18. October 2025
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Netherlands – Italy 42-19 (22-9)

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

After reporting from the Netherlands vs. Faroe Islands men’s match in March 2025 was a really delightful experience with a lot of friendly people, I looked forward to be back in the Netherlands for handball national team reporting. On 16th October 2025, their women’s team faced Italy in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. This match was part of the EHF Euro Qualification for the 2026 tournament.

With this one being scheduled just a month before the event, the Netherlands could form their team before the Women’s IHF World Handball Championship. Their federation is about to host the event together with the German one. It was also some sort of final check for the Sportcentrum Maaspoort, which will be one of the World Championship venues in November and December 2025.

This posting comes with a section of 420 major size pictures in the sports galleries. 

 

Netherlands – Italy – Match Report

From an Italian perspective, you have to sum up the first twelve minutes of the game as a catastrophe. Vice versa, the Netherlands had a start into the EHF Euro Qualifications they likely had never dreamed of in the beautiful Maasport arena. After twelve minutes, the score was already 11-3 in favor of the hosts. Italy neither found a grip on the game in defense nor in offense, the Oranjes had an easy cruise on the other side.  The match did not really consolidate. After 20 minutes, there was a gap of twelve goals, 17-5. One of the few Italian smiles was on the Italian goalie Francesca Luchin, who had a goalie goal into the empty net of the hosts’ team. The Netherlands slowed down a bit, tried out more players and other strategies, so that the score after 30 minutes, 22-9, felt comparably moderate, despite the huge gap between the teams.

The second half felt a bit closer, but finally, the individual strength as well as the gameplay superiority of the Netherlands did not change the story too much. The Dutch engines of the game were Kelly Vollebregt, who scored 9 goals without any failed attempt, and Bo van Wetering with 8 goals. Especially in the second part of the second half, you more and more felt that the hosts took that match as a training towards the World Championship, altering the game. Overall, they were absolutely superior, the final score of 42-19 felt having the potential to be even lower than possible. The only critical situation of the match was a few minutes before the final whistle, when the match clock did not work out any more.

 

Netherlands – Italy – My View of the Match

During the match, I was thinking about whether this match would be good marketing towards the big event being ahead just a few weeks later. On the one hand, the Dutch dominance will definitely lead to energy and optimism. On the other hand, you felt that the crowds also slowed down. Supporting their team almost felt unfair and respectless in that match. The Netherlands will face significantly tougher challenges, when they play at the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam in the IHF Women’s Handball World Championships. For Italy, it will be a big challenge to have a pleasing qualification for the EHF Euro 2026, not only due to the -23 goal difference burden emerging just from this single match in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

 

Netherlands – Italy – Lineups

Netherlands: 1 Nikki van der Vorst, 30 Rinka Duijndam – 8 Lois Abbingh, 9 Larissa Nüsser, 12 Bo van Wetering, 14 Judith van der Helm, 18 Kelly Dulfer, 19 Merel Freriks, 22 Zoe Spengers, 24 Romee Maarschalkeweerd, 26 Antje Angela Malestein, 31 Kelly Vollebregt, 44 Nikita van der Vliet, 45 Lisa Vlug, 38 Dione Housheer, 79 Estevana Polman

Italy: 1 Maddalena Cabrini, 12 Francesca Luchin – 2 Luisella Podda, 3 Asia Kristel Mangone, 6 Rocio Sthefani Squizziato, 8 Giulia Teresa Losio, 10 Charity Osaheniye Iyamu, 14 Vanessa Djiogap Tengium, 15 Ramona Vesna Manojlovic, 17 Alessia Zizzo, 21 Giulia Gozzi, 22 Alice Gilberto, 26 Irene Fanton, 55 Bianca Ioana Barbose 64 Natalie Falser, 66 Aurora Gislimberti

 

Netherlands – Italy – Gallery

In the sports gallery, there is a designated major size picture gallery with 420 pictures of this match at

 

Sports (Netherlands)

Here are all my sports postings related to the Netherlands:

 

Spotlight – Flyctory.com Interviews 2025

Here are all postings of my interview section Spotlight, released in 2025:

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