Netherlands Shock Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal 3-0 in International Friendly

The Netherlands defeated Portugal in an international friendly on Monday night, as the Dutch won 3-0 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Memphis Depay gave the Oranje a surprise lead after 11 minutes, and the advantage was doubled as Ryan Babel found the back of the net in the 32nd minute.

The Euro 2016 champions were stunned as Virgil van Dijk's half-volley found the bottom corner two minutes into first-half injury time, giving the Dutch a 3-0 lead at the break.

Portugal failed to make an impression in the second period, with Cristiano Ronaldo substituted midway through the half, and the Netherlands were comfortable winners in the end.

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Ronaldo led the attack for Portugal, with Andre Gomes and Ricardo Quaresma supporting in midfield.

The Dutch set up with a firm core in a 5-3-2, allowing Depay and Babel plenty of freedom to stream forward as opportunity presented itself.

Portugal dominated the ball in the early stages but failed to produce a threat as they quickly fell behind.

Depay gave the Netherlands an early lead, linking with Donny van de Beek to clinical effect.

Portugal attempted a swift comeback, with Ronaldo tumbling in the box as he searched for a penalty, and when the incident was ignored, the Real Madrid icon showed his displeasure.

Moments later, it was 2-0 to the Netherlands as Babel's header hit the back of the net at pace.

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The Portuguese were clearly despondent as their opponents were far from dangerous, but worse was yet to come.

Poor marking saw the Dutch again strike, and Liverpool centre-back Van Dijk showed his prowess with a controlled finish.

The 26-year-old smashed his shot into the bottom corner with style, and the half-time lead was a shock to the system.

The Netherlands have failed to display a clinical edge in recent months after missing out on qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but the first shoots of recovery were present in the first half.

Associated Press writer Graham Dunbar was impressed with the play on offer:

Portugal failed to put their foot on the gas in the second half and were down to 10 men as Joao Cancelo was shown a red card for a late tackle.

The 23-year-old was dismissed in the 61st minute for a second bookable offence, as his side appeared on their knees.

Ronaldo was taken off moments later as Portugal attempted to give minutes to their squad, with the Dutch in firm control of the contest.

The match petered out as the Portuguese accepted defeat, and the Dutch were rewarded with a much-needed victory against a major nation.

Portugal will need to play much better than this in the weeks ahead, and the European Championship holders cannot simply rely on Ronaldo to take them through to the knockout stages in Russia.