Netherlands 1-2 France - Kylian Mbappe scores brace as visitors overcome Dutch and book place at Euro 2024

A Kylian Mbappe brace powered France to a 2-1 win over Netherlands which booked their place at Euro 2024.

It took France's captain just seven minutes to score as he hooked in a pinpoint Jonathan Clauss cross.

The Dutch rallied before the break and could have gone into it level, but Joey Veerman squandered their best opportunity and Xavi Simons was denied by a fine Mike Maignan save.

Eight minutes after the restart, Mbappe played a one-two before he magnificently curled a bouncing ball over the goalkeeper and into the Dutch net, from outside the box.

The spirited Netherlands pulled a late goal back through impressive debutant Quilindschy Hartman, who started a move with a nutmeg and finished it by fooling the goalkeeper and slotting home at the near post when Maignan was expecting a cross.

Mbappe hit the bar late on as his search for a hat-trick came up short, just like the Dutch search for an equaliser.

France have a perfect six wins from six and cannot finish outside of the top two in Group B. The Netherlands are third in the group, three points behind Greece - after their 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland - who they play in Athens on Monday.

Hartman's goal was the first France have conceded in European Championship qualifying. No other country had maintained an unblemished defensive record this long into the campaign.

It's a feat which is all the more impressive when you consider some of the defenders France are missing, and that this was the second game in a row where Didier Deschamps experimented with Lucas Hernandez at centre-back, with brother Theo to his left. You imagine he would not like to do that against better opposition, but so far it has worked and comes from a genuine injury crisis. Dayot Upamecano, Axel Disasi, Presnel Kimpembe, Wesley Fofana and William Saliba were among the central defenders unavailable.

Tournament football is tense and winning teams are more often than not built on a solid defensive foundation. France kept four clean sheets at the 2018 World Cup they won, for example, and just one in 2022, when Mbappe's final hat-trick was in vain.

There will undoubtedly be a step up in intensity and quality if France go deep into Euro 2024, but for now the signs are encouraging.

While the first goal owed much to Clauss' cross, the second was all about Mbappe. Despite all of France's star power, Mbappe is a cut above and showed that in Amsterdam.

Netherlands: Verbruggen 5, Geertruida 5, Van Dijk 6, Ake 6, Dumfries 6, De Roon 5, Veerman 5, Hartman 8, Reijnders 6, Simons 7, Weghorst 5. Subs: Malen 6, Wieffer 5, Frimpong 6, Van de Ven 6, Bergwijn 5.

France: Maignan 6, Clauss 7, Konate 6, L. Hernandez 6, T. Henrandez 6, Tchouameni 7, Rabiot 6, Griezmann 6, Mbappe 8, Kolo Muani 5, Coman 5. Subs: Giroud 5, Gusto 5, Thuram 5.

GOAL! NETHERLANDS 0-1 FRANCE (MBAPPE) 7' - Clauss makes good ground on the French right, moves the ball on but in time gets it back and crosses for Mbappe, who acrobatically hooks the ball into the net.

BIG CHANCE! 27' - Dumfries, Simons and Reijnders combine down the right and the former holds off two defenders to cut the ball back to Veerman - 12 yards out and with the goal gaping - but he shoots over.

GOAL! NETHERLANDS 0-2 FRANCE (MBAPPE) 53' - Mbappe doubles the lead with a brilliant goal! He plays a one-two with Rabiot and upon collecting the return pass, still outside the box, Mbappe curls a dipping shot over Verbruggen and into the net.

GOAL! NETHERLANDS 1-2 FRANCE (HARTMAN) 83' - Hartman starts the move with a nutmeg, plays a one-two with Bergwijn, bursts into the box and fools Maignan, slotting in at the near post when the goalkeeper was expecting a cross.

OFF THE BAR! 86' - Mbappe makes space to shoot on the edge of the box and hits a swerving shot which fools Verbruggen and comes back off the bar.