Netherlands forward, Mexx Meerdink scored twice as the Dutch secured a 2-1 victory over Serbia in Belgrade on Sunday, giving head coach Xavi Hernandez his first win in charge.
The Netherlands took the lead in the first half after Serbia defender Aleksa Terzic was penalised for pushing Crysencio Summerville inside the box.
Meerdink stepped up and calmly converted the resulting penalty despite goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic diving the right way.
The visitors continued to threaten, with Denzel Dumfries denied by Milinkovic-Savic as the Netherlands finished the opening half strongly.
Their momentum was briefly disrupted when Cody Gakpo was forced off with an injury.
Serbia responded immediately after the break, with coach Veljko Paunovic introducing Dusan Tadic and Luka Jovic.
The changes paid off as Jovic levelled within a minute of the restart after goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen had made two quick saves to keep out efforts from Jovic and Filip Kostic.
The Netherlands pushed forward in search of another goal, with Ruben van Bommel hitting the post before Tijjani Reijnders fired over from a promising position.
Meerdink restored the visitors’ advantage when he controlled Guus Til’s pass before firing a composed left-footed effort beyond Milinkovic-Savic.
Serbia pressed for another equaliser and came close when Jovic headed Tadic’s corner narrowly wide, but the hosts could not find a way through as the Netherlands held on for victory.
The result extended the Netherlands’ unbeaten run in competitive matches after 90 minutes to 18 games, while Serbia suffered a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions.
