In their Group G match of the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers, the Netherlands, after conceding a goal in the first half, managed a 1-1 draw against Poland thanks to a goal from Memphis Depay. Coach Koeman, in an interview, stated that his team needs to be patient in attack and improve their defense.

In the 43rd minute, Barcelona star Robert Lewandowski played a through ball to Kaminski, who then entered the penalty area and fired a long-range shot into the net, giving Poland a 1-0 lead.

Shortly after the start of the second half, Gakopo crossed from the penalty area, and Malen's header was blocked by Polish goalkeeper Grabara. Depay then scored on the rebound, leveling the score at 1-1 for the Netherlands.

Ultimately, the Netherlands drew 1-1 with Poland away from home. With just one point, the Netherlands currently sits atop the standings with 17 points, three points ahead of second-placed Poland, meaning the "Oranje" have taken a crucial step towards the World Cup finals.

Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman said, "If you don't do things right, the game will naturally become difficult. Sometimes we have to choose more complex solutions instead of moving the ball around faster, which might give Malen or Gakpo opportunities to launch attacks. In such moments, we must be more patient and defend better at certain times. I don't think we created many chances, but the opponent had two big chances besides the goal."

“We were playing 5-on-2 in the backcourt, and several players weren’t doing their jobs. At this level of play, this should never happen.”

Koeman also pointed out, "When you have five players to deal with two strikers, you can't let them easily rush towards the goal, and then some things that shouldn't have happened happen. We have to defend better, or stand deeper and protect the inside. Van Dijk should probably mark Lewandowski instead of covering for Timber, because Timber has moved out of position."

“We were able to create chances throughout the game, but the forwards had a tough time. Poland dominated many times, so we needed to be at our best in attack, but we didn’t. In games like this, we must play better and, more importantly, we must advance; this is something we must improve.”