Delightful Dutch set up England clash in Dortmund with comeback win over Turkey
Sunday 7 July 2024
UEFA Euros 2024
Quarter-Final 4 - Netherlands Vs Turkey
Olympiastadion, Olympischer Platz 3, 14053 Berlin, Germany
Delightful Dutch set up England clash in Dortmund with comeback win over Turkey
An own goal from Mert Muldur & a header from Stefan De Vrij sealed the Dutch's stunning comeback as they beat a Turkey team, who were out of energy in the final few minutes.
MATCH PREVIEW:
There's only one more team remaining for the semi finals, and no better time to see two teams, who battled their way to the quarters in different style. The Dutch comfortably saw off Romania in Munich thanks to Donyell Malen & Cody Gakpo, whereas Turkey had to survive a late Austria scare to qualify for the quarters, thanks to a brace from Merih Demiral, and some goalkeeping brilliance from Mert Gunok. It's simple from here. Win & you play England in the semi-finals on Wednesday at Dortmund, lose and you can pack your bags and go home. Which of these entertaining teams can get their wish? Can Turkey recreate their iconic run to the semi-finals, or will the Dutch storm through to the semis? We're about to find out! All the 3 quarter finals, have gone to extra-time and penalties, so will we see a 4th game go to extra-time, or will either side wrap it up within the 90 minutes.
TEAM NEWS & FORM GUIDE:
The Netherlands: Form Guide = WWDLW. RTK = W (2-1) Poland, D (0-0) France, L (2-3) Austria, W (3-0) Romania.
It's an unchanged Dutch team which started against Romania. A milestone moment for Manchester City's Nathan Aké, as he makes his 50th international appearance for the Netherlands. Cody Gakpo is the tournament's joint top scorer with 3 goals.
Starting XI: Verbruggen, Dumfries, Van Dijk (C), De Vrij, Aké, Schouten, Reijnders, Bergwijn, Simons, Gakpo, Depay. (4-2-3-1)
Substitutes: Bijlow, Flekken, Weghorst, Frimpong, Van de Ven, Veerman, Zirkzee
Turkey: Form Guide = LWLWW. RTK = W (3-1) Georgia, L (0-3) Portugal, W (2-1) Czech Republic, W (2-1) Austria.
3 forced changes for Turkey as they are all due to suspensions to key players. Merih Demiral is given a suspension for his celebration in the win over Austria, so Samet Akaydin replaces him. 2 midfielders face a suspension due to accumulation of yellow cards, so Orkun Kökcü & Yüksek are unavailable, leaving Inter Milan midfielder and national team captain, Hakan Calhanoglu & UCL finalist with Borussia Dortmund, Salih Özcan to replace the suspended duo.
Starting XI: Gunok, Muldur, Ayhan, Akaydin, Bardacki, Kadioglu, Güler, Özcan, Calhanoglu (C), Yildiz & Baris Yilmaz (5-4-1)
Substitutes: Bayindir, Celik, Yokslu, Aktukoglu, Tosun, Kiliscoy
ONES TO WATCH:
Cody Gakpo: The top scorer of this Euros with the Dutch. He has been so impressive for the Oranje, when it comes to scoring goals. Having had a decent season with Liverpool, can he continue the rich vein of form?
Arda Güler: You cannot write off this incredible 19-year-old youngster. What a great time he has had with both club and country. A UCL winner with Real Madrid, and having contributed to this tournament with 1 goal and 1 assist, can he increase that tally to 3?
KICK-OFF: FIRST HALF
The Oranje kick-off the contest! It is going to be fascinating to find out, which side will post the biggest threat? Will it be the Dutch, with Cody Gakpo and Xavi Simons, with great pace on the break, or will it be Turkey's Kenan Yildiz, Arda Güler & Baris Alper Yilmaz? This is the 15th encounter, the first at a major tournament, with the Dutch favourites to win with 6 wins to the Turk's 4 with 4 draws. The Dutch have won 5 out of 7 quarter-final games (71%), albeit losing only 2 of them to Argentina and Russia (2022 WC & 2008 EUROS). There wasn't much to smile about as both sides carved out chances, with Turkey applying more pressure to the Dutch defence, as Calhanoglu's effort was blocked by Van Dijk on 21 minutes, after a great breakaway from Kenan Yildiz. Turkey continued to apply the press onto the Dutch & the pressure paid off on 35 minutes, as Turkey struck the first goal of the quarter-final. Turkey have a 3rd corner, which is taken short and headed away. Back it goes to Güler who delivers the cross, AND IT'S HEADED INTO THE BACK OF THE NET!!! SAMET AKAYDIN SCORES FOR TURKEY AND THE OLYMPIASTADION ERUPTS, FULL OF TURKEY FANS WHISTLING AND CHEERING FOR THEIR NATION! THE NETHERLANDS HAVE BEEN SILENCED!! WHAT SCENES WE HAVE HERE, WITH 10 MINUTES TO GO UNTIL HALF-TIME! THE TURKS SUPRISE ANOTHER BIG NATION YET AGAIN FROM THEIR SET-PIECE TACTICS!! Güler's cross was terrfic and the header from Akaydin is just as great! THE NETHERLANDS 0 - TURKEY 1!
We have already seen what the Netherlands can do when they are a goal down. Can they come up with an answer? It doesn't look all that likely, with the 4th official signalling only 2 minutes of added time to end the first half, of what has been an entertaining showpiece! And so it ends at half-time, with the Turks having the narrow edge over the Dutch, who have had great chances to try and level the game, but they could not. HALF-TIME IN BERLIN.
KICK-OFF: SECOND HALF
It's now or never for Ronald Koeman's side as Turkey, who have the narrow half-time advantage, get the second half underway. The Orange Army make a change at half-time with Steven Bergwijn off and on comes Wout Weghorst, who is often the super sub for the Dutch. Can he become the impact sub to turn the game around for the Dutch? We're about to find out, as the Netherlands continue to threaten the Turkish defence, but they could not take their chances yet again. Turkey continue to survive the Dutch attack. They had a couple of chances themselves at Bart Verbruggen's goal, with Arda Güler coming close for his nation, with his 30-yard free kick clipping the post. Still, there were signs of a threat Turkey carry on the counterattack, as they won free kicks by drawing fouls off the Dutch players, with Virgil van Dijk and Nathan Aké receiving cards for fouling Baris Yilmaz & Arda Güler. After surviving the Turkish attack, the Dutch drew level on 70 minutes. Weghorst should've scored that effort, but Gunok parried it away for a corner. Will this give them a way back into the game? We will find out, as Depay takes the corner short to Schouten, back it goes to Depay, who is onside, IN IT GOES, DE VRIJJJ!!!!! THE DUTCH HAVE FOUND THEIR EQUALISER!! AND IT'S STEFAN DE VRIJ, THE 32-YEAR-OLD INTER MILAN CENTER HALF, WHO HEADS IN THE CROSS FROM MEMPHIS DEPAY! NO ONE REALLY MARKED HIM, AS HE HEADS THE BALL INTO THE BACK OF THE NET! THE ORANJE FANS GO CRAZY! IT IS NETHERLANDS 1 - TURKEY 1, WITH 20 MINUTES OF NORMAL TIME TO PLAY!
Two more changes incoming from Koeman as he sends on Van de Ven and Erdievise winner with PSV Eindhoven, Joey Veerman in place of Nathan Aké & Tijjani Reijnders. The comeback was complete by the Dutch on 76 minutes. What's happened here? The Turkish defence falls asleep and the Dutch are attacking. Dumfries with the ball now, plays it across, AND IT GOES INTO THE BACK OF THE NET!! CODY GAKPO IS CLAIMING THAT IT CAME OFF HIM, BUT WE WILL HAVE TO SEE THE REPLAY LATER, BUT FOR NOW, HE LEADS THE DUTCH CELEBRATIONS, AS THE ORANJE LEAD BY 2-1 WITH LESS THAN 15 MINUTES TO GO!! IT IS AN OWN GOAL AWARDED BY UEFA TO THE DUTCH. AS THE BALL CAME IN, IT CAME OFF THE RIGHT-BACK, MERT MULDUR, WHO TRIED TO CLEAR THE BALL AWAY, BUT HE COULD NOT, AS HE WAS TIGHTLY MARKED BY CODY GAKPO. A BIG SETBACK FOR TURKEY, WHO HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO PRESERVE THEIR LEAD, NOW THE DUTCH SEIZE THE INITIATIVE!
Now, it is Turkey's turn to play catch-up. Can they come up with an equalizer to force extra-time. So far, there have been 3 quarter-finals, that have gone to penalties & finished within the 120 minutes. Is this going to be the 4th? Exciting couple of minutes up ahead. Into the final 10 minutes we go, as Turkey continue to create chances, but they still could not break through, although they had efforts blocked by De Vrij & Van de Ven. There is still time for Turkey to carve out an equalizer, as we head into 5 minutes of added time, where a moment of brilliance from the Dutch defense. It's really heating up for the Turks, as we see a cross coming in for Turkey AND KILISCOY'S HEADER IS SAVED BY VERBRUGGEN!!! WHAT AN UNBELIEVEABLE PIECE OF GOALKEEPING FROM THE BRIGHTON NUMBER 1!! GETS DOWN TO STICK A HAND OUT TO DENY THE YOUNG 18-YEAR-OLD AND IT GOES BEHIND FOR A CORNER FOR TURKEY! IT WAS MERT GUNOK WHO DENIED AUSTRIA THE WIN IN LEIPZIG WITH A LAST-MINUTE SAVE, NOW IT'S VERBRUGGEN WHO DENIES THE TURKS AN EQUALIZER!!
Verbruggen denies Kiliscoy's strike to the keep the game at 2-1.
AND THAT IS GOING TO BE THAT!!! THE FULL-TIME WHISTLE HAS BEEN SOUNDED AT THE OLYMPIASTADION IN BERLIN, AS THE NETHERLANDS PROGRESS TO THE SEMI-FINALS OF THE EUROS 2024!! THEY WILL PLAY ENGLAND AT DORTMUND'S SIGNAL IDUNA PARK ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT TO DECIDE A PLACE IN BERLIN FOR SUNDAY'S FINAL!! TURKEY'S MAGICAL RUN TO THE QUARTERS IS OVER. They played well, they fought well, they brought so much joy to their fans, but it is unfortunate that the road ends here.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Stefan De Vrij
You could easily say that Cody Gakpo should've won the award for his work, or Bart Verbruggen for his impressive goalkeeping. But no, De Vrij totally deserves to win it. The 32-year-old's defensive work and attacking play has been terrific. Created chances for the Dutch in the first half by picking out passes through the Turkish players, and produced some brilliant defending to deny Turkey a chance to score in the second half with a defensive block, which proved to be the game-changer. His headed goal sparked the comeback for the Dutch.
Comments
Post a Comment