the Aston Villa skipper hung up a cross for an unmarked Ryan Christie to direct his downward header wide of the post. He should have scored.

The best and most painful chance of all came after 62 minutes. When given the chance to book his seat on the flight to Germany, Shankland was on target when Scott McTominay picked the pocket of Mats Wiefer on the edge of Dutch territory.

Given his form this season, there was no player better equipped to take Scotland level. Incredibly, the Hearts skipper blasted his effort against the crossbar and yet another golden opportunity was wasted.

A few minutes later Shankland was replaced by Che Adams. Lewis Ferguson was sent on for the excellent Billy Gilmour while John Souttar took Tierney’s place.

Souttar’s introduction to battle was an inglorious affair. Minutes after the Rangers defender’s introduction, the Netherlands took advantage of a lapse in concentration, with an unmarked Georginio Wijnaldum heading Gakpo’s cross into the corner of the net, while Souttar struggled to control his man a little too late.

The evening ended when McTominay, a reliable source of goals, headed a similar chance wide at the other end. It was a night when the Scots would have struggled to hit the back of a cow with a banjo.

Substitute Wout Weghorst headed the third cheaply from a corner after 85 minutes, with the changes affecting Scotland’s vim and strength.

Donyell Malen cut through the visitors like a knife through butter and ran towards a through ball from Reijnders to score the fourth goal within a few minutes.

The result was a poor reflection on the match overall; the most obvious difference between these two teams was hard to miss. While one had opportunities in front of goal, the other failed to take advantage of them. Euro 2024 could be an uphill battle if this trend continues.