An personal aim by Mert Muldur accomplished a dramatic comeback for the Netherlands on Saturday as they overcame a tenacious Turkey 2-1 to guide a Euro 2024 semi-final assembly with England.
The defender bundled the ball into his personal web within the 76th minute underneath strain from Cody Gakpo because the Dutch bounced again from a poor first-half show to win a bruising conflict and full the ultimate 4 line-up.
Stefan de Vrij had equalised solely six minutes earlier after Turkey went into the break 1-0 up from Samet Akaydin’s Thirty fifth- minute header.
Turkey rode waves of passionate help on the Olympiastadion to place themselves on target for an unlikely semi-final place however, after preserving the Dutch at bay, they lastly succumbed to the strain within the final 20 minutes.
France and Spain meet within the different semi-final on Tuesday earlier than the Dutch face England in Dortmund on Wednesday.
“We knew it was going to be powerful so I’m actually happy that we made it via,” mentioned Dutch coach Ronald Koeman.
“It’s a win not solely as a result of we had been most likely the higher facet but in addition as a result of we confirmed battle and we didn’t quit.”
The one one of many weekend’s quarter-finals to be accomplished with out additional time or penalties was no much less drama-filled.
Turkey’s aim got here after an odd resolution from Dutch fullback Denzel Dumfries to let a shot, which had clearly deflected off Nathan Ake, exit for a nook when he may simply have stored the ball in play.
The resultant set piece was initially cleared however fell for teenager Arda Guler to ship an ideal cross to the again publish and Akaydin was first in a queue of three Turkish gamers to rise and head dwelling.
SUSTAINED PRESSURE
The aim got here after sustained strain from Turkey, who had seen off early Dutch dominance, to arrange a number of alternatives, together with a succession of corners.
Preliminary enterprise from the Dutch was met with tenacious defence as Turkey giving their opponents little room to play in.
It didn’t assist the Dutch trigger that attackers Memphis Depay and Gakpo regarded flat, prompting coach Ronald Koeman into throwing on pinch hitter Wout Weghorst at the beginning of the second half.
Though the imposing centre ahead regarded to stitch panic among the many Turkish defenders, nevertheless, it was on the different finish that the following alternatives arose.
Guler’s 56th-minute free kick was bent expertly across the Dutch wall however struck the surface of the publish.
Ten minutes later, Dutch keeper Bart Verbruggen bought a hand to disclaim Baris Alper Yilmaz’s stinging shot and Kaan Ayhan missed out on tucking away the rebound as Weghorst cleared.
The Dutch stored plugging away and, as Turkey’s defence turned extra scrambled, they lastly made the breakthrough with Depay’s cross discovering an unmarked De Vrij to move dwelling within the seventieth minute.
The siege continued and it was matter of time earlier than the Dutch grabbed a second, bundled in six minutes later as Gakpo pressurised Muldur after a cross by Dumfries.
“Initially we had been sloppy with an excessive amount of lack of ball possession,” mentioned De Vrij.
“They pushed us behind after which we went behind to the header from a nook. However we stored believing. You’ve seen in different video games that objectives can come late. And so it got here for us too.”
The tired-looking Turks, drawing final vestiges of power from rabid help from nearly all of the capability crowd, gamely sought to take the sport into additional time however had determined efforts blocked by the Orange defence and Verbruggen made one other key save in stoppage time.
“We’re very unhappy. It’s arduous to seek out phrases proper now. We’re all emotional,” Turkey midfielder Salih Ozcan mentioned.
“We wish to thank our followers, the superb help we bought. They carried us from match to match.”
