Cody Gakpo and Frenkie de Jong scored the goals that ensured Louis van Gaal’s side topped Group A and sent the host nation packing in ignominy
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! It’s all over at Al Bayt Stadium, where the Netherlands have won with the bare minimum of fuss. They advance to the last 16 of the tournament while Qatar become the first host nation in World Cup history to go out of their own tournament without winning a single point.
Group A: The Netherlands secured top spot in the group with a victory over a clearly out-of-their-depth host nation that could scarcely have been more straightforward. Jamie Jackson reports from Al Bayt Stadium.
Group A: The Netherlands go through as winners, with Senegal joining them in second place. There was heartbreak for Ecuador, who failed to get the point they needed to advance and finish third. Qatar whip them in in fourth place, without a point to their name.
Elsewhere in Group A: The sight of a couple of Ecuador players slumped face-down on the turf sobbing uncontrollably tells you all you need to know. Senegal have held on to beat the South American side 2-1 and advance to the Round of 16, where they will face England if Gareth Southgate’s side finish top of Group B tonight.
A quick recap: Cody Gakpo scored for the third group game in a row shortly before the half-hour mark, while Frenkie De Jong doubled the Dutch lead not long after half-time. The Netherlands got the ball in the net again after substitutes Steven Berghuis and Vincent Janssen combined but the former’s tap-in was ruled out after a VAR consultation for a Gakpo handball in the build-up.
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! It’s all over at Al Bayt Stadium, where the Netherlands have won with the bare minimum of fuss. They advance to the last 16 of the tournament while Qatar become the first host nation in World Cup history to go out of their own tournament without winning a single point.
90+4 min: Nopperts is quick off his line and out the left side of his six-yard box to prevent Ahmed Alaaeldin getting to a weighted pass in behind the Dutch defence.
90+3 min: Denzel Dumfries stands the ball up in the Qatar penalty area with a dart to the byline. He’s trying to pick out Wout Weghorst but Barsham is quick off his line to claim the ball.
90+2 min: Steven Berghuis curls a shot from distance past Qatar goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham and onto the cross-bar.
90 min: All eyes turn in the direction of the fourth official, who undoubtedly incurs the wrath of both sets of players and everyone watching this non-event by announcing six minutes of added time.
86 min: Netherlands substitution: Kenneth Taylor on for Frenkie De Jong. That’s five substitutions for each side and not for the first time in this tournament on ITV co-comms, Ally McCoist bemoans the fact that all these breaks in play and changes in personnel do little or nothing for the good of the game. I could not agree more.
85 min: Qatar double-substitution: Ahmed Alleldin and Musab Al Khader on for Hatem and Mohamed.
84 min: Netherlands double-substituion: Wout Weghorst and Teun Koopmeiners on for Cody Gakpo and Marten De Roon.
82 min: Daley Blind is lucky not to concede a free-kick on the edge of his penalty area for a foul on Hatem. The ball runs on into the box, where Muntari is penalised for a foul on Virgil van Dijk while stretching to try and control it.
80 min: Netherlands goalkeeper Andries Noppert is forced to save at his near post, blocking a cross from the left before the lurking Muntari can pounce.
79 min: The Netherlands remain in complete control against a side that has all but thrown in the towel.
77 min: A crowd of just under 67,000 is announced for this match between the Netherlands and Qatar. Hmmmmm …
75 min: In the game you probably should be following and the one I wish I was watching, Senegal have retaken the lead against Ecuador. Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly gets his name on the scoresheet.
74 min: Denzel Dumfries has a shot from distance defelcted off Abdelkarim Hassan. Qatar goalkeeper Andries Noppert dives just to make sure the ball doesn’t creep in at the his near post.
73 min: Eslewhere in Group A, Moises Caicedo has equalised for Ecuador against Senegal, a goal which moves Ecuador back into second place behind the Netherlands.
69 min: Berghuis and Janssen replaced Davy Klaassen and Memphis Depay, just in case you were wondering.
67 min: Just on for the Netherlands, Steven Berghuis and Vincent Janssen get in behind the Qatar defence and practically walk the ball into the net, with Berghuis stroking home from about one yard out after having the ball sqaured his way by Janssen. Their efforts are in vain as Cody Gakpo handled the ball in the build-up. Referee Bakary Gassama disallows the goal after consulting his pitchside monitor.
64 min: Qatari triple-substitution: Ali Assadalla, Karim Boudiaf and Mohammed Muntari on for Al Haydos, Madibo and Hatem.
62 min: Klaassen loses the ball in midfield and Qatar advance down the left flank. The cross comes in but it’s too close to Netherlands goalkeeper Andries Noppart, who grabs it to his chest.
60 min: Pedro Correia crosses into a Dutch penalty area that is uncharacteristically well populated by Qataris. Sadly, he overhits his delivery and sends the ball sailing out towards the left flank.
56 min: Abdelkarim Hassan crosses from the byline but once again there is a depressingly conspicuous absence of Qataris in the Dutch penalty area. It’s maddening.
54 min: Afif is played in behind the Dutch defence to the byline. Upon controlling the ball, he takes a look up and realises that none of his teammates are in the box. Instead of crossing just for the sake of it, he plays the ball backwards and another promising Qatari move breaks down.
53 min: Nathan Ake has just been booked for something or other. Apologies, I didn’t see why.
49 min: Davy Klaassen sent in a cross from the left, which Boualem Khoukhi tried to head clear. The Qatar defender succeeded only in flicking the ball to Depay at the far post and his shot from a few yards out was brilliantly blocked by Barsham. With three Qatari defenders around him in the penalty area, De Jong was the quickest – arguably only – player to react and had the simplest of tasks in prodding the ball home.
49 min: Frenkie De Jong scores from close range on the follow-up after Qatar goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham had saved brilliantly from Memphis Depay.
47 min: Depay and Gakpo try to link up just outside the Qatar penalty area but contrive to give the ball away. Qatar get forward and Ismail Mohamed drills in a low cross from the right. Nathan Ake intercepts and clears.
46 min: Qatar get the second half started and immediately win a free-kick when Afif is grappled to the ground by Denzel Dumfries out by the touchline. Afif sends the ball into the Dutch penalty area, where Nathan Ake heads it out for a throw-in.
Peep! Bakary Gassama signals the end of the first half and the players adjourn to the dressing-rooms. The Netherlands lead courtesy of Cody Gakpo’s third goal in as many group games and currently look set fair to top Group A at stumps.
45+2 min: The Dutch are playing the closing moments of this first half at near walking pace. Memphis Depay pulls a volley wide from distance after pouncing on a flick from Klaassen. We get a close up of the Netherlands striker on his first start in this tournament after a spell out with a serious hamstring injury and he looks like e is blowing out of his nether regions.
45+1 min: Akrim Afif is sent haring down the left wing but is unable to keep the ball from deep in play.
45 min: We’ll have three minutes of added time.
44 min: The Netherlands continue to dominate and are in almost total control of this game. Elsewhere in Group A, Senegal have just gone a goal up against Ecuador and would finish second behind the Dutch as things stand.
40 min: Hassan gallops down the left flank again, cuts inside and tries to play Almoez Abdulla in behind. He misplaces his pass and a promising attack breaks down.
39 min: Assim Madibo is penalised for a foul on Memphis Depay and gets a ticking-off from referee Bakary Gassama. The free-kick is played wide to Daley Blind and Netherlands continue to press and probe around the edge of the Qatar penalty area.
37 min: Qatar are starting to look a little threatening and have been playing quite good football for the past few minutes. They’re clearly not anywhere near the same level as the Netherlands but at last, over half an hour into the game, they’re finally having a go.