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| Robin van Persie's extraordinary diving header |
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Robin van Persie: Celebrating his first with Louis van Gaal
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The Dutch produced a devastating display of
counter-attacking football in a wonderful second-half display to leave Spain
utterly shell-shocked - who had initially opened the scoring.
Spain took the lead when Diego Costa was fouled in the box
by Stefan De Vrij after 26 minutes, giving Xabi Alonso the chance to score and
the Real Madrid midfielder duly obliged by converting the resulting penalty
past a sprawling Jasper Cillessen.
Just before half-time, the Ajax goalkeeper was to thank
after making a superb save to deny David Silva’s neat chip - preventing Spain
from doubling their lead..
Having looked almost certain to concede a second, Holland
broke on the counter and full-back Daley Blind fired a superb ball into the
path of Van Persie, who spotted Iker Casillas off his line and executed a
magnificent header over the Real Madrid ‘keeper to level the scores.
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Iker Casillas: Left dejected after Arjen Robben's second
goal
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After half-time, the Dutch took the lead after Blind played
another wonderful ball over the Spanish defence and onto the foot of Robben,
who shimmied past Gerard Pique and fired past Casillas to make it 2-1.
Holland added a third after the hour mark when De Vrij met
Wesley Sneijder’s curling free-kick at the back post – and despite appeals from
Spain that Casillas was blocked by Van Persie, the goal was given.
Louis Van Gaal's side scored their fourth after Casillas
catastrophically gifted possession to Van Persie in the Spanish area, and the
30-year-old prodded the ball into an empty net.
The rout was complete after Robben showed his blistering
pace to get beyond Sergio Ramos, and after twisting and turning in Spain’s box,
the Bayern Munich winger fired into the top corner to make it 5-1 - ending a
miserable night for Vicente Del Bosque’s men.
Holland should have taken the lead after just eight minutes,
but Wesley Sneijder botched a wonderful opening.
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Arjen Robben: Deadly double from the jet-heeled winger
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Robben produced the pass that sent Sneijder bearing in on
goal but he snatched at his lofted shot and allowed Iker Casillas to thrust his
right glove up and make the save.
Spain rallied quickly from that scare and soon began to
stamp themselves on the game.
By 20 minutes the Dutch were being dictated to by Xavi,
Iniesta, David Silva and Xabi Alonso, with Ron Vlaar producing at least two
desperate blocks.
The controversial penalty followed in the 26th minute,
starting with Xavi's beautifully weighted pass for Costa, who surged into the
area and took two touches before turning De Vrij, who appeared in real time to
trip him.
By the time Xabi Alonso had buried the spot-kick, replays
showed Costa apparently initiating contact.
Cillessen's fantastic save to deny Silva paved the way for
Van Persie's leveller, the Manchester United man reading the space perfectly as
he leapt to head Daley Blind's hanging cross high over the helpless Casillas.
The reation was rampant, not least from the high-fiving
Louis van Gaal on the touchline.
The celebrations were even better eight minutes into the
second half, when a piece of Robben magic gave them the lead.
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Xabi Alonso: Had fired Spain in front from the spot
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Van Persie's chip picked out his team-mate, but he had
plenty still to do as he controlled the ball brilliantly with the outside of
his boot before turning Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos, converting with a slight
deflection off the latter.
Things might have unravelled completely for the holders had
the referee spotted Costa's apparent headbutt on Bruno Martins Indi, but the
incident went unseen.
There was no holding Holland back, though, Van Persie
cracking a volley against the crossbar on the hour before De Vrij made it 3-1
from Sneijder's curling free-kick.
Casillas came to claim but failed, with De Vrij on hand to
bundle home at the far post.
The pace only increased from there, Silva's close-range
finish chalked off for offside before Holland extended their lead to three in
the 72nd minute.
Casillas was wholly culpable this time, turning a harmless
back pass into one dreadful touch and an open goal for the alert Van Persie.
Robben completed Spain's misery with 10 minutes left,
collecting Sneijder's pass and then reducing Casillas and his defenders to a
floundering mess as he made room for an emphatic finish.
Holland might have scored two more had they been more
clinical, and Spain's Fernando Torres made a woeful blunder from close range,
but their statement was already well made
Credit: sky sport.
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