Netherlands 5-1 Sweden — World Cup: Recap, Highlights & Reactions

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How do you answer a crisis? You copy your rival's homework and do it better.

The Netherlands completely dismantled Sweden 5-1 to turn Group F upside down.

was under fire after drawing with Japan, but his team responded with a tactical masterclass in Houston. arrived flying high after their own 5-1 win, but their defense crumbled under Dutch pressure. completely shut down his Liverpool teammate , cutting off Sweden's direct transition play. Instead of retreating into defensive shapes, the Dutch relentless kept pushing forward. This dominant victory puts the Netherlands firmly back in control of their World Cup campaign, leaving with massive defensive questions to answer.

— and get this

A perfect mirror: won their opening match 5-1 against Tunisia, only to lose by the exact same scoreline to the Dutch.

This blowout shattered history: the only two previous tournament meetings between these sides in 1974 and 2004 produced 77 total shots but zero goals in open play.

's defeat ruined their chance to secure a perfect two-game World Cup start for the first time since 1958.