'It could have been disastrous' - Ronald Koeman left 'angry' as Netherlands avoid embarrassing slip up in narrow win against Lithuania

Netherlands secured a narrow 3-2 victory away to Lithuania in their World Cup qualifier on Sunday but were pushed all the way after squandering a two-goal lead. Goals from Memphis Depay, now the national team's all-time top scorer, and Quinten Timber gave the Dutch a comfortable 2-0 lead after 33 minutes, but Lithuania stunned the visitors by scoring twice before half-time. Depay scored the winner in the 63rd minute to spare his team's blushes.

The victory keeps Netherlands top of their World Cup qualifying group, level on points with Poland but with a game in hand. However, the performance against a side ranked 143rd in the world was far from convincing. After a strong start, the Dutch became complacent and were defensively frail, forcing Koeman to make a late defensive substitution, bringing on Matthijs de Ligt for attacker Donyell Malen to protect the lead. While the three points are crucial, the nature of the win raises questions about the team's ability to control games they are expected to dominate.

Despite the victory, Koeman was upset by his team's struggles, telling NOS: "I'm a little angry. We played with fire today. Fortunately, it didn't cost us any points today, but it could have been disastrous. The urgency diminished. Players started doing things ten to 15 percent less. We shouldn't be getting into so much trouble here, even at the end of the game. Then I have to add a fifth defender for extra height and power. That's not what you want to do, but I do want to win." 

On Depay's match-winner, he added: "We can be happy he was there. He scored two very good goals. The first and last, too. He can be proud of that.

"We also have a history. I supported him in a period when others might not have done so, but he proves beyond doubt that he is still the best striker."

Despite the poor performance, Netherlands are now a step closer to securing qualification for the World Cup. They remain in control of Group G but will need a much-improved display in their next set of qualifiers to solidify their top spot. Koeman will demand a response from his players during the next international break.