Austria Falls 1-2 to Turkey: Demiral’s Brace Propels Team to Quarterfinal Showdown with the Netherlands

Turkiye’s ascension to Euro 2024’s last-eight happened Tuesday after conquering Austria, solidifying a suspenseful clash with the Netherlands.

Ralf Rangnick, leading the group champion squad, succumbed in a face-off against the indomitable Oranje in Leipzig.

Merih Demiral etched his name in the history books with a lightning-fast goal, the quickest in the knockout stages of the championship, before netting another in the second half.

Michael Gregoritsch rekindled Austrian hopes with his 66th-minute goal, yet Turkiye, spurred by Mert Gunok’s last-minute saves, clinched their berth for the upcoming battle in Berlin.

Right from the kickoff, Demiral blasted the ball in, capitalizing on an initial deflect off an Austrian in response to Arda Guler’s corner.

Christoph Baumgartner almost equalized, weaving towards the brink and narrowly missing the target with a right-footer.

Shortly thereafter, Baumgartner eyed a chance as Demiral mishandled clearing an incoming corner, but he couldn’t connect at the crucial moment.

Rangnick’s team rued these missed opportunities, especially when Guler’s subsequent corner found Demiral once more, who headed it in decisively.

A quick response from substitute Gregoritsch seven minutes later cut the deficit, following up on Stefan Posch’s initial flick. Baumgartner later saw his header thwarted by Gunok as the match approached its climax.

That heroic save from Gunok later became a legendary moment for Turkiye, marking their first quarter-final appearance in 16 years.

Data Debrief: Turkiye revels in Demiral’s landmark performance

Demiral’s double made him the first Turk to score twice at the Euros since Nihat Kahveci in 2008, and uniquely, in the knockout stages.

Turkiye boasts the record for the quickest knockout goals at both the Euros and the World Cup, the latter thanks to Hakan Sukur’s 11-second goal against Korea Republic in 2002.

A recurring adversary proved Austria’s downfall as they extended a winless streak to six games against Turkiye, setting up a pivotal showdown with the Netherlands.