Netherlands took a huge step towards the World Cup knockout stages with a commanding 5-1 victory over Sweden in Group F, inspired by brilliant doubles from Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo.
Ronald Koeman's side, held to a draw by Japan in their opening fixture, produced a ruthless attacking display to move on to four points and put qualification firmly within their grasp. Sweden, who had thrashed Tunisia in their opener, were unable to cope with the Dutch firepower and were left with only a late consolation from Anthony Elanga.
Brobbey seized his opportunity on the biggest stage, announcing himself with two close-range finishes to put the Oranje in complete control. The Sunderland striker's movement and physical presence caused Sweden constant problems.
Any hopes of a Swedish comeback were extinguished shortly after the break when Gakpo took centre stage.
The Liverpool forward struck twice in quick succession to turn an already comfortable lead into a rout, continuing his outstanding World Cup record. His double took him to five World Cup group-stage goals for Netherlands, drawing level with Robin van Persie as the country's most prolific scorer in the competition's group phase.
Elanga eventually pulled one back for Sweden, but it proved nothing more than a consolation as Crysencio Summerville, who came on at half-time, wrapped things up for the Dutch.
5: GOAL! Brobbey rewards Koeman's faith by tapping home the opener from close range.
17: GOAL! Brobbey is there again from a cross from the right this time to slide home a deadly double.
27: Sweden boss Graham Potter uses the hydration break to switch his system.
45+1: GOAL RULED OUT! Gustaf Lagerbielke heads home a set-piece for Sweden but is flagged offside.
47: GOAL! Gakpo is there to sweep home another dangerous cross from the right.
54: GOAL! Cutting off the left this time, Gakpo finds a clinical finish to double his tally.
59: GOAL! Alexander Isak sends through Elanga in behind Virgil van Dijk and he finishes in ruthless fashion.
89: GOAL! Summerville caps a fine performance from the bench with his second goal of the tournament.
Your Site' Lewis Jones:
When the conversation turns to potential World Cup winners, the usual suspects dominate the debate.
Brazil, France, Argentina, Spain. Maybe even England.
Netherlands? Barely a mention. It is a strange omission when you dig beneath the surface because, quietly, Koeman's side are building a tournament profile that looks remarkably similar to teams that tend to go very deep.
This Dutch squad is stacked with Premier League-level quality. Brobbey was handed a surprise start and responded by scoring twice. The fact a striker of his calibre can be rotated into the XI and immediately deliver underlines a point that perhaps has not been fully appreciated.
Since losing the 2010 World Cup final to Spain, the Dutch are unbeaten in 90 minutes across 14 World Cup matches. Their record reads nine wins and five draws.
The run is the joint-longest unbeaten sequence by any nation in World Cup history, matching Brazil's streak between 1958 and 1966.
The numbers suggest they belong in the conversation. The squad depth suggests they belong in the conversation. Their tournament pedigree certainly suggests they belong in the conversation.
Sweden head coach Graham Potter:
"Obviously really disappointed. It was a tricky one to analyse. I thought we did a lot of good things in the game. We had a lot of opportunities. But defensively, you can't concede that many and hope to win.
"We'll learn a lot from the game. We were playing against a good team. They hurt us in the wide areas. The first goal comes from a long ball we didn't deal with very well.
"We didn't get off to a good start but we came back into it. Second part of the first half, I thought we were the better team. But then we started badly in the second half.
"The boys kept going but it's one of those things we'll learn a lot from. Sometimes you have to have these experiences. We have to accept the scoreline and learn from it."
