Ake’s Netherlands start World Cup campaign with win | OneFootball

Nathan Ake’s Netherlands kicked off their World Cup campaign with an impressive 2-0 win away to Finland.

First-half goals from Memphis Depay (6 minutes) and Denzel Dumfries (23) were enough to secure victory at the Helsingin Olympiastadion.

Ake, winning his 54th cap,  was replaced on 62 minutes by Mickey van de Ven.

The Oranje sit third in Group G, three points behind leaders Poland but with a game in hand and having played two games less than the second-placed Finns.

Manuel Akanji, winning his 70th cap for his country, was the only other City player in action on Saturday evening as Switzerland beat one of next summer’s World Cup hosts Mexico 4-2 in Salt Lake City.

Like Ake, Akanji was substituted on 62 minutes in what proved to be an entertaining friendly.

Kyle Walker was an unused sub in England’s 1-0 win away to Andorra.