Jong Oranje make ten-man Norway suffer

The Netherlands came from behind to beat fellow UEFA European Under-21 Championship finalists Norway 4-1 on a cold night in Waalwijk.

Substitute Flamur Kastrati fired the visitors in front soon after the break, then team-mate Harmeet Singh passed up a glorious opportunity to double the lead when his penalty was saved by Jeroen Zoet. Lerin Duarte restored parity with a strong drive before a rapid Georginio Wijnaldum double and a debut goal from another substitute Danny Hoesen secured the Dutch victory.

However, Norway had been reduced to ten men after only 11 minutes when Brede Moe barged Yanic Wildschut to the ground on the edge of the box as the VVV-Venlo forward bore down on goal. It took another 15 minutes for the Jong Oranje to threaten, only for Luuk de Jong to shoot narrowly over from Duarte's through ball.

Half-time replacement Wijnaldum almost made an instant impression but his strike on the turn missed Arild Østbø's post by a whisker. Yet it was another substitute who unexpectedly broke the deadlock minutes later. Kastrati played a fine one-two with Valon Berisha before thumping the ball home.

Jo Inge Berget next won a penalty after his strong run was abruptly ended by defender Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, though Singh's spot kick was repelled by Zoet. That failure was made to feel all the more bitter as Duarte collected Patrick van Aanholt's through pass to rifle high past Østbø.

Wijnaldum compounded the misery, first converting Rajiv van la Parra's low centre and then stabbing home from close range. Hoesen's late fourth, after another sharp ball from Duarte, gave him even more reason to celebrate his first U21 appearance.

Netherlands: Zoet; Leerdam, Gouweleeuw, Bruma, Van Aanholt; Fer, Duarte, Van Ginkel (Wijnaldum 46), Van la Parra; De Jong (Hoesen 46), Wildschut.

Norway: Østbø; Linnes, Rogne (Tollås 19), Moe, Hedenstad; Elabdellaoui (Kastrati 46), Ibrahim, Singh, Berisha; Berget, Børven (Svensson 73).