Meerdink’s double gives Xavi the start the Netherlands needed

Lead

The verdict is that the Netherlands’ 2-1 victory in Serbia is an encouraging and meaningful first win for Xavi Hernández, because his side recovered from an immediate setback, found a debutant match-winner and left Belgrade with evidence that an early direction is taking shape. Source 1Source 2Source 3

Evidence

The essential outcome is clear: the Netherlands won 2-1 against Serbia in a UEFA Nations League Group A2 fixture at Stadion Rajko Mitić on 27 September, delivering Xavi’s first victory as head coach. Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4

Mexx Meerdink supplied both Dutch goals on his first start, opening from the penalty spot in the 30th minute after Crysencio Summerville was fouled and then scoring the winner in the 69th minute from substitute Guus Til’s pass. Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4

That is a substantial individual intervention rather than a marginal contribution, as Meerdink’s two strikes were also his first senior international goals. Source 2Source 4

The Netherlands also had to negotiate a difficult in-match disruption when Cody Gakpo was forced off injured in the 17th minute and replaced by Ruben van Bommel. Source 1Source 3

Their response after Luka Jović equalised for Serbia in the 46th minute is the most persuasive detail of the night, since Meerdink’s second goal restored the lead rather than allowing the match to drift away after half-time. Source 1Source 2Source 3

The performance contained a measure of territorial authority too, with the Netherlands holding around 67 per cent possession in Belgrade. Source 3Source 4

This was not an isolated positive result in the narrowest sense, because it followed a 1-1 draw with Germany three days earlier in Xavi’s first match in charge. Source 3Source 4

The counter-argument

The case for caution is legitimate: this was a one-goal away win, and Serbia showed they could alter the contest quickly by equalising shortly after the restart. Source 2Source 3

Possession did not turn the game into a comfortable procession, as the Netherlands still required Meerdink’s 69th-minute finish to settle it. Source 3Source 4

Gakpo’s early injury is another unwelcome element, particularly because it forced a change before the match had properly developed. Source 1Source 3

Nor should two fixtures, a draw against Germany and a victory over Serbia, be treated as a complete verdict on a new head coach’s longer-term work. Source 2Source 3Source 4

Meerdink’s remarkable first start can be read as a reason to celebrate the player’s breakthrough, rather than definitive proof that every wider attacking question has already been answered. Source 2Source 4

Why our verdict holds

Yet the point is not that the Netherlands are a finished side after one win; it is that this was exactly the sort of result that makes an opening week credible. Source 1Source 3Source 4

Xavi’s first victory came away from home in Belgrade, against the backdrop of an early enforced substitution and a second-half equaliser, so the team had to show more than a favourable game state to prevail. Source 1Source 2Source 3

Meerdink’s winner, created from Til’s pass, also gives the result a practical sign of impact from the bench rather than a narrative built solely around possession. Source 1Source 3Source 4

The Netherlands’ 67 per cent share of the ball supports the view that they carried control for significant periods, while the final score confirms that control was converted into three points. Source 2Source 3Source 4

The result also extended the Netherlands’ unbeaten competitive run after 90 minutes to 18 matches, a sequence recorded as 10 wins and eight draws. Source 3

That run predates this single match as a broader measure, but the Serbia result protects it while giving the new head coach his first win rather than merely another promising performance. Source 1Source 3

Most importantly, the team answered Serbia’s equaliser with a decisive goal instead of settling for the draw that had marked Xavi’s opening match against Germany. Source 2Source 3Source 4

Closing read

The immediate read is therefore positive but measured: Xavi now has a first Nations League win, while Meerdink has supplied an unforgettable first international start with two goals. Source 1Source 2Source 4

The next assessment should focus on whether the Netherlands can repeat the response, control and cutting edge displayed in Belgrade, rather than demand that one tight victory resolve every issue at once. Source 1Source 3Source 4

For now, the early trajectory contains two unbeaten matches, a first win for the head coach and a new scorer who decided a tense away fixture, which is a stronger launch point than the scoreline alone might suggest. Source 1Source 2Source 3Source 4