Depay Scores Brace As Netherlands Beats Gibraltar 6-0

Memphis Depay scored twice, had two assists and missed a penalty as the Netherlands overpowered Gibraltar 6-0 to remain top of Europe Group G in World Cup qualifying on Monday.

Second-placed Norway, playing without injured striker Erling Haaland, beat Montenegro 2-0 to remain two points adrift of the Dutch, and Burak Ylmaz scored the winner from the penalty spot deep in second-half stoppage time as Turkey beat Latvia 2-1 in Riga.

Depay put his disappointing club season at Barcelona behind him with a productive night at De Kuip Stadium in Rotterdam against one of the world’s soccer minnows. His first goal of the night was his 13th of the year for Oranje, breaking the Dutch record of 12 in a calendar year by Patrick Kluivert.

Depay’s 21st-minute strike after a pass from Davy Klaassen came just two minutes after Gibraltar goalkeeper Bradley Banda marked his international debut by saving the striker’s first penalty of the night. Depay made no mistake with his second spot kick to put the Dutch 3-0 up in first-half stoppage time.

Captain Virgil van Dijk opened the scoring with a ninth-minute header from a Depay corner, the defender’s first goal since his return from last season’s knee injury.

“I am really happy to have scored for the first time in a really long time,” Van Dijk told Dutch broadcaster NOS.

Wing back Denzel Dumfries made it 4-0 three minutes after the break and substitute Arnaut Danjuma, a late callup to replace the injured Cody Gakpo, scored on his return to the Dutch team for the first time since his first two internationals in 2018.

Another second-half substitute, Donyell Malen, completed the rout in the 86th. The scoreline could have been much worse for the visitors – the Dutch had 31 attempts on goal to Gibraltar’s one.

Mohamed Elyounoussi scored both goals in Norway’s victory in Oslo.

Turkey fell behind to Latvia thanks to a Merih Demiral own goal before Serdar Dursun equalized and Yilmaz earned the winner.