Xavi Simons (L) from the Netherlands competes with Alexandru Cicaldau (C) of Romania during the UEFA Euro 2024 Round of 16 clash in Munich, Germany on July 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo)
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Cody Gakpo opened the scoring, and Donyell Malen’s brace late in the game propelled the Dutchmen past Romania 3-0, securing a spot in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals at Munich’s Allianz Arena on Tuesday.
Romania came out with fire, creating a significant chance early on. Dennis Man’s shot from the edge of the box narrowly missed in the 14th minute.
Six minutes later, the Dutch pounced on Romania’s miss. Xavi Simons connected with Gakpo on the left flank. The Liverpool ace cut inside and fired a precise shot into the near post, netting his third goal of the tournament.
The Netherlands picked up steam, but couldn’t extend their lead before halftime. Stefan de Vrij’s header glanced off the side netting from a difficult angle.
Ronald Koeman’s squad surged in the second half. Memphis Depay failed to best Romania’s keeper Florin Nita from point-blank range in the 54th minute, and Virgil van Dijk hit the post four minutes later.
Relentless pressure from the Dutch ensued, but Nita’s sharp reactions thwarted Gakpo’s solo effort at the hour mark. Gakpo remained a threat, though his second goal was disallowed for offside.
Romania struggled defensively yet managed to stay afloat as the Netherlands squandered several promising chances.
The Dutchmen doubled their lead in the 83rd minute, courtesy of Gakpo’s setup that allowed Malen to tap into an empty net.
Malen struck again as Simons fed the Borussia Dortmund forward, who fired past Nita, clinching their forthcoming quarterfinal showdown with Turkiye at Berlin’s Olympia Stadium on Saturday.
“We had a tough start, but eventually hit our stride and troubled them. Getting the second goal took too long, which was a critical point. Our attacks caused Romania major issues,” said Dutch coach Koeman.
