The Dutch team finished the group stage in the European Championship with a 3-0 victory over North Macedonia on Monday, the next group in the championship after Italy to win three of its launch games.
Depay, who only signed for Barcelona, scored the first goal after a slick counterattack at the 24th minute. Then he passed to Wijnaldum to get a tap-in goal at the 51st, and seven minutes after goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski spared a shot from Depay which Wijnaldum placed to the roof of the net from the rally.
The Netherlands had already won the band prior to the North and match Macedonia was eliminated after dropping its first two games during its first significant tournament.
The game in the Johan Cruyff Arena has been the 122nd and final global for North Macedonia captain Goran Pandev. His teammates formed a guard of honour and the audience gave him a standing ovation as he had been substituted at the 69th minute.
North Macedonia made the best opportunities before Depay’s target.
And at the 22nd, Aleksandar Trajkovski struck the post with a shot from outside the box after being put up by Pandev.
Daley Blind handled Pandev only beyond the Dutch penalty region and the Netherlands brand new attacking venture of Donyell Malen and Depay traded moves twice at a swift counterattack that finished with Depay shooting low past Dimitrievski. VAR assessed Blind’s handle and ruled he played with the ball instead.
From the second halfof Netherlands trainer Frank de Boer switched into the conventional Dutch creation of four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards. The shift worked almost instantly with Wijnaldum scoring two in seven minutes.
Prior to kickoff, Wijnaldum introduced the North Macedonian veteran with an orange Netherlands shirt with the number 122 on the trunk to indicate Pandev’s final tally of all internationals.
The Netherlands now must wait to determine which group it will confront in the form of 16 on Sunday at Budapest. As Group C winner, the group will line up against the third-place finisher in Group D, E or F.
