Unrelenting, unbelievable and unstoppable, an exhibition of such beauty and grace that showed just how far English football must go to reclaim a place at the high table of the game.

Last night, as the De Kuip Stadium was turned into a cavalcade of colour again and Patrick Kluivert became the first man to score four goals in a European Championship game, the hosts roared out an awesome warning that nobody could possibly ignore.

This was a throwback to the greatest Dutch side of all, the Total Football team put together by Rinus Michels and led by Johan Cruyff, who has been the biggest critic of this team.

But Cruyff's words stung the Dutch into action. Their movement was mesmerising and magnificent, a relentless orange wave that could not be denied, remorseless and hypnotically enrapturing.

It was wonderful to watch, orchestrated by Edgar Davids and a sublime Dennis Bergkamp, augmented by the speed out wide of Boudewijn Zenden and Marc Overmars, with Kluivert providing the devastating cutting edge.

The Yugoslavs, for all their technical ability, simply had no answer, swept aside by a display of attacking football that took the breath away.

Then again, it was hard to think of any team that could have resisted the Dutch in such joyful, energising flow, with so many options, so much to offer.

Most crucially of all, they offered Kluivert, deadly and incisive on a night when he demonstrated everything he has to give and his conviction that this is his tournament, even if he was reluctant to claim his third goal, when he appeared to win the race to Paul Bosvelt's low cross.

Kluivert said later: 'I didn't think I'd got there and, if I did, it hit one of the defenders last before it went in. But if they want to give it to me, I'll take it. I feel very happy to have been part of a team that played like that and, as far as I'm concerned, Dennis was as good, if not better, than me.

'Of course, I know I've got a chance of being the top scorer in the tournament now but that isn't important. What matters is Holland winning.'

On this sort of form, it will take something special to prevent them from lifting the trophy for the second time in 12 years back here in Rotterdam next Sunday.

Such was Holland's mastery by the end that it was easy to forget that Yugoslavia should have gone in front.

But from the instant Pre-drag Mijatovic, played in after Savo Milosevic displayed a subtlety of movement that few Villa Park regulars would have recognised, allowed Edwin Van Der Sar to save from 10 yards, the switch was flicked and Holland took over.

By the time Milosevic had scored his fifth of the tournament in the final minute, it had long been rendered academic by the sheer brilliance of the Dutch.

It was Bergkamp - 'He was fantastic,' said coach Frank Rijkaard - who led the way, forcing two excellent saves from Ivica Kralj as the tempo and mood of the match was transformed.

Suddenly, with Davids seemingly everywhere in the midfield - perhaps Cruyff might retract his criticism of the Juventus midfielder's abilities as a playmaker - Bergkamp probing and Overmars and Zenden providing width, pace and penetration on both flanks, the Dutch were alive.

It was a shame that Davids fired over after a superb one- two with Bergkamp had sent him clear but the stage was set for Kluivert - and he could not have been more clinical.

The opener summed up Holland, Bergkamp and Kluivert. The Arsenal striker took Kluivert's pass and floated an expert return into his path beyond the struggling Nisa Saveljic. With Kralj utterly exposed the Barcelona marksman prodded home.

The Dutch were on fire, attacks coming from every direction, and while Zenden and Rangers' Arthur Numan, after a jinking run and shot, were denied, the second was not long coming.

Once again, the approach play was exquisite, the finish emphatic. Zenden, so bright and inventive, was at the genesis but it was Davids' pass, looped over the struggling Sinisa Mihajlovic and dropping on the perfect spot for Kluivert to ram home on the half-volley, that deserved the plaudits.

Mihajlovic's searing left foot appeared the only hope for the Yugoslavs, as the Dutch refused to slacken. Kluivert took ruthless advantage as their heads dropped with two more within three minutes just after the restart. Both were all about Holland's ability to get at the Yugoslavs down the flanks.

Both demonstrated Kluivert's scoring instincts, completing his hat-trick - officially at least - before taking advantage when Zenden chased what was no more than a hopeful ball down the left, angling his body to dribble home a close-range volley and set his landmark.

Rijkaard said: 'Patrick did a wonderful job but that was only part of the team performance. It was exciting to see him play like that.'

With the Balkan side having given up, Holland were rampant. Substitute Roy Makaay should have scored with his first touch as Bergkamp swung in a corner, before Philip Cocu's raking drive clipped the bar with Kralj again a beaten man.

There was still time for more, with Overmars grabbing both, the Highbury winger first rifling a volley into the top corner and then latching on to the rebound when Cocu cracked a drive against an upright.

Of course, Italy and their defensive blanket of Azzurri blue should guarantee a more rugged and dogged barrier in Amsterdam on Thursday. If they give Rijkaard's team even half the leeway the Yugoslavs did, they will be blown away too.

Holland (4-4-2): Van Der Sar (Westerveld 65); Bosvelt, F De Boer, Stam, Numan; Overmars, Davids, Cocu, Zenden (R De Boer 79); Bergkamp, Kluivert (Makaay 59). Booked: Bosvelt

Yugoslavia (4-4-2): Kralj; Komljenovic, Saveljic (J Stankovic 56), Mihajlovic, Djukic; Stojkovic (D Stankovic 51), Govedarica, Jugovic, Drulovic (Kovacevic 70); Milosevic, Mijatovic.

Referee: Jose Maria Garcia-Aranda Encinar (Spain)