Euro 2024 Thriller: Malen’s Electrifying Performance Secures Netherlands’ Advance, Demiral’s Heroics Propel Turkey Forward

As Tuesday concluded the electrifying last-16 round of Euro 2024, the suspense had everyone on edge.

The Dutch team sailed into the quarterfinals, showcasing a stellar game against Romania, bulldozing past the Group E leaders.

Turkiye managed a tense victory over Austria in Leipzig and is slated to clash with the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. The victors might battle England for a semifinal spot.

Let’s delve deeply into the day’s standout stats, courtesy of Opta.

Romania fell to the Netherlands 0-3 with Malen, Gakpo, and Simons shining brilliantly.

The Netherlands celebrated a poignant 3-0 victory, eliminating years of subpar performances in the European Championship knockouts. This marked their first advancement without penalties since 2004.

With Munich as the backdrop, the Dutch team relished their first knockout win since their 2000 demolition of Yugoslavia.

Gakpo, a hero at the 2022 World Cup, continued to impress by scoring his third tournament goal post a stellar first half. He joins an elite group of Dutch scorers, equating records held by Johnny Rep and Dennis Bergkamp.

Gakpo outranks most with six goals in the last two majors, second only to France’s Mbappe.

Instrumental in their second goal, Gakpo assisted Malen, whose late goals not only highlighted the match but also set records for Euro 2024.

Malen became the first substitute to net a brace in the Euros since Milosevic in 2000. But let’s not overshadow Xavi Simons’ contributions.

Simons, after setting up a goal against Austria, became the youngest to deliver consecutive Euro assists since 2008.

This trio pushed the Netherlands into back-to-back major tournament quarterfinals, a feat last seen in 2010.

Meanwhile, Romania grapples with a paltry 10% win rate at the Euros, the lowest of any squad with over 10 games.

Austria succumbed 1-2 to Turkiye: Demiral’s historic double propelled them to the quarterfinals.

Merih Demiral’s two goals, including a record-setting opener, ensured Turkiye’s spot in the quarters for the third time.

His opener, clocked at 57 seconds, is the quickest in the tournament’s knockout phase and the second fastest overall.

Now, Turkiye holds records for the fastest Euro knockout goal and the quickest at a FIFA event, thanks to Hakan Sukur’s strike in 2002.

Adding a second goal post interval, Demiral became the first defender since England’s John Stones in 2018 to score twice in a major tournament game.

Ralf Rangnick’s team, despite Michael Gregoritsch’s goal, his fourth against Turkiye, couldn’t muster enough to overcome their rivals.

This match entered the books as the first since 1980 at the Euros where three goals originated from set-pieces.

Though Austria rued missed opportunities, Turkiye looked ahead, fielding two teenagers in a knockout fixture for the first time since Hungary in 1964.