Memphis scores late as Netherlands thrash Malta in European qualifiers | OneFootball

Netherlands defeated Malta this Thursday, 4-0, at the National Stadium of Ta’ Qali in Malta, during the seventh round of Group G of the European Qualifiers for the World Cup. Forward Memphis Depay from Corinthians came on in the second half and scored the fourth goal of the match. Gakpo (2) and Reijnders scored the other goals for the Dutch team.

Competition Standings

With this result, the Netherlands reached 13 points in five games and remains at the top of Group G. Poland holds the second position with 10 points, the same as Finland, which is in third place. Malta, on the other hand, is at the bottom of the group with two points, one less than Lithuania, which is in fourth place.

Match Summary

Competition: European Qualifiers for the World Cup (7th round of Group G)  Venue: National Stadium of Ta’ Qali, in Malta  Date: October 9, 2025 (Thursday)  Time: 3:45 PM (Brasília time)

Goals

How the Game Unfolded

The Netherlands scored their first goal at 12 minutes into the first half. After Gakpo was brought down in the area, the referee awarded a penalty to the visitors. The forward himself took the shot, hitting low into the corner to open the scoring.

The referee awarded another penalty to the Dutch team at 38 minutes, after the ball hit defender Shaw's arm. However, after review, the referee reversed the decision.

Another penalty was awarded to the Netherlands at the start of the second half, at two minutes. Weghorst was pulled by Enrico Pepe, and the referee made the call. Gakpo outmaneuvered the goalkeeper, scored his second goal, and extended the Dutch lead.

Ronald Koeman's team scored the third goal at 12 minutes. After pressure on Malta's exit, Gakpo capitalized on a goalkeeper's error in the area and passed to Reijnders, who controlled and finished into the net.

Forward Memphis Depay, from Corinthians, entered the field at 22 minutes. Six minutes later, the number 10 received a yellow card for disrupting Malta's free-kick. The player almost scored at 41 minutes, shooting from the edge of the area but missing.

After persistent efforts, Memphis managed to score in the last play, at 48 minutes. Following a good play on the right, Dumfries crossed to the Corinthians forward, who headed in to finalize the score.

Netherlands' Next Match

Malta's Next Match

See Other Results from the European Qualifiers This Thursday

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.