The Netherlands came from behind to beat Türkiye 2-1 with two goals in six minutes to set up a Euro 2024 semi-final against England.
"Own goals" have once again spoken out at Euro 2024, with 10 such goals since the start of the tournament, just one goal away from the record set last time. Türkiye was unlucky as they were the only team to have two players score own goals, with center-back Samet Akaydin in the loss to Portugal and defender Mert Muldur against the Netherlands. It was Muldur's effort to clear the ball into his own net that gave the "Orange Storm" a place in the semi-finals.
Before the own goal, Muldur was stepped on twice by Dutch players, Xavi Simons and Cody Gakpo respectively. Simons and Gakpo then contributed to the Netherlands' decisive goal in the 76th minute. Simons played a one-touch pass down the right side of the penalty area for Denzel Dumfries to cross low towards the second post for Gakpo to dive in and tap in. Muldur slid to clear Gakpo, causing him to fall, while the ball rolled in the other direction, defeating goalkeeper Mert Gunok.
After the ball hit the net, a female Turkish fan in the stands stopped waving her flag, while a male fan next to her put his head down on the back of his chair. On Reddit , matzan commented: "I live four blocks from the Olympic Stadium, but it was only then that I realized Turkey was no longer leading."
The Turkish crowd outnumbered the Dutch at the Olympic Stadium, and they used that to their advantage to put pressure on Ronald Koeman and his team. Every time the Dutch kept the ball for a long time, whistles and boos rang out from the corners of the stands. This happened frequently in the first half, when Türkiye took a surprise lead from a corner kick.
All three of Turkey's goals in the knockout stages have come from corners, and were scored by centre-backs. In the 35th minute, Arda Guler crossed the ball with his right foot to the second post for Akaydin to head into the net from close range without being marked. Goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen also misjudged the landing spot, rushed out and missed the ball. "The Olympic Stadium is bouncing, but I'm not surprised because this is a Turkish audience," commented a reporter for the British newspaper Guardian in Berlin.
Akaydin, 30, was only called up to the national team this year but has already played 10 matches. The center back of coach Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce club celebrated his first goal for the team by kneeling down several times and looking down at the pitch. In the stands, Turkish fans also lit flares, then continued to dance and cheer for Vincenzo Montella and his team.
The assist from 19-year-old midfielder Guler was also considered the "best cross of the tournament", according to the British media. When the Real Madrid midfielder went to the technical area to drink water, he received a kiss on the forehead from coach Montella. Guler also almost scored a great free kick in the second half from 26 meters, but was denied by the post.
Dutch newspaper Voetbal International said Turkey deserved to take the lead in the first half, as Koeman's side failed to get a shot on target. Their short passing game struggled, forcing them to change their approach in the second half. 1.97m striker Wout Weghorst was introduced, as the Netherlands started playing direct, with crosses into the penalty area. That caused problems for the Turkish defence, before they collapsed within six minutes.
With the Turkish players preoccupied with Weghorst, centre-back Stefan de Vrij jumped high and headed Memphis Depay's cross unmarked, sending the ball crashing to the ground where Gunok could not save. It was the 32-year-old's first goal for the Netherlands in nine years.
The "Orange Storm" showed a completely different performance in the second half, and the players who made mistakes also made up for their mistakes. Dumfries, after breaking the home team's offside trap, crossed the ball leading to Muldur's own goal. And goalkeeper Verbruggen also made many beautiful saves in the final minutes, preserving the victory for the home team.
The Netherlands finished in the top four of the Euros for the sixth time, behind only Germany. Koeman's men face England in the semi-finals at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund on July 10. Türkiye, meanwhile, were unable to replicate their semi-final performance in 2008, but they will still be remembered for their emotional performances, especially in the knockout stages against Austria and the Netherlands.
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