AMSTERDAM (AP) France recovered from a Dutch rally to beat the Netherlands 3-2 on Friday, showing flashes of the attacking flair that will make it a serious contender at the European Championship later this year.
The Dutch showed second-half spirit in the international friendly but also the defensive frailties that saw them fail to qualify for the tournament.
The match was preceded by a minute's silence for victims of the Brussels bombings and halted in the 14th minute to pay tribute to Johan Cruyff - a day after the Ajax and Barcelona great lost his battle with lung cancer. Cruyff wore number 14 for Ajax, the club where he launched his career.
The Netherlands overcame a two-goal deficit before France captain Blaise Matuidi slotted in the winner in the 88th minute, two minutes after Ibrahim Afellay had levelled the scores.
