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Kist penalty decisive as Netherlands edge Greece in EURO 1980 Group 1

Netherlands 1-0 Greece
The tournament underdogs impressed for long periods but Kees Kist's penalty gave the Dutch victory.

The Netherlands line up for their opening EURO 1980 game
The Netherlands line up for their opening EURO 1980 game VI-Images via Getty Images

Expected to stroll to victory, the Netherlands ultimately did just enough to see off Greece in their 1980 opener.

Greece were the overwhelming underdogs for the tournament as a whole but did not seem prepared to stick to the script against a Dutch side who, two years previously, had suffered their second successive FIFA World Cup final defeat.

EURO 1980: All you need to know

As it transpired, it was Greece who were often the better-looking team in Naples. Thomas Mavros was a particular handful, forcing Piet Schrijvers off the pitch after a collision and heading the ball towards Georgios Kostikos, who just failed to reach it two metres out.

Highlights: The best goals of EURO 1980

The Dutch, though, had a happy knack of doing what was required; second best for much of the match, they still edged to victory. Mavros was in the process of dribbling the ball out of his penalty area when the referee spotted a foul by Vasilis Konstantinou on Dick Nanninga. Kees Kist, who had earlier drawn a fine save from the goalkeeper, beat him from the penalty spot and that was that.

EURO 1980: Team of the Tournament

Lineups

Netherlands: Schrijvers (Doesburg 15); Wijnstekers, Krol, Van de Korput, Hovenkamp, Stevens; Haan, Willy van de Kerkhof, René van de Kerkhof; Verijsen (Nanninga 45), Kist
Substitutes: not listed
Coach: Jan Zwartkruis

Greece: Konstantinou; Kyrastas, Iosifidis, Foiros, Kapsis (c); Terzanidis, Livathinos, Kouis; Kostikos (Galakos 78), Mavros, Ardizoglou (Anastapoulos 68)
Substitutes: not listed
Coach: Alketas Panagoulias

Referee: Adolf Prokop (East Germany)