Euro 2024. Thanks to a great Gakpo, the Netherlands rolls against Romania

Since 2008, and their quarter-final loss against Russia, the Orange had not passed the group stage of Euro 2012, had stopped in the round of 16 of Euro 2021 (beaten by the Czechs), and had not even obtained their ticket for France and Euro 2016.

For a place in the last four of Euro 2024, they will face Austria or Turkey on Saturday (9 p.m.) at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, the last match of the round of 16. The Dutch and Austrians have already faced each other, with a victory for Ralf Rangnick’s men (3-2), already in Berlin for the last match of Group D.

This setback served as a free warning for Virgil van Dijk’s teammates, but also pushed them to question themselves, aware that they had to do more to hope to go far, they who reached the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup and who were cited before the start of the tournament among the outsiders of Euro 2024.

“We showed a good reaction compared to the previous match. We needed it and we took a step in the right direction. We had everything, the aggression, the intensity, defending like a team,” said Cody Gakpo (25 years old), named man of the match.

Malen, who came on as a substitute, scored twice

Against the weakest group winner of the 1^er round (only four points, just like the Dutch), Ronald Koeman’s men let a first quarter of an hour of slight Romanian domination slip away, before taking complete control of the match.

While the left side of the Romanian defence suffered enormously against Denzel Dumfries and Jerdy Schouten, it was from the other wing that the opening goal came in the 20th minute.^e minute. Gakpo started along the touchline, got the better of Andrei Ratiu and beat Romanian goalkeeper Florin Nita at the near post.

The Dutch then outrageously dominated the game, but were unable to secure a lead for more than an hour. Xavi Simons failed to take advantage of a good recovery of the ball by Dumfries, trampling alone at the penalty spot. Van Dijk hit Nita’s post. And solo breakthroughs by Reijnders and Gakpo also failed to produce results.

After a goal was logically disallowed for an offside position, Gakpo got past three Romanian defenders to set up a back pass for Donyell Malen in the 83rd minute.^e minute, offering a quiet end to the match for the Netherlands. Coming into play after the break, the Dortmund striker scored his double in added time (90^e+3).

The Dutch defence led by Van Dijk, Stefan De Vrij and Nathan Aké remained attentive to the rare Romanian incursions by Man or Nicolae Stanciu, but overall had a fairly quiet end to the afternoon in the mild Munich weather (around twenty degrees).