Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - A lokacin da Alexander Farnese, Duke na Parma na gaba, ya karɓi iko da rundunar a 1578, ƙasashen da ke ƙasa sun ƙara rarrabuwa tsakanin arewacin tawaye da waɗancan lardunan kudancin har yanzu suna da aminci ga Spain. Tare da isowar dakarun da yawa daga Spain, Farnese ya fara karfafa ikon Spain a kudu, ya fara da Maastricht. Farnese ya fara Siege na Maastricht a ranar 12 ga Maris 1579. Ya umurci sojojinsa su rushe ganuwar. Mazaunan Maastricht suma suna haƙa don su kai ga ramin Spain. A cikin zurfin ƙasa yaƙi ya ci gaba. Daruruwan sojojin Spain sun mutu yayin da aka zuba ruwan tafasa a cikin ramin. Wasu sun mutu saboda rashin iskar oxygen lokacin da masu kare Dutch suka kunna wuta a cikinsu. Wasu sojojin Spain 500 sun mutu sa'ad da wani makami mai linzami, da suka yi shirin amfani da shi don su halaka bangon, ya fashe da wuri. A cikin daren 29 ga Yuni, Farnese ya sami damar shiga cikin birni yayin da masu karewa suka yi barci. Kungiyoyin Mutanen Espanya da suka keta ganuwar birni sun fara yiwa mata fyade (wasu daga cikinsu, a cikin gwagwarmayar kare garin, sun keta matsayin jinsi kuma sun rasa haƙƙinsu na jinƙai), sannan suka kashe yawan jama'a. A shekara ta 1585, Farnese ya sake mallakar biranen Brussels, Ghent, da Antwerp
, da lardin Brabant da kuma mafi yawan Flanders. A wannan lokacin an karkatar da Sojojin daga ainihin aikinsa na yaƙi da 'yan tawaye na arewa don magance matsalar Ingila, a yaƙi da Spain. Farnese ya yi imanin cewa rundunar za ta iya fatan tsallake tashar Channel a cikin karfi, ta dogara da tawayen Katolika a Ingila don tallafawa shi; maimakon haka, Philip ya yanke shawarar kai hari ta hanyar amfani da Armada na Spain a 1588. Sojojin Flanders sun matsa kan Ostend da Dunkirk a shirye-shiryen ci gaba da motsa jiki a fadin Channel don tallafawa Armada, amma shan kashi na babban rundunar sojan ruwa ya kawo karshen wadannan tsare-tsaren.