The Netherlands, the 1988 champions, did the minimum on Wednesday as they warmed up for their Euro 2012 campaign with a 2-0 home friendly tune-up against Slovakia.
A seventh-minute own goal from Kornel Salata set the hosts on their way and a Rafael Van der Vaart effort 15 minutes from time clinched a routine success in Rotterdam.
Coach Bert van Marwijk had tried various permutations in recent narrow defeats both to Bayern Munich and then Bulgaria at the weekend in Amsterdam, but this time sent out more or less the team he expects to field when the tournament gets under way next week in Poland and Ukraine.
Marwijk fielded wide men in Ibrahim Afellay and Arjen Robben with Robin van Persie as the lone spearhead to begin with in preference to Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, but the performance was somewhat laboured despite the early gift of a goal.
On the debit side, Wesley Sneijder had to go off with an ankle injury six minutes into the second half, giving way to van der Vaart.
Afellay, whose season was curtailed with knee trouble, gave a good account of himself and was involved in the build up to the opening goal.
The Netherlands have been drawn in Group B at Euro 2012 along with Germany, Portugal and Denmark.
They will kick off their campaign against Denmark in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Sunday, June 9.
Source: AFP
