The Netherlands swept into their first European Championship quarter-final since 2008 as Donyell Malen scored twice in a 3-0 win over Romania in the last 16 on Tuesday.
Cody Gakpo gave the Dutch an early lead, but they were unable to convert pressure into a crucial second goal until the Liverpool forward set up Malen with seven minutes remaining in Munich.
Romania were gritty but outclassed, lacking the quality to punish their opponents’ profligacy before Malen added his second on the counter in stoppage-time.
The victory put the Oranje on course for a quarter-final clash with Turkey, who later in the day defeated Austria 2-1.
Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!
“We played a good game. I’m very pleased. Especially after the last game we needed a reaction and today was a good step in the right direction,” Gakpo said.
“We talked a lot about the aggression, the intensity and defending like a team. It was a good step.
“Sacrifice something for each other and work really hard to be at your best. Good game overall.”
Ronald Koeman’s side will need to improve their effectiveness in front of goal should they wish to emulate their manager, who was a player for the Dutch when they won the 1988 Euros on German soil.
Koeman said “the only critical point was that it took us too long to score the second one”, but praised the performance overall.
“We are Dutch, we have to play well. The performance today was outstanding and that’s why we have a chance to continue,” added the 61-year-old coach.
“This is the level we need. If we drop our level, we won’t make the final.”
Romania coach Edward Iordanescu said his team “tried to surprise the Netherlands today and it worked — until the 20th minute,” but added he saw “good things that can inspire us for the future”.
Prior to the game, Netherlands’ captain Virgil van Dijk said his side lacked energy and the “will to win” in the loss to Austria.
But the Dutch were still strangely flat in the early stages despite Van Dijk’s rallying cry.
Group E winners Romania, whose 3-0 victory over Ukraine in their opening game, was just their second-ever win in the Euros, pinned the Dutch back early.
Romania went close when Dennis Man latched onto a superb diagonal ball from Nicolae Stanciu, but the Parma winger blasted over.
The Dutch broke Romania’s momentum shortly after when Gakpo got on the end of a sweeping move to open the scoring on 20 minutes.
Jerdy Schouten sliced a perfect, long pass through the midfield to Xavi Simons, who found Gakpo on the left flank.
Gakpo eluded Andrei Ratiu and seemed to catch goalkeeper Florin Nita off-guard, blasting in at the near post.
The goal ignited a period of Dutch dominance, Stefan de Vrij heading inches wide five minutes later.
Netherlands cruise past Romania to QF! | 01:45
The Netherlands wasted a perfect chance to double their lead with halftime approaching when Denzel Dumfries picked Bogdan Racovitan’s pocket and found Simons, who got tangled up and failed to get a decent shot away.
Koeman’s team squandered an array of opportunities early in the second half. Memphis Depay and Van Dijk went agonisingly close before Gakpo’s second was ruled out by VAR for off-side.
With every missed chance, the nerves in the Dutch camp seemed to grow, but Romania lacked the quality to truly punish them.
Gakpo, the player of the match, took matters into his own hands with seven minutes remaining, dribbling through a crowded penalty area and finding Malen who tapped home.
“We work very hard with each other to do our best and I’m happy I could assist Donnie with his goal today,” Gakpo said.
With Romania launching a final attack, Malen broke through on the counter and slid the ball into the goal in the fourth minute of stoppage-time to seal the victory.
The 93rd-minute goal meant substitute Malen was the first Dutch player to score at least two goals in a Euros knockout tie since Marc Overmars and Patrick Kluivert in a 6-1 win against Yugoslavia in 2000.
TURKEY KEEPER’S LAST-MINUTE HEROICS
Merih Demiral was Turkey’s unlikely hero with both goals in a 2-1 win over Austria on Tuesday that booked their place in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.
The Al-Ahli centre-back smashed home after just 58 seconds and produced a towering header on the hour mark to double Turkey’s lead.
Michael Gregoritsch quickly pulled a goal back for Austria and only a stunning save from Mert Gunok denied Christoph Baumgartner a dramatic equaliser deep into stoppage-time.
Turkey advance to face the Netherlands in the last eight in Berlin on Saturday.
Austria had emerged as dark horses to go far on the perceived weaker side of the draw after topping a group including France and the Netherlands.
Ralf Rangnick’s side had also thrashed Turkey 6-1 in a friendly in March, but this time they failed to recover from a nightmare start.
Real Madrid’s Arda Guler was a constant threat to the Austrian defence and his teasing delivery from a corner caused chaos inside the first minute.
Baumgartner’s clearance off the line hit team-mate Stefan Posch, goalkeeper Patrick Pentz clawing it out to Demiral, who lashed into the roof of the net for the second fastest goal ever at a European Championship.
Turkey’s raucous fans exploded in a deafening celebration, but they were nearly brought back down to earth straight away.
Baumgartner fired inches wide form the edge of the box before Demiral somehow prevented the RB Leipzig midfielder from scoring at his home ground as a dangerous Austrian corner flashed across goal.
Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella said that absent captain Hakan Calhanoglu, who was missing due to suspension, was “irreplaceable”.
However, Guler assumed responsibility in the playmaking role and nearly produced a stunning second for his side with an audacious attempt from the halfway line that drifted wide.
Only Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands have had a higher winning percentage in European football since Rangnick took charge of Austria two years ago.
The former Manchester United boss made two changes at half-time, including the introduction of Gregoritsch, who scored a hat-trick when the sides met three months ago.
Rangnick got the reaction he desired as Austria began cutting through the Turkish defence.
Gunok spread himself brilliantly to deny Marko Arnautovic when one-on-one before Bayern Munich’s Konrad Laimer lacked the finish to a fine run through the middle.
However, they failed to learn their lesson from Guler corners as another inviting delivery was powered home by Demiral.
In doing so the 26-year-old became the first European defender to score twice in the knockout stages of a major tournament since Lillian Thuram for France at the 1998 World Cup.
It was also a set-piece at the other end that got Austria back in the game seven minutes later.
Posch flicked on Marcel Sabitzer’s corner for Gregoritsch to sweep high into the net.
A torrential downpour could not drown out a sensational atmosphere in Leipzig, with Turkey’s huge expat population in Germany again making it like a home game for Montella’s men.
The fervent atmosphere turned sour as Sabitzer was struck by an object thrown from the crowd as he prepared to take a corner.
Baris Alper Yilmaz was denied a third for Turkey by a fine save from Pentz in stoppage-time.
That nearly proved crucial as Gunok then had to produce a remarkable stop to prevent Baumgartner’s downward header finding the far corner.
It was an incredible save reminiscent of England keeper Gordon Banks’ iconic stop from Pele in the 1970 World Cup.
But Turkey stood firm amid an aerial bombardment from Austria to reach the quarter-finals of a major tournament for the first time since Euro 2008.
