The Oranje cruised to a 2-0 victory over Finland, thanks to goals from Memphis Depay and Denzel Dumfries inside the first 25 minutes.

Netherlands sits third in Group G after its first qualifier, but is just three points behind Poland, which has won both of its matches so far.

"The first one is always difficult. Especially under these circumstances, two weeks after such a long season for everyone. So, it's important that we got three points," Van Dijk said after the match.

"But I want to go to the [FIFA] World Cup. This is the start of our cycle; it's all about the three points.

"We played well for most of the match against a team that sits back a bit more. You have to play around them, because the centre is packed. The first hour was good, but the last half hour needs to be better."

Like his captain, coach Ronald Koeman was satisfied with how well Netherlands started, but he is still eyeing improvements after a slower second half.

"I thought we started very well, quickly scored the opening goal. That is what you always want, especially in these types of matches against a team that plays with a lot of people behind the ball. We did that well," Koeman said.

"After about 30 or 35 minutes, I thought we were already a bit sloppy in possession. I also thought we no longer had real pressure on us.

"We did not create many chances, and that continued in the second half. That may be logical, but you want to get even more out of a match like this. The result is fine, but I hope we play a better second half against Malta on Tuesday [Wednesday AEST]."