In order to qualify to the quarterfinals of Euro 2024, the Netherlands had a great performance as they defeated Romania by a score of 3-0.
The Dutch were able to break the tie with a goal scored by Cody Gakpo in the twenty-first minute. This came after Netherlands had to endure a spell of pressure from Romania.
Even though the Oranje were able to take the lead early on, their pursuit for a second goal proved to be a frustrating one because they were unable to capitalize on the opportunities that were presented to them at an alarming rate.
In the Romanian goal, Stefan de Vrij’s header went into the side netting, Gakpo’s goal was disallowed, and Virgil van Dijk’s header brought the ball against the upright. All of these events contributed to the Romanian goal’s fortunate existence.
Nevertheless, Romania’s luck finally ran out in the 83rd minute when Donyell Malen scored a goal by tapping the ball in after Gakpo had passed the ball to him.
After that, the player from Borussia Dortmund scored his second goal in the final minute of stoppage time, ensuring that the Netherlands will now be able to confidently anticipate their first appearance in the quarterfinals of the European Championship since 2008.
It took Gakpo only twenty minutes of the match in the round of sixteen to score his third goal at the 2024 European Championship. He had previously scored goals against Poland and Austria during the group stage.
After collecting the ball on the left flank, the Liverpool forward took a few moves before cutting inside onto his right foot to create space for a driven effort that was taken near the post.
Florin Nita, the goalkeeper for Romania, was lucky enough to get a hand on the powerful shot, but he was unable to stop it from finding its way into the back of the net.
After Gakpo witnessed a potential second goal being disallowed in the 63rd minute owing to an offside infraction, he would have been left with a mixture of frustration and disappointment.
Following his first start of the tournament, Malen was sent to the bench for the Netherlands’ final group game, which was a 3-2 loss against Austria. Malen had previously started for the Netherlands.
As a result of his outstanding performance as a substitute in Munich, the 25-year-old player will undoubtedly be considered for the starting position in the quarterfinals following his performance.
Before Malen delivered a straightforward finish from Gakpo’s cutback to increase his country’s advantage in the 83rd minute, the Netherlands had missed a number of excellent opportunities to score a second goal.
After scoring his first goal in a major competition, the player for Borussia Dortmund was celebrating his second goal just ten minutes later.
After Malen took possession of the ball on the halfway line, he led a counterattack by the Dutch. He then drifted inside and finished with a driven shot that found the bottom corner of the net.
In spite of the fact that they got off to a strong start in the competition, Romania spent the bulk of the encounter on the defensive, desperately attempting to withstand the unrelenting pressure that Netherlands were applying.
The additional talent displayed by the Netherlands ultimately proved to be decisive in the latter stages, ensuring that Romania’s Euro 2024 campaign culminated in a sad conclusion.
The fact that the team led by Edward Iordanescu concluded the game with only one shot on target exemplifies the difficulties that they had in posing a danger to the goal that was being scored by Bart Verbruggen.
Despite the fact that their trip has come to an end, the Tricolors have reason to be pleased of the fact that they were able to win their group and get to the knockout phase of the European Championship for the second time.
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