Thanks for joining me for this coverage of the Netherlands' 2-0 win over Norway in qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The hosts will be in Qatar next year after finishing top of the group, losing only one game and winning seven out of their 10 matches. They will be able to get their preparations underway for the tournament. For the visitors meanwhile, they crash out with a whimper having not registered a single shot on target and only two shots in total in this game. They finish third in the group and miss out on the play-offs, with Turkey taking that place instead.
It will be Netherlands who qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as group winners after two late goals win them the game. As it turned out a draw would've been enough due to their superior goal difference, but they will be glad to get another win under their belt. It was a poor game in truth, that lacked quality until the end. Bergwijn broke the deadlock with a powerful finish on 84 minutes after Danjuma found him in the area, and then Depay finished the job after Bergwijn found him on the counter.
90' + 3' FULL-TIME: NETHERLANDS 2-0 NORWAY
S. Bergwijn
Assist
90' + 1' Bergwijn laid it off for Depay to finish into an empty net.
M. Depay
Goal
90' + 1' It's 2-0!!! The visitors send everybody up for a late corner as they desperately search for an equaliser, and they pay the price. Van Dijk heads it away to Bergwijn who runs the length of the pitch before squaring it to Depay, who couldn't miss. That is game, set and match for the hosts.
N. Aké
A. Groeneveld
89' Ake comes on for Danjuma as Van Gaal looks to see this game out.
T. Olsen
M. Pedersen
87' Olsen is substituted on for Pedersen.
86' That goal must surely confirm that the hosts will qualify for Qatar as group winners.
A. Groeneveld
Assist
84' It was Danjuma who found Bergwijn in the area, allowing him to fire home.
S. Bergwijn
Goal
84' The Dutch lead 1-0!!! It's Bergwijn with the driven finish to put his side in front. The ball was played across to him by Danjuma and the Tottenham man was in acres of space. He made no mistake with the finish, smashing it high into Nyland's goal. The keeper had no chance.
82' Depay finds De Ligt with a free-kick but the centre back's header is poor and goes wide.
81' Van Dijk is down after Hanche-Olsen catches him with a flailing arm.
M. de Ligt
Yellow Card
80' De Ligt is booked for an aerial collision with King.
D. Dumfries
Yellow Card
79' Dumfries is booked for dissent.
78' There are some tough challenges going in at the moment.
76' Depay gets on the end of a Bergwijn cross and has time to take a touch and pick his spot but only manages to find the legs of Hanche-Olsen, and after the ball rebounds to him he can only send his second effort wide. That's the best chance we've seen for a while.
J. King
J. Hauge
74' Half-time substitute Hauge now comes off for King.
S. Gregersen
M. Normann
74' Normann makes way for Gregersen.
M. de Roon
D. Klaassen
74' De Roon is on for a limping Klaassen.
73' Will either side be able to find a winner here?
71' Klaassen and Elyounoussi are both down injured after they clattered into each other in midfield.
69' Cillessen is out quickly to gather the ball as Elyounoussi looked to pounce on a deflected through pass.
68' There's a break in play as Normann receives treatment for an injury to his hand.
66' Dumfries finds Danjuma at the back post with a cross but the winger can only smash his half-volley effort well over from a tight angle.
64' Strandberg makes a textbook sliding challenge on Depay to stop the Barcelona man making any more forward progress.
62' Dumfries tries to get an attack going but the visitors defend it well and get the ball back.
60' Depay tries to come forward with the ball but his touch is too heavy and it runs away from him.
58' Turkey have scored against Montenegro, meaning Norway's task has just gotten that much harder.
56' There's been a definite uptick in attacking intent from the visitors since the break.
54' These sides drew 1-1 in the reverse fixture.
52' Odegaard tries a clever through ball over the top but Van Dijk does well to intercept it.
50' These sides have met 21 times previously, with the Netherlands winning nine of those while Norway have won five.
48' What effect will Solbakken's substitutions at half-time have?
46' The visitors get us back underway for this big second half. How will it all play out?
K. Thorstvedt
M. Thorsby
46' Thorstvedt also comes on for Thorsby before the second half.
J. Hauge
O. Solbakken
46' Solbakken makes way for Hauge at the break.
The visitors haven't had a single shot, and as it stands won't even make the play-offs due to the fact that Turkey are currently drawing 1-1 against Montenegro. Can they produce more attacking threat in the second half and find the goal that will give them a chance of making it to Qatar?
And so it's 0-0 as we go to the break. It's been a poor game in truth, perhaps due to the sides being cagey with how much is at stake in the game. The hosts have come the closest, first through a low Danjuma shot as he cut in that just evaded the far post before Depay sent a tame header straight at Nyland when he perhaps should have done better. The Barcelona forward also went close with a decent long-range volley, but we will go to the break goalless.
45' HALF-TIME: NETHERLANDS 0-0 NORWAY
A. Sørloth
Yellow Card
43' Sorloth sees yellow for hacking down De Jong.
42' Danjuma sends a dangerous low delivery across the face of goal but none of his teammates are there to turn it in.
40' Depay sends a brilliant volley at goal from 30 yards out that bounces just in front of Nyland, however the keeper is able to catch the awkward shot.
M. Thorsby
Yellow Card
39' Thorsby goes in the book for cynically dragging down Dumfries.
37' Meling commits a foul throw as he comically throws the ball off his own head before it enters the field of play.
35' Depay has scored 11 times in 2022 World Cup qualifiers, while Norway have only scored 15 as a team.
33' There's been very little attacking threat from the visitors so far.
31' These are the two best defensive teams in the group so it perhaps isn't surprising that the game remains goalless.
29' Pedersen drives forward but gives the ball away before he can do anything with it.
27' Depay gets up to head at goal but it's straight at Nyland. That's another decent opportunity that goes begging for the hosts.
26' Danjuma cuts inside onto his right foot and sends a low shot just wide. That's the closest either side have come so far.
25' Wijnaldum tries to head at goal but can't get the direction or power right and it goes harmlessly wide.
23' De Jong lofts a delivery into the box but Blind fouls Hanche-Olsen and it's a free-kick to the visitors.
21' Danjuma pounces on a poor pass by Normann in midfield and drives towards the byline but his cross is blocked behind for a corner, which comes to nothing.
19' Depay curls a free-kick into the box but Odegaard heads clear. It was a poor delivery in truth.
17' Bergwijn surges into the penalty area but his dinked ball in somehow evades three of his teammates in the middle.
15' Depay tries to cleverly flick a Dumfries cross between his legs and at goal, but Nyland gets down comfortably enough to collect it.
14' Cillessen gathers a Thorsby cross at the second attempt.
13' Bergwijn plays a lovely outside of the boot cross into the box, but Depay can't get enough power on his header and it lands safely at the feet of Nyland.
11' Bergwijn is down clutching his ankle after he was caught by Elyounoussi.
9' The visitors haven't lost in their last seven games while the hosts haven't lost in their last eight.
7' Bergwijn tries to whip a cross in from the right but Nyland comes and catches it.
5' It's been a cagey start to this match, which is perhaps to be expected with how much rides on this game.
3' The Netherlands haven't lost to their opponents tonight since 1992.
1' The hosts kick us off and we are underway.
The two teams make their way onto the pitch ahead of kick-off.
Visiting boss Stale Solbakken opts to go with two changes from the 0-0 draw with Latvia as Hanche-Olsen and Solbakken start in place of Thorstvedt and Marius Lode. Star man Erling Haaland misses out through injury.
Home manager Louis van Gaal makes three changes from the 2-2 draw against Montenegro as Bergwijn, De Ligt and Cillessen come into the team as Malen drops to the bench while Justin Bijlow and Stefan de Vrij miss out completely.
SUBS: Joshua King, Ruben Gabrielsen, Andre Hansen, Mats Moller Daehli, Thomas Lehne Olsen, Stian Gregersen, Kristian Thorstvedt, Jens Hauge, Fredrik Midtsjo, Julian Ryerson, Sten Grytebust, Fredrik Aursnes.
NORWAY (4-3-3): Orjan Nyland; Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, Stefan Strandberg, Andreas Hanche-Olsen, Birger Meling; Martin Odegaard, Morten Thorsby, Mathias Normann; Mohamed Elyounoussi, Alexander Sorloth, Ola Solbakken.
SUBS: Teun Koopmeiners, Mark Flekken, Guus Til, Donyell Malen, Marten de Roon, Tyrell Malacia, Ryan Gravenberch, Noa Lang, Devyne Rensch, Tim Krul, Nathan Ake, Wout Weghorst.
NETHERLANDS (4-3-3): Jasper Cillessen; Denzel Dumfries, Matthijs de Ligt, Virgil Van Dijk, Daley Blind; Georginio Wijnaldum, Frenkie de Jong, Davy Klaassen; Steven Bergwijn, Memphis Depay, Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld.
Meanwhile, the visitors sit third and also need to win here if they are to have any hope of moving up the table and either automatically qualify or secure a place in the play-offs ahead of their opponents here and second-placed Turkey.
The hosts come into this final game top of Group G on 20 points, but will need three points here to confirm them as group winners and qualify them for the World Cup in Qatar.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the crucial 2022 World Cup qualifier between Netherlands and Norway.
Commentary