The Netherlands came from behind to beat Türkiye 2-1 with two goals in six minutes, advancing to the Euro 2024 semi-finals where they will face England.
Own goals have once again become a recurring theme at Euro 2024, with 10 such goals since the start of the tournament, just one goal short of the previous record. Türkiye has been unlucky, being the only team to have had two own goals: center-back Samet Akaydin in their loss to Portugal and defender Mert Muldur against the Netherlands. Muldur's attempt to clear the ball into his own net handed the "Orange Tornado" a place in the semi-finals.
Before scoring an own goal, Muldur had been stepped on twice by Dutch players, first by Xavi Simons and then by Cody Gakpo. Simons and Gakpo then contributed to the Netherlands' decisive goal in the 76th minute. Simons played a one-touch through ball down the right side of the penalty area to Denzel Dumfries, who crossed it low towards the far post for Gakpo to attempt a tap-in. Muldur slid to block it, causing Gakpo to fall, and the ball rolled in another direction, beating goalkeeper Mert Gunok.
After the ball went into the net, a Turkish female spectator in the stands stopped waving her flag, while the male fan next to her bowed his head onto the back of his seat. On Reddit , user matzan commented: "I'm four blocks away from the Olympic Stadium, but only now do I realize that Turkey is no longer leading."
The Turkish fans outnumbered the Dutch at the Olympic Stadium, and they used that to put pressure on Ronald Koeman's team. Whenever the Netherlands held possession for too long, whistles and boos erupted from the stands. This happened frequently in the first half, when Türkiye unexpectedly took the lead from a corner kick.
All three of Turkey's goals in this knockout round came from corner kicks, and were scored by central defenders. In the 35th minute, Arda Guler delivered a right-footed cross to the far post for Akaydin to head home from close range without being closely marked. Goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen misjudged the ball's trajectory, rushed out too far, and failed to make contact. "The Olympic Stadium is bouncing, but I'm not surprised because these are Turkish fans," commented the Guardian correspondent in Berlin.
Akaydin, 30 years old, was only called up to the national team this year but has already played 10 matches. The central defender, who plays for Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce club, celebrated his first goal for the national team by kneeling and bowing his head to the ground several times. In the stands, Turkish fans lit flares and continued to dance and cheer on Vincenzo Montella's team.
Guler's assist was also hailed as the "best cross of the tournament," according to the English media. As the Real Madrid midfielder went to the technical area for a drink, he received a kiss on the forehead from manager Montella. Guler also nearly scored a spectacular free-kick from 26 meters out in the second half, but it was denied by the post.
Dutch newspaper Voetbal International argued that Turkey deserved to take the lead in the first half, as Koeman's team failed to register a single shot on goal. Their short-passing game proved ineffective, forcing them to change their approach in the second half. The 1.97m tall striker Wout Weghorst was brought on as the Netherlands began playing more direct football with crosses into the penalty area. This caused problems for the Turkish defense, which eventually collapsed within six minutes.
While the Turkish players were preoccupied with Weghorst, center-back Stefan de Vrij rose high to head home unmarked from Memphis Depay's cross, the ball bouncing awkwardly off the ground and leaving Gunok with no chance to save it. This was the 32-year-old defender's first goal for the Netherlands in nine years.
"The Orange Tornado" showed a completely different performance in the second half, and the players who made mistakes also redeemed themselves. Dumfries, after failing to break his team's offside trap, delivered a cross that led to Muldur's own goal. Goalkeeper Verbruggen also made several spectacular saves in the final minutes, securing the victory for his team.
For the sixth time, the Netherlands have reached the semi-finals of the Euro, a feat only surpassed by Germany. Ahead of Koeman's team is England in the semi-final at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund on July 10th. Turkey, while unable to replicate their 2008 semi-final feat, will still be remembered for their emotionally charged matches, particularly in the knockout rounds against Austria and the Netherlands.
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