An own goal from Skhiri and another strike from Brobbey put Koeman’s side in control early, before Van Hecke sealed a comfortable victory. Tunisia leaves the World Cup without a point.
The Netherlands completed a dominant Group F campaign by defeating Tunisia 3-1 and securing first place with seven points, setting up one of the most intriguing Round of 32 matchups of the tournament against Morocco.
For Tunisia, already eliminated before kickoff, the defeat capped a disappointing World Cup campaign. Despite possessing several talented players such as Hannibal Mejbri, Ismaël Gharbi and Hazem Mastouri, Hervé Renard’s side never truly competed for qualification and finished bottom of the group with three defeats in as many matches.
Ironically, Tunisia almost stunned the Dutch after just two minutes. Mejbri launched a rapid counterattack and released Mastouri down the left flank, whose cross found Gharbi in an excellent position, but the young midfielder fired over the bar.
That missed opportunity proved costly.
One minute later, the Oranje took the lead. A slick passing move involving Frenkie de Jong, Brobbey and Denzel Dumfries ended with the Inter wing-back delivering a dangerous cross that captain Ellyes Skhiri inadvertently diverted into his own net.
The Dutch doubled their advantage just four minutes later. Following a set-piece routine, Virgil van Dijk floated a cross into the box and Brobbey escaped Tunisia’s static defense to head home his third goal of the tournament.
The North Africans managed to reduce the deficit early in the second half. Hannibal Mejbri curled in an excellent corner and Hazem Mastouri rose above Van Dijk and Van Hecke to power home a header.
Any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished.
At the 62nd minute, Tijjani Reijnders delivered a dangerous corner and Jean-Paul van Hecke glanced the ball into the net, restoring the two-goal cushion and effectively ending the contest.
Koeman’s side nearly added a fourth when Reijnders struck the crossbar shortly afterward, but the Netherlands were content to see out the closing stages and celebrate another convincing performance.
With seven points, the Oranje finish ahead of Japan in Group F and now prepare for a fascinating knockout encounter against Morocco, while Tunisia heads home after a World Cup campaign to forget.
Match Report
Tunisia 1-3 Netherlands
Scorers:
3′ Skhiri (own goal)
7′ Brobbey (NED)
54′ Mastouri (TUN)
62′ Van Hecke (NED)
Tunisia (4-2-3-1)
Dahmen; Yan Valery, M. Talbi, Ben Hamida (68′ Ben Ouanes), Abdi; Skhiri (68′ Achouri), R. Khedira; Ben Slimane (68′ Belhadji Mahmoud), Mejbri, Gharbi (75′ Chaouat); Mastouri (90′ Tounekti).
Coach: Hervé Renard
Netherlands (4-3-3)
Verbruggen; Dumfries, Van Hecke, Van Dijk, Aké; Gravenberch, F. de Jong (72′ T. Koopmeiners), Reijnders (72′ J. Kluivert); Malen (72′ Summerville), Brobbey (77′ Depay), Gakpo (84′ Noa Lang).
Coach: Ronald Koeman
Referee: Katia Itzel Garcia (Mexico)
Yellow Cards: None
Red Cards: None
Final Group F Standings
| Position | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | 7 |
| 2 | Japan | 6 |
| 3 | Sweden | 3 |
| 4 | Tunisia | 0 |
Qualified: Netherlands, Japan
