Netherlands beat Tunisia with Brobbey and van Hecke on target

Brian Brobbey scored his third tournament goal and the Netherlands finished Tunisia off in a 3-1 win that sealed top spot in Group F. The Dutch were two goals up inside seven minutes, then handled the one real wobble after the break and moved through the group with control.

The seven-minute burst

The game was effectively set in motion in the third minute, when Ellyes Skhiri put through his own net. Four minutes later, Brobbey had made it 2-0. That opening spell gave the Netherlands the cushion they wanted and put Tunisia into damage-limitation mode almost immediately.

Brobbey’s numbers matched the influence. He was directly involved throughout, finishing with three key passes and one shot on target from two attempts in 77 minutes. An 8.2 rating fits that sort of outing well enough, but the more useful detail is that he keeps turning up in the tournament moments that matter for the Dutch attack.

The broader control was there too. Virgil van Dijk completed 110 passes, a clean sign that the Netherlands were able to dictate the pace once they had the lead.

Tunisia’s response and the Dutch finish

Tunisia did at least threaten a lift after the interval. Hazem Mastouri cut the deficit early in the second half, but Jan Paul van Hecke restored the two-goal cushion eight minutes later.

Herve Renard did not hide the scale of the task afterwards, saying: "We were not at the level for this World Cup, this is clear, there is no discussion. It’s a big tournament with very good teams, especially in this group, it was a very tough group." That verdict fits the match. Tunisia had a brief opening, but the Dutch response came quickly and the closing phase never looked especially open.

Ronald Koeman was happier with the start than the finish, and his view was blunt: "I wanted first place in the group, and we finished that way. I think it had to do with the fact that we went 2-0 up very quickly. That can be a problem against a stronger opponent and Morocco are an attacking team." The first part is already done. The Netherlands finish Group F top on seven points after scoring 10 goals across their three group fixtures, and Brobbey is now up to three tournament goals after Tunisia vs Netherlands.