The Netherlands came through their second game in Germany's Nations League group with a 2-1 (1-0) win in Serbia, but may have paid a heavy price: striker Cody Gakpo, who had scored in the 1-1 against Germany, went off early with a painful ankle.
Sasa Lukic fouled the Liverpool player in the 12th minute and Gakpo soon signalled he could not continue. Mexx Meerdink then gave the Dutch a deserved lead from the penalty spot in the 30th minute after a foul. Former Frankfurt player Luka Jovic equalised in the 46th minute, before Meerdink struck again in the 69th.
From the start, the Dutch controlled the game but struggled to create chances. When Crysencio Summerville was fouled in the penalty area, Meerdink coolly converted from the spot. Soon after, Dortmund's Joey Veerman nearly scored direct from a corner, but Serbia goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic reacted quickly in the 36th minute.
Immediately after the break, the Serbs hit back. But Meerdink, brilliantly picked out by Ruben van Bommel, made sure it was the visitors celebrating at the end.
Nations League: Austria win comfortably against Kosovo
Elsewhere, Ralf Rangnick's Austria beat outsiders Kosovo 3-1 (2-0) at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion in Vienna, leaving the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) side comfortably top of Group B3 with six points.
After a mixed World Cup, Rangnick's side are in the middle of a rebuild, but against outsiders Kosovo the absence of numerous established key players such as World Cup captain David Alaba hardly mattered. Centre-back David Affengruber scored the first international goal of his career on his second cap after former Werder Bremen player Romano Schmid set him up in the 23rd minute, and just before half-time Schalke striker Junior Adamu also grabbed his first goal in ÖFB colours (45+2).
Austria kept up the intensity in the second half and stretched their lead through Carney Chukwuemeka in the 61st minute, although unlike his team-mates it was already the midfielder's second goal for the national team. In the closing stages, though, the visitors struck when Edon Zhegrova confidently converted the resulting penalty after a foul by Affengruber (83).