Memphis Depay scores superb hat-trick as Netherlands thrash Turkey 6-1 to top Group G

Memphis Depay continued his productive start to the season with another fine display for the Netherlands, as his hat-trick helped guide Louis Van Gaal’s men to a 6-1 victory over Turkey.

It appears that for sometime, Depay has been seriously underrated by the footballing world, whether that was due to his underwhelming spell in England clouding people’s judgement or the stigma surrounding the quality of opposition in France, it remains unclear.

The past couple of years haven’t been plain sailing for Barcelona’s new talisman, as towards the back-end of 2019 he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which kept him on the sidelines for 198 days. Even though this type of injury seems to be more common in the modern game, not everyone comes back from it stronger than before.

Many of football’s elite have struggled to find their prior form, as although their bodies may make full recoveries, the mental side of such a traumatic experience can affect performances in the long-term.

However since his comeback Depay looks to be an anomaly to that theory, as the forward’s numbers have gone up to another level, with his 42 goals and assists in 38 games during 2021 firmly putting him in the conversation when speaking about the top attackers in Europe.

On Tuesday night, that was no different. The 27-year-old once again showcased his refined skill-set as the Netherlands went top of Group G, above Norway on goal difference, in the hunt for World Cup qualification.

“I’m happy, but I expect more from myself. People think that I’m always floating and that everything is going well,” Depay said after the game.

“I’m important and threatening, I always will be, whatever happens. I thought it was a great evening with a great atmosphere, I hope everyone enjoyed it.”

This was Depay’s verdict from an evening which saw him contribute to four goals in the form of his first international hat-trick, that took him above Wesley Sneijder in the goal scoring charts, and level with the legendary Johan Cruyff.

Not to mention the clever flick which provided the assist for the opener, most strikers would be delighted with that in one night’s work, however it gives an insight into the mentality of a player gunning to gain the recognition he deserves.

Vision, dribbling, link-up play and finishing were all on display throughout the game and frankly the Dutchman looked a level above his opposition from the first whistle.

Under a minute into proceedings, the hosts won the ball back high into Turkey’s third, with Steven Berghuis having the composure to lift his head and find the unmarked Davy Klaassen in the area. The midfielder found Depay with a clever back-heel flick, in which he returned the favour with his first-touch, to create an opening for a shot.

With little room to operate in and with his back to goal, the weight of pass from the striker was sublime as it allowed Klaassen to pick his spot in the far corner, all without breaking stride. With the home support behind them along with an early lead Van Gaal’s men could smell blood and quickly went chasing the second goal.

One feature of Depay’s game which was apparent throughout, is his willingness to drop deep in order to influence the build-up, which is how the second goal came into fruition. All elite attacking players have to be aware of their surroundings on the pitch, to utilise the spaces so they can create overloads, and that’s an aspect he excels in.

One quick glance over his shoulder allowed him to receive the ball in the pocket and play a first-time flick into the path of Klaassen. The pairs understanding during the game was key, as they appeared to possess the same level of innovation in their play, which in turn led to the latter returning the ball back into the path of Depay with an astute through pass.

In one motion, he controlled the ball and swept home his effort low down to the keepers left-hand side, to double the Dutch’s advantage. It was a move that boasted such fluidity along with a composed finish to match and highlighted just how confident he is in his own ability.

That confidence slowly turned into an air of arrogance for the third goal, after Klaassen broke into the box and was fouled by Caglar Soyuncu for a penalty. Depay stepped up to the spot, as he always does for the national team, and audaciously executed a panenka penalty to claim his second of the night.

Matters went from bad to worse for a Turkish team undoubtedly in turmoil after their poor showing at Euro 2020, when the hosts’ talisman was involved again, spinning Soyuncu on the half-way line which forced the centre-back to bring him down for a second yellow card.

Quickly after the break, it was clear to see that the Dutch weren’t finished there, as they looked to improve upon their goal difference. In the 54th minute they did just that, when Berghuis found Depay in the six-yard box for a simple tap-in.

A cross field switch from Steven Bergwijn to his counterpart on the right allowed him to head the ball back into the six-yard box for Depay to cushion home for his hat-trick. The first two strikes flaunted his imagination, flair and quality, however this goal was the definition of a poachers finish.

With little time to assess the situation, Depay was able to identify the space and time his run into the six-yard box without straying offside, which is a quality that shouldn’t be underestimated when attempting to find the back of the net.

The top forwards in the world pride themselves off these type of goals, as although they aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing, they require intelligence in and around the box to execute. His movement is another facet to his game that is constantly evolving and could be seen as one of the main factors as to why his numbers have improved so drastically in the past 12 months.

Although his goal involvements were done for the evening after this, it didn’t stop his teammates from getting in on the act. Young midfielder Guus Til got his name on the scoresheet for the first time for his country and substitute striker Donyell Malen rounded off proceedings with a clinical finish two minutes from full-time.

Cenzig Under was able to give the 10-men of Turkey a consolation goal after an awful mix-up at the back from Virgil Van Dijk and goalkeeper Justin Bijlow allowed him to roll the ball into an empty net to make it 6-1.

If Depay’s performance against Turkey has taught us one thing, it’s that he is currently one of the most underrated players in Europe right now.

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