7/02/24
Round of 16
Romania 0 vs. Netherlands 3

Gakpo cracks the Cody to unlock stubborn Tricolorii

Danny Lewis, 1 h ago
The Netherlands overcame a resolute Romania side to come out of the contest with a 3-0 victory and a place in their first UEFA European Championship quarter-final since 2008.

Romania’s commitment was unmistakable from the very beginning, with the team pressing relentlessly while Ianis Hagi wore a head covering after sustaining a cut inside three minutes. There was also quality on display when Dennis Man glided inside and hit a threatening effort narrowly off-target. Despite the Netherlands suffering during the early stages, they opened the scoring 20 minutes in when Cody Gakpo sparked into life and cut inside Andrei Rațiu before smashing his strike past Florin Niță at the near post.

That gave Ronald Koeman’s side a visible boost and Radu Drăgușin had to rush out to block Tijjani Reijnders block, with Stefan de Vrij heading into the side netting from the ensuing corner. Drăgușin continued to valiantly fight back against the building Dutch pressure, putting in an impressive tackle on Memphis Depay and masterfully cutting out Denzel Dumfries’ cutback. There was still a blow for the Tricolorii as Vasile Mogoș’s first Euros appearance ended early following a collision with Dumfries, but a mistake at either end went unpunished by Xavi Simons and Denis Drăguș before the break.

Reijnders burst through Romania shortly after the restart but saw his strike blocked by the sprawling figure of Bogdan Racovițan, and it wasn’t long until a superb Andrei Rațiu tackle and desperate Romanian defending denied Depay. The Oranje craved a second goal, yet that continued to evade them as Virgil van Dijk’s header went behind off the post and Gakpo’s instinctive would-be goal was ruled out for offside. An intelligent Depay free-kick and a Joey Veerman attempt both drifted marginally wide to keep an equaliser tantalisingly close for a Romania side that refused to waver.

Gakpo eventually forced that buffer as he determinedly got past Drăgușin and laid the ball off for Donyell Malen to convert. Malen then embarked on a blistering run and finished clinically to add an extra layer of gloss to the scoreline as the Netherlands earned their first Euros knockout win since 2004. Romania’s campaign will be remembered with pride as they progressed past the group stage for the first time since 2000, but they now go home having lost two of their last three.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Cody Gakpo (Netherlands)


Romania Netherlands

7/02/24
Round of 16
Austria 1 vs. Türkiye 2

Deadly Demiral shines brightest for Crescent-Stars

Alex Waite, 15 min ago
Merih Demiral’s first-ever international career brace led Turkey to a first UEFA European Championship quarter-final in 16 years as the Crescent-Stars beat Austria 2-1 in Leipzig.

A pulsating start gripped this round of 16 tie as Austria launched a promising attack from kick-off and conceded before one minute was even on the board. The opener came from Arda Güler’s corner that pinballed in the six-yard area before Patrick Pentz scooped the ball to Demiral, who finished high into the net to make Turkey the fastest-ever goalscorers in a Euros knockout match.

As the second-highest scorers in the Euros group stages, Austria weren’t going to submit and Christoph Baumgartner’s edge-of-the-area snapshot whistled past the post in the second minute. Eventually, both sides regained defensive composure, but the midfield pulse kept thumping and Real Madrid starlet Güler tried to lob Pentz from inside his own half, only to send his effort swerving wide.

Austria would have to muster a response to Turkey’s rapid opener as Das Team looked to notch their first competitive win over the Crescent Stars since 1988, with Marko Arnautović forcing Mert Günok into an early save after HT. However, it was the same deadly duo that did the damage to double Turkey’s lead as another tantalising Güler corner was met by Demiral’s bullet header that flew past a rooted Pentz. Vincenzo Montella’s outfit had the quarter-finals in their sights until Austria substitute Michael Gregoritsch set up a tense finale by tapping in Stefan Posch’s knockdown following a Marcel Sabitzer corner. Das Team threw everything at Turkey late on, but Montella’s side – without the help of their suspended captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu – dug in as Günok produced an incredible last-gasp stop to see out their third Euros victory in four.

Austrian hopes were high after Ralf Rangnick’s side pipped France and the Netherlands to an unlikely top spot in Group A, yet Das Team’s long-term quest to go beyond the Euros round of 16 stage rumbles on after two Turkey set pieces proved decisive. Ultimately, Demiral’s finishing touches and some stout defending got Turkey over the line, sparking wild celebrations as the Crescent-Stars set up a quarter-final meeting with the Netherlands.

Flashscore Man of the Match: Merih Demiral (Turkey)

Austria Türkiye